I have lived in the USA my whole life. I have also been in Muslim countries where it is the custom for men and women to remain separate. And I can honestly say that I have come across more flirtatious, rude, and downright perverted men in the short time I spent in those countries than I have ever come across in the USA in my whole life.
You can dismiss it all you want, but it seems to me that the more you separate and segregate, the less you can handle the reality that the other sex exists. Even here in the USA, many sisters feel like they cannot interact comfortably in a Muslim setting because they are under the constant scrutiny of single men.
Supposedly we are all brothers and sisters in Islam. But for all it's worth, our actions scream otherwise. This is because Muslim men usually perceive Muslim women as something that leads to fitnah. After thinking about this critically, I realize that this is not much better than the way Muslims say women are treated in the west. The mindset of some Muslim men is exactly the same, they just try to diagnose the issue with an equally unhealthy approach.
If we really want to live by Islam, shouldn't we see one another like brothers and sisters?
You know what, I was watching this program on Channel 4 (UK) - a TV station known for its anti-Islam programs, just for the sake of discussion as I thought I may get asked questions regarding it the next day. I cant remember the name, but it was a while back....Anyway, Peaces Geldof (Bob's daughter) was the presenter and she had to live a Muslim life in Morocco (I believe) for a time, and the guys there were PERVERTED!!!! They were whistling at her, even getting close and touching her!! I was ashamed - it was supposed to be a Muslim country?!I agree, there needs to be at least some integration - or else people would end up like that. We need to see each other, regardless of religion, as brothers and sisters - after all, we all come from the same fore-parents.