Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 18:26:06 -0400
From: Partha Banerjee <partha-AT-capital.net>
Subject: Re: Update on Taslima Nasreen -- Saeeda's comments


Saeeda Wali-Mohammed writes:

>My problem with the  current interpretation of Sharia is the fact that
>fallible, uneducated men get to interpret God's law to society and
>particularly to women. There is an expression in Arabic that says that when
>one is angry, one kicks the lowest wall. I'm afraid women have become the
>lowest wall in Islamist, not Islamic, cultures. While I am not into arguing
>this point at length, Sharia needs to be de-linked from the Quran and women
>ought to have a right to discuss the rules imposed on them by mullahs etc.


____

I couldn't agree more. The same applies to interpretation of Hindu texts by
RSS/BJP/VHP or of Christian texts by Christian Coalition or Promise Keepers.

Regarding the apt "kicking the lowest wall" comment by Saeeda, in Hinduism,
it's the women and lower castes that get kicked. In Christianity (the U.S.
version), it's the blacks-muslims-foreigners-women. Women are the common
target by all fundamentalist religions.

Unless educated/empowered women come out of their elitist shell and do
something about it (I mean other than writing on the Internet), this abuse
of power will live. Taslima at least (purposefully or not) kicked them
back. That's why they are so angry.