Blog 2: Kabul attack on female actors leaves survivors facing more 'punishment'

Global inequality goes much further than just poverty or ethnic strife it also includes gender inequality. Looking at a story coming from Kabul, Afghanistan we see how gender inequality and the use of "religion" as a shield for personal agendas has ended up in the death of an Afghan actress. After appearing on T.V. and supposedly wearing what many men in Afghanistan viewed as "immodest" clothing a young actress named Benafsha was stabbed to death by a group of men outside of a mosque. The two other actresses who were with her were also injured but escaped with their lives. However this did not mean they escaped with their dignity. The two actresses were then brought to a hospital and after being treated they were taken to prison where they had virginity tests conducted. While at the prison they were also investigated with potential charges of prostitution as well as collusion of the attack. Instead of seeing their attackers jailed they may face jail time for "moral crimes".
Truly the injustices that have been perpetrated here are outrageous. Three women were attacked for doing a job that men have no issue doing but since they were women doing it, it was seen as unacceptable and morally wrong. For a long time now the middle east has been fraught with gender inequality and political injustices that have been covered up as being "religiously based". With the constant unequal treatment of women in these countries you have to ask when enough is enough. There seems to be no end to the struggle that women have within these countries. Obviously there has been little advancement for the rights of women in these countries even after the wars for "liberation" that have been conducted there. Ideally women will gain the same rights that they have in other countries but it is not our job to force other countries to adopt our same traditions. However, it is truly sad to see inequality masked by "religious" based laws when in reality it has nothing to do with the religion.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/06/afghanistan-attack-female-actors
Eric Spriegel, 9/7/2012, 1:37 pm