KARACHI:
In recent days, a video has circulated on social media, which shows an elderly woman being handed over to the police by hundreds of men. The incident took place in Sindh’s district of Tando Allahyar. The mob accused the woman of being a witch. What is more absurd is that the police arrested the woman without hesitance.
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) struggled against all odds to pull humanity out of the deepest abyss of ignorance. Some 1,400 years later, we still seem to be stuck in the same abyss. Women and girls continue to suffer from different forms of violence every day across the country. Child marriages, domestic violence, exchanging women for settling disputes, honour killing, and human trafficking are all well-documented blots on our so-called civilised society. These crimes continue to occur because of the absence of rigorous laws and punishments that would hold people accountable. In addition, lack of education and understanding of religion have resulted in people committing such imprudent acts.
Instead of just being preachers of Islam, people need proper understanding of the religion itself. It is important that relevant authorities as well as educators and scholars undertake the task of informing people about the true essence of what our religion stands for.
Gulshre Panhwer
Johi
Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2021.
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