Pakistan: 33 women burned in acid attacks in 2007
Victim of acid attack in Pakistan
There is, of course, nothing in the Qur’an to the effect of “Throw acid on her” if she is disobedient — there is just “beat her” (4:34). And it is good to see that at least one of these men is being persecuted. But the horrible attacks on these women are an indirect result of the reduction of women to the status of commodities in Islamic law. The husbands did not see them as equal human beings with rights they were bound to respect. “Pakistani women burned by acid or fire rely on beauty of others: Women who say their husbands threw acid at them or burned them find help in becoming self-reliant through salon work,” from the Associated Press, August 16 (thanks to Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi) via DW:
LAHORE, PAKISTAN — Saira Liaqat squints through her one good eye as she brushes a woman’s hair. Her face, most of which the acid melted years ago, occasionally lights up with a smile. Her hands, largely undamaged, deftly handle the dark brown locks.
continue reading page 2
One in five Tunisian women abused
And these are just the reported cases. “Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them.” — Qur’an 4:34.
Sharia Alert: “Tunisia: Home Violence, 1 of 5 Married Women Abused,” from ANSAmed, August 12 (thanks to Insubria):
(ANSAmed) – TUNIS, AUGUAT 12 – In Tunisia, which mostly takes into consideration the women’s role in the active life among the Arab countries, it might seem controversial but the statistics are merciless: 20% of the married women are victims of violence on the part of their spouse. According to the statistics announced by daily Le Temps, many of them become disfigured, handicapped, receive psychological traumas and in various cases end up committing suicide. And all this, or almost all this, happens in silence between the home walls. For fear of further retaliation, and in order not to allow showing that the marriage has been ruined, due to a psychological and physical subjection which have lasted for centuries, such as that for example which requires that the wife should always walk two steps behind her husband. Feminist organisations have been leading for a long time a campaign to raise the awareness aimed at convincing the victims of this violence to at least trust them and the social workers. However, the fact that the first step has to be made by both spouses in the family remains unchanged. The law, obviously, also punishes this kind of violence. However, the feminists observe that the law is totally dissatisfying. Because if the victim intends to file a complaint, they must present a medical certificate issued by a public hospital certifying injures curable in 21 days. In case the prognosis results lower, the complaint will not be accepted. (ANSAmed).
