ID number: 9074830576549165534
Permalink: http://escapist5.blogspot.com/2008/05/savagery-in-middle-east.htmlWhen someone mentions Saudi Arabia, what will you relate to?
Oil... Men in headdresses... Vast expanse of desert... Extravagantly luxurious palaces?
What about this?
Women being refused the same level of education as men because they supposedly have "smaller brains" than men... Girls being killed by their fathers for "dishonouring the family"... The fairer sex being generally treated as "lowly animals/properties" of men... Housemaids being abused by the family.
Nah. What the hell. That no longer happens now, dude. You say?
Unfortunately it still does.
When I tried to discuss this issue with a friend, he laughed jokingly, "Mistreated as in being forced to have sex six times a day?" Ignorance is one thing. But indifference is another matter. I can't stand the fact how some people can just shove it off as a petty issue of little importance.
I'm reading Princess, an international bestsellers by Jean Sasson. It's a true story of an Arabian princess. But... Oh yeah, it can be a merely one of the relentless attempt by the evil West as part of their campaign against Islam.
"That's just the remnants of the jahiliyah period," a muslim friend commented. Jahiliyah. The period of uncivilization preceding the revelation of the Qur'an to prophet Muhammad. Yeah. That was the term I was struggling to recall.
I still vaguely remember the history lessons we had back in high school. Islamic history was part of the syllabus; we were taught about the rise of Islam and its contributions to world civilization. The jahiliyah period in the Arab world ended after the year 610, when Islam was born.
I know little of the religion and thus, will not proceed to commenting on it. Lest it be misunderstood, I am criticizing the society, not the religion. These are not just isolated cases but on the contrary, are commonplace in the nation. Is this the remnant from the previous era or has the civilization plunged into yet another dark age?
Women are denied civil liberties and justice. Very rare do girls receive high education. Their existence is to merely satisfy the needs of men and to bear children. Upon reaching puberty, they're required to clothe themselves from head to toe, literally, because the mere sight of the bare skin entices the male. Any woman who is found without a veil will be severely punished by the mutawas, the morals police. Rape victims dare not go to the police. Because bizarre though it sounds, the perpetrator will always normally be sided by the mutawas. And the victim, instead, will be punished for "enticing the male". Yeah, next time a burglar breaks into your house, don't go to the police. You'll be punished for not keeping the padlocks secured.
Stoning as a capital punishment. The truck unloads a pile of stones. The crowd gathers around, and when the religion officer gives the order, the men pick up fist-sized stones (but not so large that they could cause the woman to die too soon) and start throwing at the tied up woman. Every now and then, the stoning is stopped for the doctor to check the pulse of the woman. Normally after about two hours, the condemned woman would eventually bleed to death. That's savagery. While there are differing views on the moral issues surrounding capital punishment, stoning shouldn't be an option, regardless of the severity of the crime.
The US criticizes any form of human rights abuse. (Remember Saddam Hussein?) But why is there no intervention in Saudi Arabia? Simple. Because the US economy is fueled by oil (pardon the pun) and they have benefited much from their friendly relationship with Saudi Arabia. Being constantly suppressed by men, Saudi women, meanwhile, have no means to stand up and voice their predicaments. They cannot break away from the eternal chains of this tradition of savagery.
"Quit acting snobbish. It is our way of life. And it is our to keep it the way we want." the angry Saudi guy retorts. Oh, now we're talking about "rights"?
While there's probably very little we can do as individuals, at least have a little concern for the predicaments faced by women in the Middle East.
Related Articles:
Rape Victim Punished for Speaking Out - Human Rights Watch
Saudi Prepared to Behead Teenage Maid - The Daily Telegraph
Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice - Wikipedia
Five More Sentenced to Stoning in Iran - Save Malak
Oil... Men in headdresses... Vast expanse of desert... Extravagantly luxurious palaces?
What about this?
Women being refused the same level of education as men because they supposedly have "smaller brains" than men... Girls being killed by their fathers for "dishonouring the family"... The fairer sex being generally treated as "lowly animals/properties" of men... Housemaids being abused by the family.
Nah. What the hell. That no longer happens now, dude. You say?
Unfortunately it still does.
When I tried to discuss this issue with a friend, he laughed jokingly, "Mistreated as in being forced to have sex six times a day?" Ignorance is one thing. But indifference is another matter. I can't stand the fact how some people can just shove it off as a petty issue of little importance.
I'm reading Princess, an international bestsellers by Jean Sasson. It's a true story of an Arabian princess. But... Oh yeah, it can be a merely one of the relentless attempt by the evil West as part of their campaign against Islam.
"That's just the remnants of the jahiliyah period," a muslim friend commented. Jahiliyah. The period of uncivilization preceding the revelation of the Qur'an to prophet Muhammad. Yeah. That was the term I was struggling to recall.
I still vaguely remember the history lessons we had back in high school. Islamic history was part of the syllabus; we were taught about the rise of Islam and its contributions to world civilization. The jahiliyah period in the Arab world ended after the year 610, when Islam was born.
I know little of the religion and thus, will not proceed to commenting on it. Lest it be misunderstood, I am criticizing the society, not the religion. These are not just isolated cases but on the contrary, are commonplace in the nation. Is this the remnant from the previous era or has the civilization plunged into yet another dark age?
Women are denied civil liberties and justice. Very rare do girls receive high education. Their existence is to merely satisfy the needs of men and to bear children. Upon reaching puberty, they're required to clothe themselves from head to toe, literally, because the mere sight of the bare skin entices the male. Any woman who is found without a veil will be severely punished by the mutawas, the morals police. Rape victims dare not go to the police. Because bizarre though it sounds, the perpetrator will always normally be sided by the mutawas. And the victim, instead, will be punished for "enticing the male". Yeah, next time a burglar breaks into your house, don't go to the police. You'll be punished for not keeping the padlocks secured.
Stoning as a capital punishment. The truck unloads a pile of stones. The crowd gathers around, and when the religion officer gives the order, the men pick up fist-sized stones (but not so large that they could cause the woman to die too soon) and start throwing at the tied up woman. Every now and then, the stoning is stopped for the doctor to check the pulse of the woman. Normally after about two hours, the condemned woman would eventually bleed to death. That's savagery. While there are differing views on the moral issues surrounding capital punishment, stoning shouldn't be an option, regardless of the severity of the crime.
The US criticizes any form of human rights abuse. (Remember Saddam Hussein?) But why is there no intervention in Saudi Arabia? Simple. Because the US economy is fueled by oil (pardon the pun) and they have benefited much from their friendly relationship with Saudi Arabia. Being constantly suppressed by men, Saudi women, meanwhile, have no means to stand up and voice their predicaments. They cannot break away from the eternal chains of this tradition of savagery.
"Quit acting snobbish. It is our way of life. And it is our to keep it the way we want." the angry Saudi guy retorts. Oh, now we're talking about "rights"?
While there's probably very little we can do as individuals, at least have a little concern for the predicaments faced by women in the Middle East.
Related Articles:
Rape Victim Punished for Speaking Out - Human Rights Watch
Saudi Prepared to Behead Teenage Maid - The Daily Telegraph
Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice - Wikipedia
Five More Sentenced to Stoning in Iran - Save Malak
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