Humiliated for ‘honour’
Where, previously, the authorities did not view domestic violence as a crime, they have now begun arresting perpetrators in some cases. It is not enough that the police have registered a case against the husband and his two accomplices; they must pursue the case aggressively and arrest them. Clearly, the act of shaving the woman’s head was sadistic in the hopes of making the woman feel humiliated and embarrassed. Causing harm to another human being, whether male or female, is a breach of human rights and deserves to be classified as a criminal matter. The only way to tackle the case is to arrest the offenders and make examples of them for the country’s abusive element to uphold human dignity. Until authorities come down hard on criminals in such matters, we will never be able to eradicate this social problem.
Unfortunately, with such a high percentage of women in Pakistan having faced some form of abuse, the crime has become somewhat normative. Furthermore, some of our politicians are so backward that the 2009 Domestic Violence Protection bill was declared an attempt to propagate Western values in Pakistan, rather than an attempt to protect human rights. There is a long road to advancement as a nation if we cannot recognise individual human rights and let people live safely in peace and harmony.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2014.
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Second marriages are usually consumed because the couple have not been able to procreate. Culturally its always a woman's fault that she hasn't been able to bear a child. Once a second wife comes in the picture, the first wife is seen as a burden, specially if the second wife has borne a child.
This goes back to seeing children as a retirement policy i.e. someone to take care of their parents in their old age. And this is because the state has no social security mechanism to look after or provide support for old age people.
If the husband had another wife, he has no feelings of love for the wife anyway, so cutting hair is far better than do the honour killing of the hapless woman. Things for women will only improve if society gives them equal rights, the way western countries have done. Unfortunately, i hear often from our women folk that ''our' faith gives more rights to women. I wish I could say good night.