The conspiracy theorists in Pakistan have a treasure chest full of interesting notions, most of which take every political twist and every social revolution and tie its knot to the ‘western agenda’. The subject of women rights is no different. The subject is likely to be considered a threat to Islamic values and a propagation of a western agenda, and you will be pinned as an agent of the west.
Why is it so? Why is talking about women rights considered a western agenda? Does the east not believe in giving women their due place? Is the ‘mashraqi tehzeeb’ only kind to the men? Sadly, in our society that does hold true. Contradictions are easy to spot from the very early beginning; birth of a girl child is proof of that. The consolations follow soon after, while birth of a boy is met with joy everywhere. To the extent that how the family reacts to the mother also is affected drastically. It is common practice that mothers giving birth to daughters are shunned by their own family, and in some cases even sent packing back to their parent’s house.
The discrimination continues into the formative years where how the boy and girl are raised is not the same; the opportunities and responsibilities both are given are not the same. It is instinctive for most families to compromise on the girl’s nutritional needs in favour of the boy sibling. The same holds true for education.
Encouraging families to educate their girls for their own economic empowerment and the society’s serves the west, how?
It is a norm to marry off girls at a young age, in some areas, they are considered ready for marriage even at the ages of 9 or 10. Marriage in itself is a subject that completely overlooks the right of a woman to decide or choose for herself. Is willful consent of a girl being wed not an integral part of the nikah? The viles prevalent in our society in the name of marriage question not only the integrity of the girl but also her entity as a human. Dowry is one such evil. What gifts the girl comes bearing for the family and the husband and herself, in many cases, determines her standing amongst the in-laws. There are many girls, especially in the lower economic strata of the society, who have had their hand refused in marriage because their families could not promise much in dowry.
Talking about this wide-spread evil is against our values, how?
The crimes against women are a courtesy extended by their own blood relatives as well as by the society at large. Cases of domestic violence were not even considered worthy of a discussion a few years back, even now it is a problem that is dismissed with a shrug by the family of both the victim and offender.
How does it propagate the western agenda if we raise our voices to say: “Please don’t hit women! Please don’t throw acid on them! Please don’t abuse them.” How is it disrespect to our values if we speak out against the sexual harassment and abuse women are subjected to at workplaces and in marketplaces, and even in the sanctity of their own homes?
Are we trying to drown these outcries for justice with blame slogans of ‘western agenda’? Hiding our own shortcomings and weaknesses, or maybe we have nothing better to do like the boy who cried wolf?
Inheritance laws taught by Islam are clear on division of assets, wherein women of the family in the role of a mother, daughter, and wife are allowed their share. Then why is there the practice of marrying women to the Holy Book so the land they are to inherit stays within the family? The Holy Book she is being married to does not endorse this tradition.
The longstanding tradition of suppressing women is allowed to continue in the name of honour, religion, culture, tradition and norm. Everyone is happy to stand by and watch.
But talking about it is a ‘western agenda’.
The writer is CEO White Ribbon Pakistan and is a development and communications professional with extensive experience in Health Awareness, Behaviour Transformation Communications and Strategic Public Relations. He tweets at @MrOmerAftab.