Women’s Rights Should Not Be Ostracized

Each day around the world a woman is ostracized. She is abused, neglected, abandoned or ousted from her identity to exist. Her consort, whom she looks up to as her knight in shinning armor becomes her greatest predator. Her valor and enthusiasm for life is often assumed to be audacious. She is continuously prejudiced in her right to survive, in her will to live a life of equality and similitude. Her tolerance for pain and suffering is considered to be her fate and fear. Her emotions are speculated and judged. Soraya. M, a woman sacrificed in the name of honor and stoned to death for alleged adultery almost two decades ago in a village in Iran is a mirror of such tribulation. More than 20 years later, women still are victimized and terrorized around the globe. Their voices are suppressed and their rights are extirpated to shun them of love, dignity and opportunity. 

Soraya.M’s horrific tale, a true story made into a movie by Cyrus Nowrasteh (The Stoning Of Soraya.M, 2008) is a pinch to the soul and a volcanic eruption for the mind. It is not a story of a woman, a village or a country but a story that lapidates the prerogative and state of womanliness. Like her even today many Sorayas are suffocated in relationships, trafficked across borders, abducted to brighten brothels, swindled into sexual drudgery though child marriages, genitally mutilated, beaten and infiltrated through aggravated sexual assault. Are these acts less barbaric than casting of stones? These may not seem as horrifying as stoning. But the screams from such acts emit an equal shrill. If I had simply watched the Stoning of Soraya and wiped my tears that trickled down during the movie’s climax, I would have been incompetent in my service to self and in torching justice for injustice. I hence decided to present my readers with this video to aware and educate on ostracism against innocence, independence and empowerment, which are the basic constituents of woman’s rights. 

In order to understand the necessity to honor a woman’s right; one needs to appreciate the role she plays in our survival. She gives life to gift mankind with the greatest pleasure on earth in being alive. She nurtures in a way that makes one learn the essence of subsistence. As an epitome of love and compassion, she consecrates harmony and happiness in relationships. For man to accept such feature may seem unlikely of his might. But it’s imperative to realize that strength of man’s muscle and character, the power in governances around the orb and the depth of ecclesiastical tenets does not lie in her coercion and crucifixion. With each woman executed physically, mentally and/or emotionally inside her home, on the streets, in business, politics or in foreign lands leaves us with martyrs for causes just like Soraya left with her story for the world to feel her pain. Man and his masculinity shouldn’t just be a symbol of violence and transgression. Likewise regulations and axioms shouldn’t be so gruesome that they become a threat to the spirit and essence of existence. Irrespective of our physicality, for god both men and women are equal for he decides not to reside up above in the blue sky but inside us, in our wisdom and in our deeds. He created man as an epitome of care and courage to fend for his counterpart (not just through marriage or any relationship) but in the chastity of an eclectic circle called humanity. 

So if you are a man and you see a women being expelled of her rights……

• Stand up against violence. You shall be more of a man in doing so
• Care for other women as you would care for your own
• Learn to respect femininity. It may not seem as powerful as masculinity but without it your machismo certainly is incomplete 
• Be an advocate to stop ostracism against women. Talk to peers, family and friends or whoever you think is the smallest dust particle that causes such offense. 
• Everybody says that it’s a man’s world. Is it or isn’t it? is not the question. The real quest is to make this world a better place for everyone to live including every woman you meet in your lifetime, irrespective of her role or abilities.  
• If you are the King, she is the Queen, so treat her like one. You will be a torch bearer for others.  

If you are a woman and you see another woman being blackballed......................

• The best thing you can do is to stop being critical of another woman’s plight  
• Stop mutter or gossip about other woman’s dilemma. Stand up for truth and freedom. It will show your magnanimity and not self-centeredness. 
• A woman standing up for every other woman will empower so many sisters in the spirit circle. It shall lessen half the problems that we women create for each other knowingly or unknowingly throughout our lives. 
• Break the cycle of abuse. Call for help/ emergency or crisis network if you see or know of a woman or child being abused physically, mentally or emotionally.
• Log in http://www.hotpeachpages.net/( an International directory of domestic violence agencies with abuse information in over 80 languages). 

On exposing to such change and bailing out the one in crisis, we shall rescue ourselves from mental handicaps based on discriminations and radical doctrines and realize that women’s rights are human rights.

Copyright (c) 2010 - present Dharbarkha.blogspot
Video Courtesy: http://www.youtube.com/user/BarkhaDhar

Freedom Is A Human Right

February 11th marks the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution, a date that portrays celebration of Iran’s liberation from the Shah and imperial powers. However, torture, political exile, arbitrary arrests and violent executions are some major illustrations of malevolence that dissident Iran’s liberation with real emancipation. Freedom of any nation is not judged only by its political ideology but also by its economic and social order. The solidarity and tenacity of Law and justice shows a nations strength not only through political governance but also through ‘espirit de corps’ or the feelings of social affinity and entirety. Such psychology and personality of a nation is the barometer of its actual progress on a social scale. A translucent and lucid approach to jurisdiction is what we define as independence and sovereignty, a prerogative of the people of a nation. An immaculate and a principle lesson of freedom that Iran needs to learn and imbibe today.

The legitimacy and stability of any regime is successful and worth celebration only if it ameliorates a communal and egalitarian mindset, also commonly known as laissez-faire. Only then can a nation enjoy the fruits of freedom and understand its relevance and significance in the sentiments and emotions of its people that constitute a nation. Perhaps a wake up call for Iran! Also any revolution shouldn’t be anarchy where hostility, unrest and disregard for citizens are the epicenters of control. The story of Shirin Ebadi, Iran’s first noble laureate whose peace prize was confiscated by the Iranian government and whose sister recently was arrested in Tehran narrates such apathy. Iran’s native, a lawyer and a human rights activist, Shirin Ebadi no wonder has to think twice before entering her own homeland due to possibilities of her arrest. Because of her predominant views on civil society and the rule of law wherein human rights is a core criterion of the governance, Ebadi is considered a possible threat to Iran. How fair and conscientious today is Iran’s freedom that takes away a citizen’s right to impartial expression? 

A true leadership is one that enforces a participative style of governance and is not surrounded by censorship of any sort. Such protocol for a nation aims at encouraging people’s ideas, views and diligent actions as their voice for change, which ultimately leads to political, social and an economic face lift. Freedom from exile and other horrendous abuses are basic human rights which Iran needs to inculcate in its political doctrine. On this day of commemoration, human rights, which are also known as fundamental rights, should be the prerequisites of Iran’s bona fide liberation.  Such radical and humanitarian relationship between Iran and its people shall be Iran’s absolute victory. Giving importance to triumph in people’s hearts over political supremacy, conquest on subjugation, justice through moral norms and legal rights, respect and dignity for human relationships together with equality, expression and education are some ways Iranians can win freedom from political fear and incarceration.

Copyright (c) 2009-2010 Dharbarkha.blogspot 
Photo Courtesy:  flickr.com