“The abuse of Women’s Rights abound”

Farzana Parveen, 25, who was three months pregnant, was killed by nearly 20 members of the woman's family, including her father and brothers in Lahore.

Sacrificed upon the altar of ‘religion’

By

Chris Green

The world’s media in recent months have been filled with accounts of the most horrific incidents of abuse, kidnap, rape and murder of women and girls in a variety of countries. The common denominator under-pinning the majority of these crimes, appears to be that of religion or at least interpretations thereof as a justification for the acts of males (they cannot be described as men) against vulnerable women and girls. At a time when legions of Islamophobes need little excuse to attack those of the Muslim Faith, more ammunition is freely delivered to them by way of these barbarous acts overseas.

In South Sudan, a 27 year old, married woman now languishes in jail awaiting the delivery of 100 lashes for adultery, to be followed by the death penalty by hanging, for apostasy. Meriam Ibrahim, herself a doctor was brought up in the Christian faith, married a US (Christian) citizen of Sudanese origins and, because the South Sudanese authorities do not recognise their marriage, she was found guilty of adultery. She has just given birth to a daughter whilst in jail, which is the second child to this couple. Both children are held in prison with her in reportedly appalling conditions. Having been given time to recant her Christian Faith, which she has refused, she will be hanged in two years time unless international pressure successfully intervenes in the meantime.

In Pakistan recently, a woman was attacked and stoned to death by her own father and close relatives for the ‘crime’ of marrying a man of her own choice, for mutual love. Her father’s ‘honour’ having been impugned, the couple were ambushed outside of a courthouse where they had had their marriage registered and despite her husbands vain attempts to protect her, she died the most unimaginable death as did her unborn child inside her. Sometime ago, also in Sudan, a 13 year old girl was buried up to her neck and then stoned to death for adultery. She had been gang-raped, and her father reported this to the authorities that the perpetrators might be apprehended; this proved to be fatal for the poor defenceless girl as described.

More recently, and in India this time two girls aged 14 and 15 respectively were found hanging from a Mango tree following their both having been gang-raped. Crimes of this nature are tragically common-place in the subcontinent, but this particular outrage has caused a wholly justifiable outcry across the entire nation and internationally too. Images of these poor girls hanging from the tree were compelling enough, but the wider spectacle of the crowds that gathered beneath them made for deeper thought and reflection too. In these images, women are clearly sobbing with grief and perhaps empathy too, for there is every reason to suspect that one or more of them might have been previously subjected to such an ordeal.

In the latter case, there seems to be no link to Islam whereas in the previous examples, religion appears to be used as some sort of justification for the actions taken. The same applies to the Boko Harem group in Nigeria who have recently carried out a mass-capture of hundreds of young girls and have threatened to sell them into slavery and other such horrific fates including sex-crimes upon them, all in the name of their perverted interpretation of what after all is a peaceful religion.

It is the strongly held view of this writer, that every penny of the £42+ Millions of aid granted to South Sudan by the UK should now be withheld, certainly until such time as Dr Meriam Ibrahim and her children are released from prison. Similarly so, all aid should be halted to Pakistan whilst India does not really need the aid the UK gives anyway!

The murder of the young and pregnant, lawfully married Pakistani woman who married the man of her choice for love, is particularly poignant. Choosing ones words with precise and deliberate detail, until such a time that a man and woman are free to marry each other for mutual love, irrespective of creed, colour or religious calling this world nor any country in it, will be truly multi-cultural nor indeed free.

Beşparmak Media Services