Hamid Karzai, the president of Afghanistan has just endorsed an outrageous law that was recommended by the Cleric Council, ‘a group of turbaned-headed men known as Shura-e-Ulama’. The law statement basically goes like ‘men and women shouldn’t mix at school, work, or other everyday situations’.
Who the hell in the world would do that?! It technically means Afghanistan needs to be divided up in two; one half for men and the other half for women. No social interactions? Is it a jungle where only hairy animals ‘bearded men’ can have rights?
In reaction to passing this law, people have reacted in humor and anger. For example one wrote on his Facebook page, ‘we don’t need the televisions anymore, because if the female news caster’s face is to be hidden, we can hear her voice from the radios’ "Girls are only allowed to access Facebook if they are wearing their Burkas!" tweeted another Afghan man. And another humorous comment goes as "We have asked the Facebook administrators to create separate profiles for women. You are not allowed to 'like' or 'poke' someone on Facebook or you will be cursed by the Ulama."
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| If the law is enacted, this is what will happen |
Some others like me have reacted with anger and violence. For instance, an Afghan girl has told BBC Persian ‘"It is completely disrespectful to women's rights and it undermines our privacy. We won't let them pass this law.".”It means the government is paving the way for the Taliban to control Afghanistan" says another women’s right activist in Kabul. "How dare the religious council decide about our faith?” exclaims another woman.
This is not the only issue with the government these days; there are many other similar ones. I assume one who is familiar with the recent issues, can easily see Afghanistan as a car, no, or a 'track' would be better word, and its turbaned-headed religious drivers speeding the country backward with the speed of 'no cops around anyway'.
I wish Karzai or any of those turbaned-headed law makers would happen to read this post and answer these questions: first, who the hell is Shura e Ulama to decide about half of the population of the country? And second, why you bearded men are not limiting rights on yourselves? And all of you have wives, how would you live with them happily while you keep on chanting against them?
