Web Letters: Pakistan: The Intersection

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