The Silent Screams of the Veiled Women (A Research Paper on the Afghan Women of Then and Now)

Afghanistan, located in Central Asia, is a culturally-mixed nation that houses a diversity of ethnolinguistic groups, religious beliefs, races and traditions. However, vast majority of its population enforces the religion Islam, which actually binds the people together. Being an Moslem country, Mohammeds teaching is incredibly hefty that it has been, and still is, part of the Afghans e rattlingday living. except mis ideaions arose from the teachings of Quran and among those who suffered from much(prenominal) atomic number 18 the Afghan wo manpower, who for years, had their undying efforts and struggle in pursuit of the goal they be commodiousing for freedom, dears and equating.Islam, for more than 1400 years, instilled that men and women be concern before Allah. It gave women a number of privileges same as those given to men, including the right to vote, right to work, right to inheritance, raze as much as right to choose their life-long partners. But numerous misconcep tions about the status of women in Islam emerged, particularly in the concept of submission. Many countries practice what they called Islamic or Quranic teachings in which women ar traditionally subdued and oppressed, thus, these are actually unforgiving acts.In the case of Afghanistan, such rights and privileges are denied of the Afghan women, making their life down the stairs a very Islamic country, earlier miserable, if not devastating. single misconception in Islamic teachings that touched Afghan women (especially under Taliban rule which will be discussed later) is the strict focusing that they ought to wear veil, or hijab, wherever and whenever. They are forbidden to be seen in public unveiled but the truth is that the Quran does not apply them or even mention of corroding such garb, as the wearing of hijab is traditional, rather than religious.What the Quran imposed is that women must (1) wear the best garment the garment of righteousness (2) cover their bosoms and (3) lengthen their garments. Nothing more, nothing less. eld of presidency instability, in terms of economic and semipolitical aspects, break incessantly affecting the status of women in Afghanistan as easily. Before Afghanistan fall under Soviet power, women are revered represently, if not highly by the ordination, having satisfying rights and massive opportunities.But at the peak of Soviet occupation, women took a rather rougher road . Women at this period, began enjoying the bitter fruits of the teachings of Islam, and foreign invasion. Such denial of privileges whitethorn have been enforced by the government through special decrees, or by their own family (particularly their father, husband and brother). Afghan women were forbidden to have an occupation, to blow in their city unaccompanied by a male, to be seen unveiled, and even seek medical at cardinaltion from a male medical practiti angiotensin-converting enzymer. a good deal more discriminations and restrictions were experienced by Afghan women during the reign of the Taliban, or the Students of Islamic Knowledge Movement a Sunni Islamist and Pashtun nationalist movement who ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, during the countrys long civil war. A decade before the rule of the Taliban, 50% of government workers were professional Afghan women 70% of teacher population were as well women and 40% practiced medical careers. As early as the 1920s, women were admit to vote, while in 1960s, equality for women was imposed by the Afghan Constitution.Moreover, they took valuable contributions to national development. During the rule of Taliban, women with professional careers, including medical doctors and those in the academe, were forced to rate their careers to a sudden end and become beggar regardless of the opportunities they may have outside Afghanistan. Universities for women where forcibly closed which ended a brighter hereafter for the young Afghan girls. They were restricted to mig rate to other cities (moreover, other countries) in search for a better environment and were prohibited to enjoy life. in that respect was an inadequate medical attention to women which contributed to their high mortality rates. At this yoke of time, 16% of pregnant Afghan women died annually due to unsuccessful churl delivery caused by lack of obstetric facilities. It was record by the united Nations that during the 5-year reign of the Taliban, Afghanistan experienced one of the worst human rights violation in the realism that even the most basic individual rights were denied of the people which take on the flying of kites, singing jolly songs, and the like. They became objects of domestic strength including rape.To sum this up, women were disadvantaged of all forms of public life Taliban daintiness women worse than the way they treat animals. Having such miserable life, impoverished Afghan women seek escape by self-immolation which all kill or disfigure them. Reliable so urces even accounted women manner of speaking themselves to inferno in some secluded areas in Afghanistan. This happened because such women were either abandoned by their family or banished by their society caused by the shame that they had allegedly committed. Others do their own thing in secrecy.For instance, an Afghan char operated her own school in her house it was such a adventure When the authority came to know about this, all the kids were beaten and the lady was hard punished and imprisoned, threatening her that her family will be penalized as well. Those