Pakistan's treatment of women fails Islam: Sayeeda Warsi
Warsi is a Conservative party co-chairman and minister without portfolio, who is the first Muslim to sit as a full member of the cabinet.
Lady Warsi said Pakistan is denying rights granted 1,400 years ago in the Quran.
Warsi, 40, whose father arrived in Britain from Pakistan in 1960, said in a Guardian interview that, in a "nutshell", Pakistan is not living up to the ideals of its founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Warsi said she had also raised concerns about the treatment of minorities in Pakistan. Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan's only Christian minister, was shot dead in March after he called for the reform of blasphemy laws that impose the death sentence for insulting Islam.
Warsi said: "I said to them ... let me talk to you about the rights of minorities, the protection of women and the concept of meritocracy. I gave real examples of how Islam embodies all of those values, and the question I put was: my country wasn't formed in the name of Islam, but yours was; so why does my country embody the values of the faith that your country was formed on the basis of?"
Warsi said her heritage enabled her to speak out. "This was not the west arriving with an ideological perspective of women's rights about to impose them on a nation. I understand this culture, I deeply understand the faith and the culture that is part of this nation ... But what I don't see is you in many ways having the very values upon which the nation was formed, the vision of the founder of Pakistan."
Last week, a Thomson Reuters Foundation expert poll showed Pakistan as the third most dangerous country in the world for women.
According to the survey, those polled cited cultural, tribal and religious practices harmful to women, including acid attacks, child and forced marriage and punishment or retribution by stoning or other physical abuse.
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Warsi is not the "co-chairman" of the party, what about chair woman or chair person :)
@Think: You say"She nowhere criticized Islam but the unislamic practices in Pakistani society against women".
Correct and that is exactly what the title is. The title is indicating women in Pakistan do not get the rights that Quran grants them. Plese read again. The title is not at all misleading.
She is trying to dissociate the impression that it is Islam that disempowers women by stating that certain countries (e.g. Pakistan) are not giving women the rights granted in Islam.
There is a big confusion between "Culture" and "Religion", There are tribes who are following there cultural laws religiously, This is true that Quran clearly describe "women rights in Islam", but who is reading that and who is following it. And I think no religion allows to kill any innocient, but its happening. Which religion allows US to kill innocent people in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Libya? We use our religions where we need to use it.. its like a "Spare wheel", use it when needed and change it when you have better choice.
Sayeeda Warsi needs to be talking to Pakistani muslim men in Britain about their behaviour .
In late 2010 ,50 Pakistani muslims were arrested and charged with targeting white children for sexual exploitation and prostitution . This has been going on for decades but the police were afraid to act for fear of being accused of racism . Things are now changing . Pakistani muslim ganags have also been attacking and killing young white men . In one instance a 15 yr olf Scottish boy Kriss Donal was kidnapped at random from the street and bundled into car. He was stabbed tortured castrated and burned alive . The police said that when he was found there was evedence that he had crawled some distance while burning .
We also have problems of honour killings , forced marriages, female genital mutilation since the increase in Pakistani immigration. These things were unheard of in Britain 30 years ago . .
Baroness Warsi supported the wearing of the Burkha in Britain .Not very consistent is she?