From: iview-AT-technologist.com
Date: Tue, 06 Oct 1998 21:33:25 -0700
Subject: To Partha...Re: Update on Taslima Nasreen -- Saeeda's comments


There are many women, white, brown, black, yellow, and every other
complexion, who are educated and on the internet, are doing their best
to resist patriarchal fundamentalist abuses heaped on women...it is
presumptuous of you to accuse any woman of just "writing on the
internet."  It is Ms. Nasreen and her elitist ilk who ignore the rest of
their kind.

-Manjusree


Partha Banerjee wrote:
> 
> 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.