Tribal leaders

As expected, not one, not two but all the religious parties are out in the field to oppose the Women Protection Bill, throwing all sort of insults on Punjab Assembly members for passing a bill which they consider is in conflict with Sharia. One religious leader was so frustrated that went on to work for Men Protection Bill; he is very much ready to pull out of the coalition government.

By opposing the Women Protection Bill, I wonder what does he is looking for — husbands should be permitted to physically, sexually and psychologically torture their spouses, beat and abuse them in private and public, threaten them of divorce and throwing them out of the house, kill them in the name of family honor, marry their daughters with Quran to deny them share in inheritance, treat them as commodity while settling family and tribal feuds, insist and justify child marriages? By opposing the bill and putting the onus on Sharia, are they doing any service to the religion?

Religious parties are trying to deceive general public that protection bill will implicate each and every man; why do they assume so? If someone is not an abuser who prefers to prove his manhood by beating his wife; then why he should be worried off? Sadly this bill has given a rallying point for religious extremists but it’s good it has exposed them in the public. Their sole target is not to uphold religious teachings but to maintain the centuries tribal traditions.

MASOOD KHAN

Jubail, Saudi Arabia