JAWED ANWAR

Urdu Version

WHEN the Taliban drove the US and its international allies out of Afghanistan and Ashraf Ghani fled, India also had to leave dozens of its consulates there. 

Since then, Indian politicians, intellectuals, and journalists have been concerned about Afghanistan's women's rights.

Don't these people know about their history, their society and their current situation regarding women?

India was no different in the condition of women what was in pre-Islamic Arabia. And it continues to this day to a great extent. Inheritance and property ownership are a long way off. 

Sati system was prevalent, wherein a widow had to throw herself on her husband's pyre and burn to death. Although it is banned now, it occurs up and justifies to the present day and is still regarded by many Hindus as the ultimate form of womanly devotion and sacrifice.

Sati: The ritual of burning of the widow.

"A woman was born as a slave. The man is her lord, and her husband is like her god. He is worshiped as a god. She has to be the Mamluk (possession) of her father in her childhood, her husband in her youth, and her children in her old. There are strict marriage rules. She is handed over and married to a man without her consent. And she cannot get out of his possession until the last breath of her life. Like the Jews and the Greeks, it is considered a symbol of sin and moral and spiritual inferiority. And she has been refused to acknowledge her permanent identity. On the other hand, she is the target of sexual lust. This is how it is mounted on the nerves. That in the end, it sinks the nations."

 "Worshiping of male and female sexual organs, nude pair statues of goddesses in temples, religious prostitutes, half-naked bath in rivers are the same remnants of nudity and obscenity that have existed since ancient times in Iran, Babylon, Greece and like Rome. It spread here, and the Hindu nation was plunged into decline for centuries." (Parda, by Syed Abul-Ali Maududi)

When the Muslim rulers came to this country, they paid no attention to the preaching of Islam except a few.

They did not disturb the Hindu social and family system, nor did they bother their caste, nor their system of racial supremacy and untouchability based on castes. They only came here to rule and govern. 

However, today, if there are 225 million Muslims in India, 221 million in Pakistan and 165 million in Bangladesh, most of them have left the old religion of polytheism and idol worshipers.

And it happened not only in India but all over the world. Muhammad ï·º, the Messenger of God, was alone, and today their number is 1.9 billion in the whole world. However, the difference between India and other places is that in most areas where Muslims went and established their own governments, the majority of the people converted/reverted to Islam.

But that did not happen in India. The reason: Islam was not widely preached in India. The rulers who were new Muslims had non-Islamic mixes. It was not pure Islam. However, due to the efforts of the scholars of truth, Arab traders, and some Sufis, the message of Islam and the light of guidance spread and enlightened the environment wherever it spread.

In today's India, where Muslims as a minority live in the Hindutva's terror, they are ridiculously accused of forcibly converting Hindus to Islam. However, they never did so in their reign and in their heyday. Even their biggest opponents have never accused them of this. Islam clearly provides religious freedom in one's personal life. The Qur'an states that "there is no compulsion in religion. (Al-Quran 2:256)" 

However, it is true that Islam has had a profound effect on Hindu society. A large number of people who did not convert to Islam were also influenced by Islamic civilization. Their society changed; their family system changed—shame and modesty, which are the hallmarks of Islamic civilization, fashioned into the society. Scarfs on heads were common in hijab.

Even today, if you go to a village in Rajasthan and Gujarat, women will appear there with their faces covered in front of strangers.

Women are lining up in an election to vote, covering their faces by saree.

They will cover their face with the help of their long saree. Even in public, villagers cover their faces. Historian Tarachand in his book, "Influence of Islam on Indian Culture", examines the effects of Islam on Hindu civilization, society and culture.

When the British came here, and the War of Independence (Jihad)of 1857 failed. Then, when India was entirely enslaved by the British, the new rulers abolished its old education system for Muslims and Hindus and introduced a new education system. After that, hearts changed, and the influence of Western civilization deepened. Akbar Allahabadi had said at that time that "hearts will change with the change of education." 

