Misogyny in God's Name

 

Fatimah hossaini

@HossainiFatimah

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6h

_The last days in Kabul while we, four friends, Afghan women journalists were hiding ourselves in d house. we were deleting our posts & profiles & whatever we achieved over past two decades. Taliban fighters were outside & patrolling d area. Feeling broken & traumatized. Aug 18-

We are doing our best to understand what is happening in Afghanistan as the United States withdraws its troops and the Taliban takes over. There is desperation at the airport as Afghanis beg to be evacuated along with citizens of other nations. Photos are emerging of British and American soldiers sharing water with parched children who are with parents hoping to flee the country.

The grim reality is that while more than 2 million  Afghan citizens are now refugees the vast majority have no where to go and will be subjected to another harsh and misogynistic Taliban regime. Word is that female civil servants have been told to stay home and images of women on advertisements and billboards are literally being whitewashed. There is a generation of educated girls and young women who have grown up with freedoms which will now be taken away. 

The tweet above by an Afghan journalist is another reminder that oppression has returned because a militant pseudo-religious minority is imposing its will on the nation. 

Any religion which demeans and subjugates women is an abomination.  What is transpiring in Afghanistan is certainly a blatant example and is related to a perversion of Islam. It happens in fundamentalist Judaism and Christianity as well. Sometimes this misrepresentation of God's intention for women is harsh and violent. Often it is insidious. Family members of good friends are part of a church in the United States where women are not allowed to be leaders and patriarchy is an accepted part of family life. Our friends are immensely frustrated by what this means for their daughter and granddaughter. 

Contrary to the misogynistic interpretations of scripture by some Christians there were women around Jesus throughout his earthly ministry. It was a woman, Mary, who discovered the empty tomb on Easter morning and was the first evangelist. There are many Christian faith communities, as well as in Judaism and Islam, which respect women and encourage them as equals. 

God of all, Allah, be with the girls and women of Afghanistan in this turbulent time. Show us how we can be of support for those who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. As Canadians, open our hearts and our borders to those who need sanctuary.