They might well be who women need most protection from
The recent recommendations of the Council of Islamic Ideology not only prove the patriarchal, misogynistic mindset of our society but also verify that women are considered lesser than men, especially according to our “devout”, religious men.
The Women’s Protection Act, which is supposed to protect women against the domestic, sexual, and psychological violence women go through in Pakistan, was declared “un-Islamic” by the CII. Psychologically distressed, emotionally scarred, and physically abused are their ideals of a woman. A woman who is obedient to her husband, who is always sexually available to him regardless of her discomfort, who wears what she is told and who does not disobey any of her husband’s commands is what an “Islamic” model of a best woman is.
The proposed bill put forth by the CII shows that the aim of this conservative institution is to maintain the patriarchal system and morality and to suppress the rights of women by keeping them as slaves who should not even step of their houses without the permission of their husbands. The propositions of CII also encourage men to raise their hands on their wives if not obeyed which is domestic abuse.
“Marital rape would not be considered a crime, or even rape, according to the propositions of CII. It is a duty of a woman to make herself available to her husband whenever he asks, irrespective of her desires.”
CII might not agree with this but according to the Islam they are representing, women are not and should not be given equal rights. So every argument which has been made for ages in favour of the rights given to women by Islam has fallen on its face. CII is doing nothing but damaging the same religion they so vehemently adhere to.
But the question is why a bunch of bigoted, prejudiced, and chauvinistic men should even be allowed to make laws for women, without ever consulting a single woman? Who has given them the power to make such propositions for women? Why is there no woman in their council who could speak on behalf of women? Not that it might have made any difference since we also have women who are not just women haters but also liked to be ruled and controlled by men.
This is a clear denial of basic human rights to women. A woman cannot turn to law for her protection if her husband hits her and put restrictions on her, since he would have the legal right to treat his wife the way he wants. Saying that CII only supports a light beating of women doesn’t discount for the fact that CII supports violence, even if lightly. Why women are not allowed to “lightly beat” their husbands when they disobey them? This reinforces the idea that women need men for their protection because men are physically resilient and more rational than woman. But why do we still have a society where women need protection at all? And if women do need protection then why are we not being provided protection against people who consider it their right to treat women as their property?
Marital rape would not be considered a crime, or even rape, according to the propositions of CII. It is a duty of a woman to make herself available to her husband whenever he asks, irrespective of her desires. No woman could ask a court to provide her protection against marital rape since it would be her duty to keep her husband sexually satisfied. This barbaric law reduces the value of a woman’s life just to a mere object of sexual gratification who is supposed to present herself whenever ordered. And of course, asking if a man is equally satisfying his wife would be a great sin because women are born asexual, with no desires of their own.
“The Council of Islamic Ideology should be dissolved as it is being run by a bunch of sexist, paranoid men who think women would take over the world and make men their slaves if not kept in control. This council has no use whatsoever and its unreasonable obsession with women has reached a height where women need protection from the council itself.”
This control of women’s bodies and their lives is patriarchal terrorism. No man should have the right to tell a woman who she should and should not mingle with. And why not give women the same rights to regulate the life of their husbands? The propositions only favor the might of men without giving any rights to women, who deserves the same humane treatment as man. And how is this even possible for women to be allowed to participate in politics and not communicate with “na-meharm”? So CII is not only recommending to snatch the right of a woman on her personal life but also wants to silence the woman in the political domain.
Female nurses would not be allowed to take care of male patients since, I don’t know, do women arouse and seduce men? So all those who have been raped are lying that they were raped when they were the ones who seduced men into raping them? This does not even make any sense.
If this proposed bill is supposed to protect women in any way, then why are women not being provided protection from their near and dear ones, with whom they interact more than anyone else and spend their lives with?
The Council of Islamic Ideology should be dissolved as it is being run by a bunch of sexist, paranoid men who think women would take over the world and make men their slaves if not kept in control. This council has no use whatsoever and its unreasonable obsession with women has reached a height where women need protection from the council itself.
