The Nation.



Pakistan: The Intersection

By Sam Graham-Felsen, James Jacoby & Ali Sethi

April 5, 2007

Write a Web letter about this article.

What's a Web Letter?

Web Letters are continuously published e-mails from real people, signed with their real names. No registration is required. Each article page on The Nation includes a Web Letters link.

Read the best Web Letters on this page.

We're committed to publishing your comments as they are received. We place a red star () on the best submissions and may edit your e-mail for length or content. Your e-mail address will not be published or shared with any third party without your consent.

If you prefer, you may submit a letter to the print edition only.

We look forward to hearing from you.

  • Fearful Pakistani women

    In my view, our students future is not bright at all; mostly female students. Recently I saw a picture of girl students published with an article in a magazine, they are instruct to cover their faces by scarves and veils, in one of the universities of Pakistan in Lahore city. They’re not allowed to talk to boys either. If you take a closer look at that picture, and look into those girls’ hopeless eyes and faces; you’ll feel miserable for them.

    Imagine a biggest university in a biggest state of an independent Islamic country; females are not progressing towards building their confidence and career with freedom and ease; but living their lives in restriction and fear. Pakistani women are studying in collages and universities but they don’t have freedom to carry out their dreams or even to speak against harsh rules made by men. A Pakistani woman is not being allowed to walk shoulder to shoulder with men. Then what’s the use of living in a free country, where freedom is practically worthless, especially for females?

    The only freedom is for males because they have ultimate power; especially if they’re related with Jamaat-e-Islami or Islamic Jamaat (Islamic assembly), where male students not only get to choose the curriculum of university, but also the selection of faculty. But women are not given such powers to do so. Pakistani women have no rights at all.

    I plead to the women of Pakistan to change the system of Pakistani society. Please come out of your shell of innocence. Take off your veils, and let the men of our society know, that enough is enough, and we won’t sacrifice anymore. We women will not let you discriminate us anymore. Use your abilities, your education and inner voice to make your future and of our next female generation, bright and full of freedom. Tell the man-dominated society that you as a female aren’t less than men. Pakistani men can’t use you on the name of religion, which is misleadingly made by him, not God.

    Pakistani husbands look at their wives, as a sex machine for their own pleasure, but not to love or be concerned for. He thinks of her as a birth machine that’s supposed to give birth to his seven, ten or even more children, each year without a gap. He has no concern for her health.

    Pakistani men use their sisters and daughters as a servant who cooks for them, do all chores, but not allowed to make her career.

    Did you ever ponder that why always a married woman is burned dead by a blast of a gasoline cylinder, not a married man? It’s all because Pakistani women are letting males, whether a husband, father or a son, to do all these horrible things to her. If Pakistani women use their mind and inner courage then she can stand against man’s crimes and fatal ego.

    Pakistani men should remember that women of their society are not cattle that he can sell or slaughter anytime he wants. And she is definitely not less than man in either way. But who will remind him?

    She’s a captive in father’s house. She can’t move like American girls buying apartment of their own. Going on a date, which actually is good for a women’s freedom, which is not available in Pakistan. Pakistani men thinks, dating means only sex, but it actually means, meeting new friends, and getting an opportunity to choose a partner for life. But a Pakistani father doesn’t even take daughter’s persuasion in her marriage. He just informs her that this is your husband-to-be, and she has to marry him, whether like it or not. Even the mother can’t stop these ruthless decisions, against her precious daughter. What happens next? Her new life begins in husband’s home as a jailbird. He starts doubting her of having affairs before marriage, without any proof. This kind of doubts turns into murders, of hapless women. If not be murdered, she’ll be abused and tortured all her life. Her nightmare is not over yet. Now her dear son is growing up. Angelic Pakistani mother thinks, now at last she’ll get to live in freedom and harmony. Her son will protect her from cruel men. But what she forgets is that, he’s a man too. Therefore, her remaining life becomes meaningless when her successor, her offspring, grows up to be her aggressor not admirer. Now she’s on son’s blessings until death.

    I truly want to know, where is Pakistani woman’s heavenly home? When can she be a decision maker? The answer is, never. If the women of Pakistan will not raise her voice in twenty-first century, then it’ll be too late for her.

    florida.chapter@yahoo.com

    Mrs. Abeer Khan
    Liberty 4 Pakistani Women

    West Palm Beach, Florida/ USA

    04/09/2007 @ 11:58am


Popular Topics
Most Searched

Issues »

Most Emailed

Issues »

Blogs

» Campaign 08

Obama Tears Down the Wall | Meeting the tallest of rhetorical orders, the candidate echoes the great communicator... and sounds, yes, like a president.
John Nichols

» Capitolism

TheNewKlan.Org | Bill O'Reilly says MoveOn is the new Klan.
Christopher Hayes

» The Beat

An Opening for the Constitution | The House Judiciary Committee's hearing on presidential accountability today marks the beginning of a process of renewal.
John Nichols

» Passing Through

Doing More With Less | Youth turnout expectations are higher than ever. So why is funding for young voter mobilization drying up?
Michael Connery

» The Dreyfuss Report

Maliki the Thug | He says he wants the US out, but a former Iraqi prime minister has other ideas about Maliki.
Robert Dreyfuss

» The Notion

Fox News Attacked by Rapper, Blackroots & Colbert (Updated) | Fox's worst nightmare: Liberal bloggers and Black hip hop.
Ari Melber

» ActNow!

Send Karl Rove to Jail | The former Bush advisor regards the law with contempt, so it's time the law and Congress hold him in contempt as well.
Peter Rothberg

» Editor's Cut

Rethinking Afghanistan | There is no easy answer but we need to think beyond the reflexive response of troop escalation in order to find sane and humane alternatives.
Katrina vanden Heuvel

» And Another Thing

McCain Opposes Contraception -- Pass It On | He's for Viagra and against the pill. Why won't the media cover this important story?
Katha Pollitt