The one who benefited the most from Western education, the Hindu community, was the one who was most influenced by Western civilization. A large number of Muslims saved their children from this attack. All these people tried to protect their children and future generations, be it Sufi, Salafi, Ahl-e-Hadith, Deobandi, or Barelvi. For this great favour to Islam, we should congratulate and respect the scholars of all these sects.

Post-independence secular India was Westernized. People were mentally enslaved. Leaders of Independent India adopted the political, educational, economic and moral system of their colonial master and fell into the abyss of destruction. 

Bollywood has gone a long way in imitating Hollywood. It was through pornography and obscenity, movies getting a hit. Materialism gripped society. And the woman's life became indigestible day by day. Every wrong, evil and filthy thing of the West was put on the eyelids and heads. And every wrong ritual from old Hindu culture and society also got the patronage of the state.

Despite the beautiful words and great ideals written in the constitution, the curse of dowry, varna system, untouchability, and caste system were promoted. And in a society in which there was already a great lack of justice and equality, after the departure of the British, the situation became even worse.

The situation in today's India is that women are killed by their in-laws or husbands for not bringing or less dowry. Women also commit suicide due to harassment of their in-laws on dowry issues. They burn themselves in the fire. 

According to an Indian police report; In 1996, 2,500 brides were burned each year. The data reached up 8,331 in 2011.

This meant that one bride was burnt in India every 90 minutes. Even the police rarely report such deaths. Due to media reporting, when India became infamous in the world on these issues, media reporting was greatly reduced, and the news was suppressed.

After the birth of girls in pre-Islamic Arab, their parents used to bury them alive. Allah has given them a stern warning in the Qur'an; "And when baby girls, buried alive, are asked, for what crime they were put to death." (Al- Quran: Surah (81) At-Takwir:8-9)

Indian women are now following the same path of Arab Jahiliya (before Islam) and aborting a girl before birth. With the help of technology, it is known within a few months of having a baby in her womb whether she has a son or a daughter. Abortions are also taking place in the Western world. But gender-specific and girl-specific abortions are taking place only in India.

In some states, especially Maharashtra and Haryana, the number of girls has dropped alarmingly. It is estimated that by 2030, 6.8 million girls will be born less than boys. Since 1970, when tests have been introduced to find out the gender in the mother belly, 63 million girls in India have had abortions so far. It is sorry to note that 63 million girls were killed before they were born.

What are the implications of the low number of girls, i.e. no flowers in the garden, it can be well estimated the impact on the family, society and the next generation? 

To maintain a population, it requires an annual population growth rate of 2.4%. While in India it has come down to less than 1%. Despite this, there is a strong state emphasis on "family planning" and birth control. 

It is a way of self-destruction.

Now let's take a look at the situation of Domestic Violence. According to the National Family and Health Survey of India and many other survey reports on Domestic Violence, in 2005, 33.5% of women were beaten by men in domestic violence.

Rape and sexual violence against women are also rarely reported in India because of the social stigma. It forces girls and women and their families to remain silent. The police refused to report such cases and forced the affected family to keep quiet most of the time.

Despite this, 32,033 cases were reported in 2019. In 2018, 33,356 cases were reported. A large number of them were Dalit and Adivasi girls and women. Women from weaker castes and societies are most abused. And it often involves upper-caste Hindu men.

In most cases, rape and murder are both committed.

When these cases go to court, there is no hope of justice, especially for girls and women from Dalits, Adivasis and Muslims. In most cases, the oppressors are high caste Hindus and people close to the ruling party.

The ten high-profile rape cases in the last few years are 1. Suzette Jordan Rape Case, 2. Nirbhaya Rape Case, 3. Shakti Mills Rape Case, 4. Jisha Rape Case, 5. Franco Mulakal Rape Case, 6. Hathras Gangrape Case7.Kathua Rape Case, 8. Unnao Rape Case, 9. 2019 Hyderabad Rape Case, and10. Badaun Rape Case

The Nirbhaya rape case took place in Delhi, the capital of India. A girl on a public bus was attacked, raped and killed by six men with an iron rod.

