I've heard it again, a man fatally shot his 17-year-old daughter in Jordan. Why you ask? Simple, family honor. Her crime was her father's perception that she was having sex. This despite a medical exam that proved her chastity. The autopsy performed also confirmed her unsullied nature.
In some of these Arab Muslim societies if a woman is raped, she is at fault more than her assailant. The obvious question is "What about the rapist?" Some live stock will take care of it as long as she doesn't belong to a family with power. These examples are simply two of many. In Saudi Arabia a woman cannot drive nor leave the house without a male relative. In Afghanistan it is dangerous to educate girls despite the rosy assurances that all is well our Glorious Leader happily proclaims.
Why do women terrify the men of Arab Muslim cultures so much? In general many men from many cultures think of women as lessor beings but it is far greater thing in the afore mentioned culture. Why? Is the classic influence that women have always had over men's libidos that terrifying to them? What are they afraid of? We'll put a hex on them? Seems that women are simply the object to blame because we make men horny and they do stupid things because of it. Seems the blame is misplaced.
But that has always been the way of it and other cultures have, in general, reacted less oppressively and progress has been made. Few honor killing there as it were. So what makes Arab Muslim culture different? Is it Islam? It seems unlikely to me even though it is used as justification. If it wasn't that excuse it would be another so to speak. Do they refuse to let go of old behaviors because the world has given them a raw deal for centuries and they need to maintain some sort of traditional idenity? After all Arab Muslim culture does seems to be locked currently to some past century.
Perhaps when the current clash of cultures subsides in a hundred years or so they will move forward on women's rights. But doen't hold your breath.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Strange thing about Arabic culture, during European dark ages the Arabs were leaders in mathematics, science, and culture. There is even a book written about it, the title escapes me now. Most of the great ideas from the renaissance can be traced back to Arabic roots brought home by the crusaders. Due to their fear of the crusaders, Muslim fundamentalists were able to gain popularity and power. They used this power to subvert scientific advancement.
Sound familiar?
Look around us today. Christian fundamentalists are utilizing fear to push through their agenda of ignorance. Their causes are shunning facts and reason in favor of fairytales and dogma. You need to look no further than a certain congregations implementation of how ‘a woman will gracefully submit to the will of her husband,’ to understand their eventual goal of making Americans as dirt poor and morally bankrupt as the Muslim fundamentalist worldview.
Post a Comment