who had reserved fortitude and strength went to police stations and court, despite well-disposed stigma, just to practice their rights. After seven years, the Afghan government states that although there were increasing equality to public life, women are continuously experiencing domestic violence.Some live uncommunicative while others took the risk of getting the hinge of being empowered. The Afghanistans Indepe ndent compassionate Rights Commission documented 1,650 cases of violence against women in 2006, while the Ministry of Womens Affairs recorded 2,000 cases of violence in the previous year, not to mention 500 or so unreported cases. The provinces of Kabul and Herat were said have the highest accounted violence. Today, umteen a(prenominal) social movements are organized for the uplifting of the Afghan womens image and status.One of which is the RAWA or the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan which was established in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1977. It is an unconditional socio-political group that raises concerns regarding Afghan women, particularly the violence against them. It believes that freedom and democracy cannot be simply given or donated it is acquired through combined efforts. The RAWA participates in many forums and conferences that discuss womens rights and freedom all over the world. It, in one way, became the voice of the silent Afghan women, who in fear of being discriminated again, chose to remain speechless.At the fall of the Taliban, the position of Afghan women in the Islamic society they lived in has substantially improved. With the adoption of the new Afghan constitution, men and women are stated to be treated equal before the law. It may dear good and almost perfect but one must mean that this law, like any other law, may mean antitheticly to different people depending on how they interpret it. In the Quranic teaching of the Taliban, being equal before the law may mean that women ought to submit to their husbands, fathers or brothers, for doing so, they live by the law.Another milestone is the drafting of the Afghan Womens post horse of Rights in 2003 through the initiatives of Afghan and Afghan American women, who for years had raise the issues of inequality and discrimination. The Bill demanded a mandatory education for girls, representation in the Congress (or loya jirga), penalizing and punishing people who perfor m sexual and domestic violence and obedience to the rules of Quran, particularly on womens right to marry and divorce. in spite of assurance from government officials, it was declined because as the Islamic saying goes, God has not given women equal rights with men because two women are counted as equal to men. Just recently, an Afghan parliamentarian by the name of Fatima Nazari, established the basic political party in Afghanistan which is dedicated to womens rights and issues. On 19 February 2008, the National admit Party was launched in Kabul. It was welcomed by most officials but not everyone was so optimistic about this. Lets just wait and see. Women all over the world may have had similar experiences.Such inequality may have been attributed to religion, or tradition. It may have occurred maybe due to misconceptions or mistake of available laws, rules and doctrines. Women were persecuted believing that they practiced witchcraft . They were burnt to death with their dead(p ) husbands as imposed by the Hindu principle of Sati or Suttee. Marrying women were obligate to pay dowry to their husband-to-bes family. Women courting men is considered immoral. And women were regarded as temptations to men as Eve tempted or teased Adam.Whatever the spirit level is, women were in truth part of the miserable part of world history. There are many misgivings on the role that women played in the society. Looking back to the civilizations in the world, women are always those left in the house to tend to home plate chores and take care of their children. But cant we see that these women were the very being responsible for bearing lives in their tummy for nine months, essay to keep the tiny life inside them healthy and alive? That these women were our first tutors who taught us not just how to read and write but how to be a responsible citizen as well?Going through the melancholic and tragic episodes that Afghan women have had made me realize how lucky I am to ha ve grown in a decent society. Now, I need not face social stigma, or be punished for enjoying my life. I need not ask for alms and beg for food since I can enter a university and have a profession ten years from now. Their infinite screams continue. If then, the sound was terrifying and agonizing, this time, these screams are screams of empowerment, of courage and of bravery. We never heard them in our historic past, and now, it is time to listen to their side of the story HERstory.Works CitedBureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (17 Novemeber 2001). Report on the Talibans fight Against Women. Retrieved on 22 April 2008 at http//www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/6185.htmMehta, Sumita. Women for Afghan WomenShattering Myths and Claiming the Future. immature YorkPalgrave Macmillan, 2002.Najibullah, Farangis (20 February 2008). New Party to Focus on Womens Rights. Radio Free europium/ Radio Liberty. Retrieved on 22 April 2008 at http//www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2008/02/b39afc45-c260 -4a00-81da-04fbb584049f.htmlRostami-Povey, Elaheh. Afghan Women Identity and Invasion. capital of the United Kingdom Zed Books, 2007.