A 19-year-old Dalit girl was raped by upper-caste Hindus in Hathras in September last year. Her body was severely tortured, and a scarf was tied around her neck. They broke her spine and paralyzed her. Her tongue was cut out and then thrown into a field where she was picked up. UP police and government sided with the criminals.

Two weeks later, the girl died at a Delhi hospital. Her body was not given to her family despite her mother's demand. They left her mother kept screaming.

In the dark of night, the police conducted her funeral last rituals without the participation of any family member. The police and the administration turned her into ashes and destroyed all the evidence. 

The culprits were four upper-caste Thakur families (UP Chief Minister Yogi also belongs to the same caste) rescued by the police, the UP government, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). 

They finally saved the criminals.

India is perhaps the only country in the world where the police and the administration are involved in protecting the perpetrator after every rape. It is surprising to note that with such a poor record of violence against women in India, how their intellectuals are talking about women's rights in Afghanistan. It's a shame.

After Russia left Afghanistan, the United States created anarchy in Afghanistan. When the civil war broke out, sexual assaults on women also started. The religious scholars and students stood up to stop it. They organized themselves under the name Tehreek-e-Taliban. And these are the same Taliban who has defeated the American led army of the world that has gathered against them.

Did you know that there was no rape in the last five years of Taliban rule? No one there would dare to look at a girl or woman with dirty eyes. The Taliban have given women all the rights that Islam has given them. Having an independent personality, women also enjoy all rights from men, as a mother, daughter, sister, and wife.

She can own property, and she can do business. They have a share in the inheritance. In Afghanistan, a girl or her parents do not have to pay any dowry; marriage does not cost them. According to his financial condition, the boy pays the girl (called Mehr) and gives a good amount of money. 

The new Taliban government has allowed women to remain in their jobs in all hospitals and private institutions. Girls-only schools are running.

An Afghan man devotes his entire life to caring for and protecting his wife, children, and elderly parents. Islam has given more rights and fewer responsibilities to women. Men have more responsibilities, fewer rights. 

An Afghan man walks up the freezing cold, snow-capped mountains, putting his wife and girl baby on a ride. Don't teach women's rights to Afghans.

Islam has also elevated the spiritual status of women. Heaven is placed under the feet of the mother.

Allah's Messenger, who amongst the people is most deserving of my good treatment? He said: Your mother, again your mother, again your mother, then your father, then your nearest relatives according to the order (of nearness). Muslim 2548b

God has included a woman in the process of human creation. Allah Almighty creates human beings from the womb of women. They have been given the most crucial responsibility of nourishing, upbringing, educating, and training the children. Women are not given the responsibility of earning a livelihood because it is a heavy responsibility. They have not been given the responsibility of leadership as it is a very difficult task. Women's testimony in court has also been halved. Because it is dangerous to testify, sometimes it is life-threatening duty.

A woman is a precious thing. Therefore, it is covered and taken out in hijab and niqab. The way diamond jewelry and precious gold are packed and covered is like every valuable and beneficial fruit inside strong peels. If there is no strong cover around the pomegranate, and the banana is in the market without the peel, no one would like to take it. 

Men and women have different rights and responsibilities. Therefore, the education system and the school of both will be and should be different. What the Taliban government (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) is doing in Afghanistan is following Islam. They will not and should not build their system according to the wishes of the West and the people of the West.

We ask all our Muslim brothers not to fall prey to American and Western propaganda. 

We will also ask our non-Muslim brothers and sisters who have closely seen the Muslim family system to try to understand Islam. 

When Islam is understood, it will be easier to understand the Taliban. 

And that is good for all.

E-mail: jawed@seerahwest.com

Follow Twitter @AsSeerah

Facebook: AsSeerah