Though it is very true that nowadays, many Muslim women are mistreated and left unprotected under the law in some Islamic countries, the Qur'an itself does not condone the mistreatment of women. At the time when the Qur'an was first revealed, it prohibited many horrible actions that men were taking against women. For example, infanticide of female children was quite common in Arabia before Islam--it is believed that families would sometimes even bury their female children alive. Men were not punished for beating or even killing their wives for adultery- and the men did not have to provide proof of the adultery. There are specific verses in the Qur'an which forbid these crimes.
I don't have those on hand, however I do have a verse which is very likely the basis for some mandates for women to be veiled in public--
"O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters, as well as all [other] believing women, that they should draw over themselves some of their outer garments [when in public]: this will be more conducive to their being recognized [as decent women] and not annoyed. But [withal], God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!" (Q 33-59)
This does not demand that women cover their face or hair with veils, but that they should wear something that makes it obvious that they are Muslim women. There are other verses concerning modesty (Q 33:33) but again, there is no reference to a veil.
Additionally, unlike other scripture, the Qur'an at times directly addresses women and holds them to equal responsibility as men (which suggests they should have equal rights):
"Surely for Muslim men and women, and the believing men and the believing women, and the obeying men and the obeying women, and the truthful men and the truthful women, and the patient men and the patient women, and the humble men and the humble women, and the charitable men and the charitable women, and the fasting men and the fasting women, and the men who guard their chastity and the women who guard their chastity, and the men who remember Allah much and the women who remember--Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a mighty reward." (Q 33:35)
I took particular notice to the importance of both sexes to be modest and chaste since this seems to be a big issue concerning women in Islam.
My point is that the Qur'an, in my opinion, represents the true meaning of Islam which is Justice and Peace. Admittedly, there are contradictory verses in the Qur'an, but overall, the book preaches peace and I think that is forgotten by extremists and the general public alike.
