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KABUL – In any other country, the sight of a group of women holding colorful placards, marching and protesting is commonplace.
But not in Afghanistan.
In fact, a women’s protest on the streets of Kabul on Thursday was the first of its kind.
On a hot, muggy day, about 30 women of all ages mustered up the courage to speak up against the age-old indignity of sexual harassment by men.
With banners that read "This street also belongs to me" and "We won't stand insults anymore,” they marched with a confident stride from Kabul University to the Afghan Human Rights Institute.Women in Afghanistan face intimidation and sexual assault on a daily basis. In the most extreme cases, schoolgirls have been terrorized by men throwing acid at them as they walked to school.
Afghan women rally, turning men red-faced with anger
Article Source: msnbc.com
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In any other country, the sight of a group of women holding colorful placards, marching and protesting is commonplace.
Not in any Islamic Country. Islam has lots of company however. Name a religion that does not consider women as inferior creatures to men?
You go girls. Maybe some day we will not have to imagine a peaceful world without molestation from religious lunatics.
- 2 votes
#1 - Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:10 PM EDTNot in any Islamic Country. Islam has lots of company however. Name a religion that does not consider women as inferior creatures to men?
Actually it was common place in the recent uprisings, such as in Iran, Tunisia, Egypt, etc.
But point taken on religious equal rights. Looong ways to go.
- 2 votes
Perhaps you should lookat this site.Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA)
- 2 votes
Not a small step for women's rights, but a giant one. This is so good to see. I applaud the women's bravery and stand with them in spirit.
This is why I feel we should train an all women's police force in Kabul before we leave.
- 3 votes
#2 - Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:27 PM EDTAfghanistan, welcome to the 21st century of social freedoms.
- 2 votes
#3 - Thu Jul 14, 2011 6:11 PM EDT“As a woman that lives in Kabul, when I go every day, or when my mom or my sisters go out every day, we face sexual harassment at all different levels, from hearing bad things to being touched, to being pushed, to being stalked and followed,” Shaharzad Akbar, one of the protestors told NBC News. “No one has paid attention to this issue. We know this is a small step and we know not everyone will change their attitude – probably no one will – but at least discussing it as an issue rather than something that’s normal, something that’s OK if it happens, this is the idea of this walk today.”
I was hoping someone had seeded this and I was pleased to see that they had armed protection.
Clipped to Human Rights Vine
- 4 votes
#4 - Fri Jul 15, 2011 5:32 PM EDTAfghanistan, welcome to the 21st century of social freedoms.
If the left had it's way and now the right out of convenience, this would be the Taliban's first nation, and women's rights would be, as they mostly are in a theocracy, non-existent. It is amazing all the American women and men joining the US military on the side of resistance.
Do you care more for equality than offending religious beliefs?
Equality..Naturally.
- 2 votes
Do you care more for equality than offending religious beliefs?
I'm not sure I understand what you're saying.
If someone literally believes they have a religious right to physically harm another human being then the problem is that person/those people, not the religion itself.
From my perspective in order to even get to the equality part, you have to deal with the criminal part.
In other words, if the acts of verbal abuse, harassment, assault (an unwanted touch), rape, maiming and murder are not dealt with first or simultaneously, how are you ever going to get to equality?
I realize that while these are crimes in the United States and not necessarily in Afghanistan, unless I'm mistaken and with a handful of exceptions, having something harmful done to you that you don't want done, especially something violent, is a violation of that person's Rights as a human being, whether it's sanctioned by some authority, religious or otherwise, or not.
It shouldn't matter what other people think or believe, everyone of us has the right to say I don't want that done to me.
That's what I saw in this article and these women individually and collectively have more courage than any number of people whom I know who as they say can "talk the talk" but can't "walk the walk".
- 3 votes
Women in Afghanistan have the shortest life expectancy than anywhere else on the planet. This is exclusively because of religion. Other areas of the world are without modern medicine and life expectancy is still far longer. Without US intervention, life for women in Afghanistan would be described as a concentration camp above the ground and a mass grave below it.
- 2 votes
In what respect is it exclusively due to religion? Are they being murdered? Do their bodies give out after being forced to have too many children? What causes the average Afghan woman to live only 44 years?
Or is it due to the Taliban?
And I hope I'm not coming across as contentious because that's not my intent. I'm truly curious as to what the problems are so I can at least think about what might help.
Thanks.
- 2 votes
It's not exclusively due to religion, though it is part of it (prayer and holy water). It is much more than that, including cultural and superstitious norms.
Mariyam, I had seeded an article a few months ago in regards to Afghan midwives and their vital role in Afghanistan's women and family health, fighting a culture of ignorance.
http://bigsaf.newsvine.com/_news/2011/04/11/6454263-afghan-midwives-deliver-life-saving-birth-education
- 2 votes
bigsaf
Okay I read your article and the first two things that jumped out at me are ignorance and poverty in equal parts although I found this comment to be insightful:
What is key is that the women are not outsiders forced on a mistrustful local population, but are local women from the communities they serve. This means religious leaders and conservative husbands do not prevent them from working.
- 2 votes
I'm having computer problems at the moment but I did clip your article to a few more groups.
I didn't get to finish my previous comment (the computer problem comment) but it is beyond disingenuous and heinous to say the least, for men to on one hand, use girls and women for their own sexual gratification while instilling into them a sense of shame about normal human desires and reproductive functions in order to prevent them from resisting being used in this manner.
It's bad enough that it's happening in Afghanistan, but the same MO is also employed everywhere, including the United States where we had tons of laws against all of these types of activities yet said laws lie around getting dusty from their lack of use, that is when they're not being gutted by our legislators in order to protect their handlers ala the Jamie Leigh Jones case:
Jamie Leigh Jones is a former KBR employee notable for accusing fellow KBR employees of drugging and gang-raping her on July 28, 2005, at Camp Hope, Baghdad, Iraq.[1][2] A federal grand jury investigated her claims but determined that no indictments were warranted.[3][4]
Jones filed a civil suit against KBR and one of its former employees for over $114 million in damages.[5] The jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendants, finding that the sex between Jones and the employee was consensual[4][6] (and therefore no rape had occurred),[7][8][9] and that KBR did not defraud her.[6][5][7]
Jones is the founder of the Jamie Leigh Foundation, an advocacy agency for victims of sexual assault.[10]
I stand by my previous statement regarding the courage of these women even more so now.
- 3 votes
We women always have the job of civilizing men through the ages...we had our own difficulties at one time and still do but not as much :)
- 3 votes
#5 - Sat Jul 16, 2011 9:12 PM EDT
It doesn't matter what country we re talking about. Women are entitled to their Human Rights. These are universal rights we are talking about. They are entitled to say "NO". They are entitled to Vote. They are entitled to education. They are entitled to drive a vehicle. I can go on and on. Women are entitled to everything a man is.
- 5 votes
#6 - Mon Jul 18, 2011 2:50 PM EDTYou're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
