The Muslim Woman

The situation of women in Pakistan is uncertain today. If we look at the statistics, it seems that there is no end to incidents of violence against women. Eighty per cent of the violence against women cases are pending in lower courts in Pakistan involve family members. Around 1,000 women are sexually abused in the country every year but they go un-reported because women know they cannot survive with such a stigma. Figuratively: 1. Estimates of the percentage of women who experience spousal abuse alone range from 70 to upwards of 90 percent. 2. As many as eight women – half of them minors – are raped in Pakistan everyday. 3. Both reported and unreported rapes indicated the number of victims to be over 10,000 a year. 4. The women crises center received only 201 cases of violence against women since it was set up two years ago, forming only 15 per cent of the actual number. 5. Nearly, 85% of the cases were not reported by women because of the predominant male-dominated society and illiteracy. 6. 87 cases out of 201 cases were related to domestic violence followed by physical torture and abuse, dowry, financial problems and harassment. Women in Pakistan face staggeringly high rates of rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence while their attackers largely go unpunished owing to rampant incompetence, corruption, and biases against women throughout the criminal justice system. The crimes involved ranged from murder, honour killing, gang rape, non-registration of FIR, non-arrest of the accused, kidnapping, abduction and domestic violence. Bottom line A strong feudal and patriarchal social structure, cultural bias against women and the acceptance of traditional customary laws have created an environment that is not conducive to the aspirations of the contemporary women. A fundamental issue has to be resolved – the fate of law making. Is it going to be based on principles of equality or politicized in the name of Islam? However, it must be kept in mind, if Pakistan wants to maintain its image as a civilized and progressive country, women’s issues must addressed immediately.

A section of poor Muslim women often face the brutality of a male-dominated society. Women and girls all over the world(of all religions and nationalities)are not safe from violence and exploitation in the so called ‘age of globalization and information technology’. We still love to follow the cruel adaptations of our primitive lives that structured our religious and national identities. It pains me to read widespread reports of ‘Honour Killings’ among the Islamic society. According to old Muslim values, its the female who bears the family decency and the males are to defend it at any cost. In simple words, its the woman or girl who must pay with her life for any dishonor that befalls upon her family and society due to her actions. In most Arab societies, women are solely responsible for the protection of their virginity, the loss of her most precious asset in incidents, other than in proper marriage, would inevitably lead to death. Most honor killings are done by the girl’s own family members. Sometimes it is astounding when people justify honor killings in the name of Islam. I am absolutely sure that the Great Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would not have advised such horrific followings. The killings are extensions of old Arab and nomadic rituals that have been in existence long before Islam’s advent to this plane. Due to the raising of voice among many Muslim women with the help of media, we are coming to know the senseless violence that are being meted out to the women who knowingly or even mistakenly fail to follow the rigorous steps. These conservative religious teachings are results of personal radical ambitions and age-old beliefs of depriving the feminine society. Media is not the only way of relieving these poor women. The time has come for the heads of states to come up with modern ideas to combat radicalism and blind beliefs. Image: Hinduonnet Source: Boston Globe

Morsal Obeidi was just 16, she wanted to live like the other girls in Germany. Free to make choices. But she paid dearly for aspiring to be free, her brother stabbed her 20 times. This honour killing right in the heart of Germany has sparked huge debate about muslim women, the choices they have and they don’t have. And whether at all they can opt to walk away from the family bindings. It must be really difficult to live closed life in a free world. The children of religious minority groups can never really get integrated into western society. Their homes and their religious bindings often place them in a dilemma of choices. They rarely think of escaping from home and bindings. Their upbringing teaches them not to abandon family and family values at any cost. The family name, family honour, their own religion and society are of supreme importance. Defying parents and religious law is never tolerated. If some of them do dare, they end up getting punished. Asserting one’s own religion, one’s own culture and value is important. But not giving freedom to step out to explore the world and live life on one’s own terms is a kind of oppression. Modern society will see more such attempts to crossover traditional barriers and boundaries to see the world beyond. source: guardian

Despite of a large number of women rights movement across the globe it seems that the larger portion of the fruits of women rights have gone to the woman of the western world while their sisters, especially in the Islamic world still remain deprived behind the veil of anonymity. For a society that treats its women as wealth to be possessed and kept fettered inside the secure environs of home, Nadia Abu Amar, an Israeli Arab’s desire for freedom cannot be tolerated. So even by escaping from her home in Ramle to a women’s shelter in Jerusalem she could not save herself from being killed by the male relatives of her family in the name of salvaging the family honour. Nadia’s case is not a stray incident among the Israeli Arabs. Honour killing is prevalent not only throughout the Arab world, but also in Pakistan, Afghanistan and even among some non-Islamic groups in India. For a woman it is her duty to maintain her family honour at all costs even if that amounts to settling for an unhappy arranged marriage. While women have been guaranteed rights to participate in electoral politics and cast their votes to choose their representatives during elections but they do not have the right to choose the mode of life they prefer worth living. According to Ramle police superintendent, who is investigating Nadia’s case, even if an Arab woman spoke on a cell phone or laughed with a man it will be regarded as violation of family honour. Israel on its part is trying to resolve the incidents of honour killings by executing strict measures against the perpetrators of the crime. However, unless there is an endogenous social reform from within the conservative societies, Islamic and non-Islamic, any exogenous legal effort will prove futile. Source:ABC News