Adil Najam
This photograph was published in Daily Times, January 12, 2009. The caption read:
“Women are not allowed in the market,” reads a banner displayed at the entrance of a market in Mingora. Taliban have banned the entry of women in markets and ordered the killing of women who violate the ban. Most shop owners have sold or shut down their businesses because of falling sales following the restriction.
What would have made this tragic depiction comical had the context been different is that from the picture this is clearly a textile and cloth market – the type of market where, in Pakistan, you would expect most customers to be women!
I am shocked to see the totally irrelevant debate that has ensued at the behest of a new troll. What does this have to do with the topic of this post?
If the authorities do not act, then simple economics itself will take care of this situation pretty quickly and decisively. I think the shopkeepers will suffer much more than their women clients who perhaps have to forgo shopping for a short while.
Consider the following; the Pakistani army is engaged all along the tribal areas, the ‘Allies’ are patrolling on the other side, and yet on a daily basis, heroin finds its way to its destination.
@Atheist
You are comparing Saudi Arabia to Pakistan ? That shows your knowledge of Pakistan and Islam is close to nil yet you post on blogs passing judgements on Muslims. These restrictions on women’s rights are pushed by the Taliban, a group of criminals and looneys, with ideology imported from Afghanistan. They do not translate that “Islamic clerics demanding Sharia law from 1947”.
You real hang-up seems to be the creation of Pakistan itself, because you think something was taken from you by the “Muslim invaders”. Well nobody in Pakistan cares about your gripes about 1947.
@ Arjun
“I would also add that women typically have fewer rights in Islam than in secular societies today. Their testimony is worth half that of a man. In rape cases, they need 4 witness to prove rape. In general, they are far from equal to men compared to societies that have undergone the Enlightenment like countries in Europe. Please please don
@Sher Bano
awesome!!! may there be more like you to raise _your_ openions as well, not just the Clerics.
I would just like to add that we should also learn to keep religion a personal affair, not to keep mixing religion with everything else and have tolerance for people with openion different that us…
Isn’t it interesting the post is about women