Gabrielle Martino
April 15th, 2009
3:45 PM
Last week I reported on the new law passed by the Afghanistan President, which takes away women's rights. The law prohibits women from leaving their homes without the permission of their husbands, and also forces them to have sexual intercourse with their husbands at anytime unless they are sick (even then, this must be "approved" by their husband). Not following these laws would put women in trouble with the law.
In Kabul today, 300 Shiite women protested in the streets, and were faced with attacks from men and women alike on the sidelines. Derrogatory comments were thrown out, as well as stones and even threats. Even though there was a lot of uprising, these women continued to march and demand equal rights. In a recent poll in Afghanistan, the majority of people do not believe in equal rights for the sexes; the majority of women do not even believe this.
I think that it is great that these women are finally trying to stand up for themselves and these horrible laws. It is sad however to see that only 300 were willing to protest. What is even more disturbing, is the fact that so many Afghan women do not believe that they are equal to men. They are in a society where they are put down so often, they truly believe that they are inferior. I cannot even imagine growing up, thinking that I am worthless to society except to "please" my husband.
http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/three-cheers-for-afghan-women/
2 comments:
I was really disturbed when I heard about this new law. My Fiancé and I were discussing it just the other day...I don't understand how marital rape is acceptable or defendable by any stretch of the imagination, and to think that they have legalized it in Afghanistan proves the extremity of inequality that their society still promotes.
I think it is very unnerving to learn that women are forced to subject themselves to degradation and injury in order to protest a law that is in itself degrading and injurious. It seems that an interpretation of Islam that invites such mistreatment of women ought to be spoken out against by other members of the larger Islamic faith community, as well as by the free world that regards women's rights essential to human rights.
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