The Muslim Woman

The fatty and bulldozer sized women folk of Mauritania are now coming out of age. They are shedding their biased ethos of being bulky and putting themselves in to exercise regimen to shape and size their bodies. Though, the thousands of women living in the rural areas are yet to be convinced of the health hazards caused due to their over sized figures, the welcome trend seems to be making inroads to different parts of this desert nation. The female obesity is a part and parcel of Mauritania culture. Feminine heaviness and masculine skinny figures are thought to be perfect matching for sexual intercourse and family reproduction. The bulkiness of women is also considered crucial to the wealth and prestige of the family. The obese brides are more sought after and rich people are willing to pay more bride fee to the family. The poets and ballads also glorify the feminine bulkiness as an epitome of beauty. Surveys have also quite often exposed the uncanny interest among the ladies to add fat to their body even by taking hormone-increasing drugs. The practice of system of gavage or forced feeding is also prevalent in rural Mauritania. Girls are forced to drink more and more camel milk and intake butter and oil containing enormous fat. There are incidents where special sessions in the village are held to make women folk take food lashed with fat. But, the growing awareness programme launched by the national government and supported by non-governmental organizations are paying dividend. Mauritanian women are increasingly adopting exercise practices to remain fit and shed fats. Now, they are well aware of the possible health hazards like diabetes, heart strokes, high blood pressure and other miseries. The slim-down campaign unleashed by the women’s ministry is well appreciated by the fair sex in the urban Mauritania. However, females living in the rural and interior parts of Mauritania are yet to be reached. Overpowered by the Islamic values and the male dominated society, they have no alternative, but to abide by tribal lust for flesh and fat. There are also incidents where girls died of torture when they refused to add fat to satisfy their male folks. Image1 Image2 Via: NY Times

Girls of Muslim community are trying to surface from their shell of chauvinistic written laws, which actually is a good move. It seems they have finally realized their inner strength is the only tool that may redeem them from the tentacles of suppression. After creating history in Afghanistan by taking part in boxing, women are trying their best to bring laurels. Here, I am talking about Roxana Razeghian, Shadi Kalantar and Kimya Vaezi, the three teenage girls from Iran. Their zeal to do something really paid them good returns and the credit goes to Katayoon Ashraff, who acted as a catalyst in churning out their hidden potential. The teenagers are optimistic regarding their move into the world junior kayak event after toiling hard on the American whitewater slalom courses. They along with their coach are hopeful to win Iran government support for their dream despite possible fundamentalist objections. They will agree. I am sure they will. I can solve these problems, I am sure. I am not afraid. Who knows what is in front of a stone when you are paddling in the water? This sport promotes getting beyond obstacles. That transcends to the heart. articulates Ashraff. He further added that the sport has been an instrumental factor in extricating the element of shyness from the girls and making them more comfortable to tread along the winning path. The girls have even made Matt Taylor, director of the $24 million Adventure Sports Center and a two-time US canoe Olympian, wonder at their enthusiasm and devotion. Best of luck girls! Via: Taipei Times

Witnessing ‘DEATHS, DEATHS and more DEATHS’ have become the destiny of afghan woman. For more than 20 years, Afghanistan has been at war. We all know, even before war the condition of Muslim women was not good. They have been suffering from many years but CURRENT WAR has broken them down emotionally as well. In attempt to search Osama Bin laden and destroy Taliban regime (Do not forget both are created by US itself), US has ruined thousands of innocent lives. Afghan woman who is suffering in the hands of poverty and decadent social traditions, find an easy escape in suicides. The advent of President Hamid Karzai government has brought some changes in the social condition of women in Afghanistan. This has improved the condition of women of upper class and middle class women but the effect is almost negligible for lower class women. The latest survey of conducted by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) reveals the ground reality in Afghanistan. The survey was conducted in 2004 on 50,000 war widows. UNIFEM and associated nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have taken one year to complete this survey. The findings of the survey are given below: 1. 65 percent of the 50,000 war widows living in Kabul see suicide as the only option to escape from their misery and desolation. 2. The majority of Afghan women are victims of mental and sexual violence. 3. 16 women had already ended their lives since the interviews were conducted. 4. Gender discrimination and violence against women was common in most parts of Afghanistan. 5. In Helmand province, which is also known as the center of poppy cultivation, more than 100 women committed suicide. 6. In Herat province, there were 93 cases of attempted suicide last year and 54 cases so far this year. Kulsoom who is married to a 40-year-old man, survived after attempt to commit suicide said, For two years, my husband beat me and treated me like an animal. In the much-publicized story of 20-year-old Jamila whose story resembles to Kulsoom’s story, said, I did not know how to end the misery of torture and daily beatings I got from my cruel husband. So I poured petrol on myself and set myself ablaze. Now She is receiving treatment for her injuries in a hospital in Kabul. Another report by the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan said, Desperate to escape domestic violence, forced marriage and hardship, scores of women across Afghanistan each year are committing suicide by immolating themselves. Afghan women usually take high dose of opium, rat killers and petrol to end their lives. In a report by Womenkind — an international NGO said, 80 percent of marriages in Afghanistan are forced and that more than half of Afghan women are married before they turn 16 to men who are much older. The exchange of women and girls to resolve a crime, debt or household dispute is also common and in most of such marriages violence against women is a common practice. However the Karzai government has banned the marriage of women under 18 years old. Whether it is Jamila, Muka or Kulsoom, the suffering tales of Afghan women is almost same. I want to ask Mr. Bush! Come and see what u did in Afghanistan. The media may have spread awareness about women’s rights but it is not enough to curb physical and mental violence against women. After digging Afghanistan so badly, women empowerment should be the next mission of United Nations Security Council. Via Image 1 Image 2