Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Islam's Continued Violation of Women's Rights


A person being of sound mind could, by use of reason, submit the position that a misogynistic mentality, coupled with intellectual vacancy, are  fuels by which Islamic fundamentalism draws its breath. The ethical and scientific illiteracy of its adherents alone can be viewed as a natural dispersant to humankind’s noesis. Such a diminished capacity invariably leads to the subjugation of the people within its sphere. Authoritarianism is all but guaranteed to manifest, and it tends to be decisive and brutal. Islamic fundamentalism is a testament to, among many other things,  the mistreatment of women. Its self-imposed nescience and their sophomoric views on the sexuality of women have led to torture, disfigurement, and murder.

Let us consider a recent article wherein an Islamic cleric in Europe proposes that women be disallowed from observing, touching, or purchasing specific food because of its erotic nature. Bananas, cucumbers, carrots and zucchini (to name a few) somehow have the ability to cause women to think about sex. The suggestion is made that a male relative slice up the food in private prior to serving them (wife, daughter, sister), thus stifling the provocativeness of what Allah, being all-powerful, created. I must state that there are claims that question the validity of his report. What cannot be questioned is the level of barbarism that women incur on a daily basis within Muhammad’s theocratic bastille.

Volume 1, Book 2, Number 29

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
The Prophet said: "I was shown the Hell-fire and that the majority of its dwellers were women who were ungrateful." It was asked, "Do they disbelieve in Allah?" (or are they ungrateful to Allah?) He replied, "They are ungrateful to their husbands and are ungrateful for the favors and good (charitable deeds) done to them."


Thirty-year-old, Rafiqul Islam, severed the fingers of his wife’s (Hawa Akther Jui) right hand for pursuing higher education. Apparently Mr. Islam, armed only with an 8th grade education, felt threatened and went so far as to cite, “severe consequences,” if she persisted with her college studies. The following is an excerpt from a BBC article;

He also taped my mouth saying that he would give me some surprise gifts. But, instead he cut off my fingers.”

 “Doctors said my fingers could be re-attached within six hours but he refused to give them. After that time, another relative of my husband threw the fingers in a dustbin. 

Her permanent disfigurement will forever be a reminder of the crudity and unlearned nature of blind faith.

Surely Islam must provide some insight with regards to the treatment of the fairer sex.
Good women are obedient…As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them and send them to beds apart and beat them.” Quran 4:34

The idea that women maintain an equal standing with their male counterparts is fallacious, unless of course you mean death sentencing:


 
I will concede that women have some rights – although I would counter that they are simply minor concessions in a (male) chauvinistically driven system. Consider if you will Dr. Ajeel Al-Nashmi's (a Kuwaiti Islamic scholar) position that Islam prohibits women from running in elections. Although he magnanimously approves of allowing women the “right to vote” in said elections, he contends that, “Women from the physical point of view are not fit to practice politics that requires debating, staying awake for long hours at night, appearing before men and mingling with them.” Erudite indeed, and his cognitive dissonance is completely stifling. This, of course, is to be expected from such fossilized mentalities that draw their rationale - if it can be called that - from primitive devices. One such device (also cited above) is the Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Book 48:

Volume 3, Book 48, Number 826

Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:
The Prophet said, "Isn't the witness of a woman equal to half of that of the man? The women said, "Yes." He said, "This is because of the deficiency of a woman's mind."

So here is their logic: Men are both physically and intellectually (used loosely here) superior to women; thus positions of authority and expressions of power are left to the bipedal Y-chromosomes of society. And how has that worked out so far? Tribal conflict, torture, famine, illiteracy on a grand scale, no significant infrastructure to speak of, high murder rate, virtually no scientific understanding, and no artistic expression. The postulation that women are inferior and incapable of "practicing politics" is utterly absurd. They maintain this view primarily because of their deluded religiosity; which in and of itself has no logical basis to stand on, nor can it provide proof sets that irrefutably show women to be substandard. No scientific narrative exists which illustrates the cerebral faculties of a female to be exiguous, relative to a man's, and unable to effect logic, reason, and sound judgment. Yet this sickening myth goes on and women continue to suffer at the hands of Allah, the All Merciful.

Examine the following statements that I extracted from another website - they're in response to a post discussing the dangerous aspects of Islam.

"You simply are not looking for the value and beauty of Islam, and hence you miss the point altogether."

"I am an adult revert to Islam from Christianity, and it is my personal experience that Islam is, indeed, a religion of peace and tolerance."

Individuals of this sort tend to have a kaleidoscopic reality; constantly fabricating phase changes in order to make their own world view more palatable. Regardless of logic, reason, and evidence to the contrary. Islam, which means submission or surrender to Allah,  is a reciprocal relationship where people of said faith "surrender" their will to the All-Powerful. And what do they get for such an act? Allah provides them with peace and safety. One could argue that such a deal is one-sided; certainly the women presented in this post would affirm that no such provision was provided for them.  

If one needs other examples to illustrate the innate barbarity of the faithful, consider the following story. Ghulam Qadir, a 22-year-old Pakistani male who took to beating his 17-year-old wife, Salma Bibi. After that he then bound her hands and feet with a rope. Allah's reciprocal covenant could not shelter her from what would happen next; Mr. Qadir took a razor and proceeded to cut pieces from Salma's face. From the article:

The pictures do not depict Salma Bibi 
"He repeatedly slapped my face and then went into the room and brought with him a locally made, sharp razor," she told AFP, speaking Baluchi in remarks translated by her uncle from a hospital bed in central Mulan City.   

"I started shouting in panic. He tied my hands and foot with a rope and chopped off my nose and lips," she added.

The teenager said police refused to register a case when her family complained about the attack, and threatened to kill herself without justice

"I want justice and if it is not delivered to me, I will immolate myself in front of the Supreme Court."  

The ensuing postulate is widely asserted by the adherents of Islam.

  • Islam is a religion with many followers
  • Islam is a religion of peace and non-violence
  • Therefore; Followers of Islam are peaceful and nonviolent

This is a specious argument and a logical fallacy. While it is true that Islam has many followers, several passages within the Quran and the Hadith can be shown to advocate and justify violence. This violence can be seen time and time again and it cannot be refuted - their faith is their standard. 

 "Fight them, Allah will punish them by your hands and bring them to disgrace..." Quran 9:14

Women are just as intelligent and just as capable as any man; respect and consideration should be equally afforded with an emphasis on individual liberty. Chauvinism backed by religious dogma destroys a society and keeps their citizens in chains. The lack of intellectual progress keeps the quality of life, if it even exists, stagnant - with each successive generation mired in hardship. Women will continue to suffer at the hands of Islam, unless of course, it can be replaced with enlightenment and justice for all.