Comments on: Not depressing. At all.

By: Concerned

Concerned — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 18:02:30 +0000

Babloo: Then why would anyone issue a fatwa, if obeying it was a simple matter of opinion? The fact is, there is a good possibility of severe reprisals (barring outside intervention) within the community for people (esp. in rural areas) not respecting fatwas. Honestly, I don't know much about rural life - especially in North India - so I cannot comment on the possibility of reprisals there. But a fatwa is a scholarly religious opinion given on issues as diverse as whether it is permissible to have an interest-bearing bank account to whether you can take a cough syrup that contains trace amounts of alcohol.

Babloo: Imrana gets raped and then has to spend the rest of her life serving her RAPIST??? this to you is the same fate as Noor Ilahi who gets to marry someone else? I thought the Fatwa expressly overturned the village council decision that Imrana has to marry her father-in-law. The Fatwa said Imrana and Noor Ilahi cannot live as husband - wife, which seems a tragedy for BOTH of them and their poor children. Babloo: But this fatwa does affect Imrana. That is why the Indian govt. needs to be involved in this mockery of justice, whether under the guise of this -ism or that. Of course it affects Imrana. I said as long as it does not affect anyone ELSE, Imrana should be free to choose whether to follow the fatwa or not, and that should be fine for the government.

By: Babloo

Babloo — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 00:40:29 +0000

Concerned --

The Islamic fatwa is a religious opinion that the individuals have every right to choose to obey or ignore in secular India.

Then why would anyone issue a fatwa, if obeying it was a simple matter of opinion? The fact is, there is a good possibility of severe reprisals (barring outside intervention) within the community for people (esp. in rural areas) not respecting fatwas.

And why is the fatwa against Imrana any more than it is against Noor Ilahi?

Imrana gets raped and then has to spend the rest of her life serving her RAPIST??? this to you is the same fate as Noor Ilahi who gets to marry someone else?

Everybody chooses the way he wants to practise his religion, and as long as that does not affect anybody else, that is fine for the secular Indian government

But this fatwa does affect Imrana. That is why the Indian govt. needs to be involved in this mockery of justice, whether under the guise of this -ism or that.

By: Concerned

Concerned — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 00:21:00 +0000

While this is a very sad case, I cannot understand the feminist intrusion in this case. Why is this being treated as an anti-women issue? The Islamic fatwa is a religious opinion that the individuals have every right to choose to obey or ignore in secular India. If Imrana chooses to remain with Noor Ilahi, I don’t see how the Deoband Muftis can decide anything for them. And why is the fatwa against Imrana any more than it is against Noor Ilahi? And any Islamic fatwa on rape/adultery would say that the perpetrators must be stoned — according to the Islamic law. In a secular country, obviously the victim is unlikely to choose that punishment for himself (even if he were able to find people willing to stone him, without the fear of getting punished for taking the law in their own hands). Let us not forget that the freedom of religion gives Imrana the right to obey (or disobey) the fatwa. And all this has nothing to do with Islam and its various shades of practitioners – modern, progressive, traditional, fundamentalist, whatever. Everybody chooses the way he wants to practise his religion, and as long as that does not affect anybody else, that is fine for the secular Indian government. And let us not go about mixing up secularism, feminism, and every other ‘ism’ there is, and taking away from the real issues involved in each of these.

By: Saurav

Saurav — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 11:26:21 +0000

I try not to knock her too much for it because she wrote it in like a week, and for very good reason. And I’m prone to publishing my first drafts too

But it really was horrific. I’ve heard that she has better writing. Now if only I could read Bangla beyond a 1st grade level

By: uma

uma — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 08:12:14 +0000

Saurav, I waded thru Lajja too… bleh! But I’m told her writing is getting better

By: Saurav

Saurav — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 07:15:07 +0000

That Tasleema interview was really interesting! It almost makes up for the portion of my life consume by Lajja

By: uma

uma — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 04:48:57 +0000

Just saw this.

Also, there's this interesting interview with Taslima Nasreen where she says that no religion gives women freedom.

By: PinkyLovesBunty

PinkyLovesBunty — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 01:17:22 +0000

“Backward” Hindus, or “backward” Muslims – lack of education and economic resources is the crux in all of these sad cases. Ahhh, ain’t religion grand??

By: Amba

Amba — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 21:56:23 +0000

I don’t hold with this ‘true Islam is perfectly gender egalitarian’ stuff, but Hindus don’t really have any reason to be smug. I’ve seen cases where panchayats in predominantly Hindu areas have handed down some pretty horrible decisions, although in the latter case it’s usually love affairs that cross caste lines that raise the community’s ire.

By: razib

razib — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 21:29:09 +0000

there is some data here. nationally it seems hindu-muslim female literacy is not that different, 53 vs. 50, but work force participation is, 40 vs. 31. but jains have a 90% female literacy rate, and only 32% work force participation rate (they be rich!), so be cautious.... (i suggest everyone examine the data state by state, there's nuggets in there).