With sikhism, as a religion, a central tenet is one of equality. Socially, yes it is not always followed.

What alternative path would you have had Jasvinder Sanghera take to liberate sikh women then?

“But a backward religion like Islam complements the backward culture of the subcontinent.”

why dont you anti-Muslim loons make up your minds? One minute your sqwaking about how Islam is an alien middle eastern semitic implant in India (as opposed to native religions like Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism); the next your claiming it complements the culture.

If you seriously believe Islam complements the culture of the subcontinent I recommend reading islamic groups opinions of the culture of the subcontinent. Its not very complimentary.

Are you seriously suggesting Islam supports idolatry > or the caster system? bring your proof if you are truthful

Johann Hari
“All over Europe and the US, Muslim women are pushing beyond a literal reading of the Koran and trying to turn many of its ugliest passages into misty metaphor.”

—————————————————-
“If you believe that the Koran is the unalterable word of God, then you believe what it says which includes the right to beat women, alongside violent anti-semitism.

“It is there in the book. Rather than people having to stretch the reading of the text to justify violence, they are having to stretch it to stop violence.”

pure ignorance. neither you or Johann Hari know classical Arabic – and the book is in Classical Arabic-
and the verses have never been understood to mean what you , reading an English translation, wish to say they do. The idea that its “muslim women in Europe and the US” reinterpretating something that wasnt even there in the first place is arrogance beyond belief.

The Quran has never been understood emtirely literally (how can any language especially one as rich as Arabic or elevated as Quranic Arabic be understood entirely literally) nor entirely metaphorically.

And in India minority women have been subject to horrendous targeted sexual violence in Gujurat and
Orissa. Why hasnt Johann “defender of Muslim women” Hari mentioned this. Does he even know about it?

But like Saudi, trade with India and China is too important to bring these things up

Ashik – your own statement above better suits you than mixtogether. And the reason is because:

“South Asians, even the more non-practicing ones are still influenced by culture and religion than non-asians”

You only say ‘sweetie’ if you are really trying to diminish someones elses arguement.

Do you recognise yourself as that idiot?

Probably not.

Why do you always come across that way? Is it a special talent, or something?

Ashik: played 100 : lost 100.

Of course, but Sikhism rejects violence against women.

Islam does not.

Ipso facto, Muslim women have the double barrier of culture and religion to rail against.

Very simple sweety.

lolz

Sweetie, read about the many stories of HBV in the Brit Sikh community even on PP. HBV can occur amongst Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs.

I generally don’t think it’s a good idea to conflate domestic violence with certain religions and cuultures in isolation. Even victims of HBV would be less likely to seek help from such elements.

But a backward religion like Islam complements the backward culture of the subcontinent.

This cannot be said for religions such as Buddhism and Sikhism which theoretically go against the very grain of subcontinental culture.

Mixed Together the above sentence is the reason that you are a part of the problem rather than the solution to solving issues like domestic violence. South Asians, even the more non-practicing ones are still influenced by culture and religion than non-asians.

A number of factors:

It is held back by a minute upper class layer of civil society (the ‘elites’ whom Ashik fondly calls the “Dhakaiya”) who have checked development at every opportunity by a strange brew of social conservatism and ingrained feudal hierarchy – held in place by the tenets, innuendos and ambiguities in the Qur’an. The danger of which is increasing by Saudi-aided “Jamaatification”.

But the irony is that it is full of really bright, warm and generous poor people who don’t really give religion much importance. These are the least-beneficaries who are the key to the country’s development, if only its venal and stupid elite class could get its head around.

Exactly. Unless the root cause of the problem is addressed – in this case the Islamic faith – the violence will continue.

But nobody, not even Muslims, is willing to challenge the authority of the Koran as they may be relieved of their heads.

But each to their own…

it is polite to talk about “a misguided interpretation of the Qur’an”, but Hari tells it like it is:

“All over Europe and the US, Muslim women are pushing beyond a literal reading of the Koran and trying to turn many of its ugliest passages into misty metaphor.”

If you believe that the Koran is the unalterable word of God, then you believe what it says which includes the right to beat women, alongside violent anti-semitism.

It is there in the book. Rather than people having to stretch the reading of the text to justify violence, they are having to stretch it to stop violence.

The country-specific situation in Bangladesh is the primary reason women are treated the way they are. Outside finances from remittances does not play a significant role. Bangladeshis have always held traditional views of women which is slowly changing with economic liberalisation and the wider availability of education. Nevertheless, traditions are maintained eg. Pudah culture for women is adapting as they go out to work in garments factories.

Such culture is not being rejected but is adapting.

The attempt to bring together expats, remittances, Islamic fundamentalism and mistreatment of women in Bangladesh is pathetic. Greater Sylhet is the main area of Bangladesh where the local economy has been transformed by remittances and large-scale investment from the West and the Mid East. It is also a bastion of traditionalist Sylheti Islam based on Saints and Sufism. Yet political Islam of the Jamaati variety is not widely supported as it is seen as a corrupt unIslamic ideology just like the Bengali and Bangladeshi nationalisms of the secular AL and BNP. As for Wahabbi ideology, many Sylhetis I know blame orthodox Wahhabi followers of poisoning the sacred fish at the Shah Jalal shrine (Wahabbis do not like people visiting shrines; syncretic).

Shahnaz’s story brings out the interesting fact that acid throwing against women seems to be more common amongst theDhakaiya, who consider themselves liberal lords of Bengali secular culture. I have not heard of any attacks in Sylhet. Perhaps a strong conservative attachment to Islamic identity sometimes protects women against the worst expressions of mysogeny from people who are less practicing but more inclined toward political ideologies of religion and male-female relations. All this goes to show that even differing Bangladeshi regions have differing interactions of culture and religion and therefore clutching at disparate straws for ideological reasons cannot explain away violence against women in Bangladesh.

Amen.

How long do we have to wait until people over here just accept that as fact and stop pussy-footing around playing politics?

Multiculturalism has been bad for women in minority communities.

Come on, say it with me- it’s not that hard…

‘Muslim women aren’t the only ones being abused, but that doesn’t mean they should be ignored.’

Somehow I don’t think they’ve been igored over the last decade. I would say they’ve borne the brunt of our attention.