WOMEN IN SINDH

Written by AFAB HASSAN KHAN


Continued from page 1

She looked at herself with flaming red eyes as if she wanted to spit out her body. She is taught to blame her body for being a potential threat to her life.

This young girl is Meeran who lives in Khosa Goth, a small village in Kandiyaro and Darbelo inrepparttar district Naushehro Feroze. In this village a 13-day-old girl was recently declared kari and put to death.

HONOUR KILLINGS :

The stories are, tragically, plentiful: In an interview with a young woman last month, it was revealed that she had fled from her village inrepparttar 130617 Khairpur district becauserepparttar 130618 tribal elders there declared her “kari.” The reasons forrepparttar 130619 charges, it turns out, were that her husband and father-in-law levelledrepparttar 130620 false charge because they were opposed to her being a schoolteacher.

The woman, Rozina, who belongs torepparttar 130621 Ujan tribe, told she had been forced to leave Sukh Wahan village in taluka Gambat after her husband, Sadiq Ujan, charged her with having an affair with a 15-year-old boy and threatened to kill her. Rozina Ujan said she and Sadiq are cousins who were married only five months ago, and that she was now pregnant.

The woman, who is in her mid-20s, said she had received secondary education, and her husband and his father, Naik Mohammad, charged her with being a “kari” after failing to pressure her into leaving her job at a private school in Sukh Wahan.

The woman said she andrepparttar 130622 boy, Sheral, were found innocent at a tribal jirga convened on March 13 after her husband levelledrepparttar 130623 charge against her on March 4.

But tribal elders held another jirga on March 28, which denounced her and Sheral as “kari” and “karo,” she added. The jirga orderedrepparttar 130624 boy’s family to pay a fine of Rs 80,000 torepparttar 130625 family of her husband, who had asked him to divorce his wife. But although Sadiq Ujan complied, she decided to come to Karachi because she still felt her life to be in danger.

Four-month pregnant Ms Ujjan said: "I was standing outside my home with my sister when a 15-year-old boy ofrepparttar 130626 neighbours also came over there. My husband sawrepparttar 130627 boy standing near us and he made it an issue for nothing."

There are lot of girls who are declared "Kari", but still not killed called "DOHI" get refuge inrepparttar 130628 so-called safe house" called "KOT" ofrepparttar 130629 feudal lards where they are totally atrepparttar 130630 mercy ofrepparttar 130631 area king who and his henchmen use and abuse them which is not very difficult to imagine.The sitting Chief Minister(CM) is onrepparttar 130632 record to have statement that he like to kill allrepparttar 130633 Kari-s(Monthly Herald,Karachi).It's well establish fact thatrepparttar 130634 majority of that type of killing occur inrepparttar 130635 area to whichrepparttar 130636 incumbent CM belong,tribal clashes between Mehar (CM belong to this tribe) and Almani clan which resulted in numbers of deaths onrepparttar 130637 Shaista Almani marriage issue.His clan haverepparttar 130638 one ofrepparttar 130639 largest "KOT" where hundreds of innocent girls are dumped with out any cry,just like silent birds with severely wounded wings.

The present law protectrepparttar 130640 accused in honor killing because it said that emotions,personal and family honor forcedrepparttar 130641 persons to do this act in fits,so it's a bail able offence.This law was introduced byrepparttar 130642 British colonial rulers.

The meaning of "KARO-KARI",it consist of two words,the first KARO meansrepparttar 130643 male person andrepparttar 130644 second onerepparttar 130645 KARI stand for female accuse.The both are called black and they are liable to death according to this tradition.

In a recent report prepared byrepparttar 130646 Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). The centuries-old customary murders, popularly known as Karo-kari (honour-killing) in Sindh claimes more than 400 lives every year.

FEUDAL IN POLITICS:

Not only in Sindh, but also in Pakistan generally, working for Human rights, and/or Women’s rights, or any injustice inrepparttar 130647 society is responded to by authorities as thoughrepparttar 130648 advocate is a criminal. Thus, many human rights workers are either killed, commit suicide, or are forced into exile. Forrepparttar 130649 past many years, families belonging torepparttar 130650 feudal and wadera classes have been rulingrepparttar 130651 country, whereasrepparttar 130652 poor and oppressed people are not only deprived of their basic rights but also ofrepparttar 130653 right to rule. The country’s fundamentalist forces andrepparttar 130654 Army Generals arerepparttar 130655 protectors of this medieval feudal system; therefore, they are against those who speak against oppression.

Similarly,repparttar 130656 status of women’s education in Sindh is deplorable. Forrepparttar 130657 feudal landlords, there are few – if any - benefits that could arise from having educated serfs. The landlords know that education ofrepparttar 130658 “serfs” can only lead torepparttar 130659 downfall of their perverse social system, as educated men and women will not tolerate to be treated like slaves. For this reason,repparttar 130660 landlord class has opposed universal primary education fromrepparttar 130661 very beginning of Sindh’s history, and to this day, their efforts have succeeded. Rural Sindh, which isrepparttar 130662 heart ofrepparttar 130663 feudal system, has an almost non-existent education system, especially for girls. The female literacy rate in Sindhi villages was only 13% inrepparttar 130664 1997 census.

The prevalent feudal system inrepparttar 130665 country has polarized every dimension of human life, especially with regards torepparttar 130666 treatment of women. Until this changes,repparttar 130667 country can neither progress or prosper.

WHAT CAN BE DONE :

In terms ofrepparttar 130668 possibility for women’s rights to be achieved in Sindh andrepparttar 130669 rest of Pakistan, it should by now be clear to any and all interested inrepparttar 130670 issue thatrepparttar 130671 question of women’s rights belongs torepparttar 130672 realm of democratic and human rights. Givenrepparttar 130673 fragility ofrepparttar 130674 democratic process in Sindh and in Pakistan as a whole,repparttar 130675 only groups with a long-term stake inrepparttar 130676 institutionalisation of such rights arerepparttar 130677 most oppressed strata in Pakistan society - that is,repparttar 130678 producing classes. These are alsorepparttar 130679 only classes capable of creating a genuine democracy inrepparttar 130680 Pakistani context. It is to an alliance with these classes that women must turn if they are to ensure their rights. This is by no means an easy task. Proponents of human rights must also demand a secular society. As long as religion continues to be interlinked withrepparttar 130681 State, any gains we achieve will be incomplete.



25 Years old Human and Women rights atvist currently living in exile in Sweden since october 2003. contact Author:aftabhasen@yahoo.com


The Freedom to Fall

Written by Skye Thomas


Continued from page 1

"Okay," you say, "then just give me a really nice person that I can happily spendrepparttar rest of my life with. You are right, I'm not all that strong and I'm not really able to be alone for any length of time. So, just give me a very nice person that's not quite a soulmate." Relationships created in desperation, need, and greed very rarely work out. What you've just toldrepparttar 130615 world is that you're desperate and anyone will do. And that's what you'll get, anyone - notrepparttar 130616 one. You must be romantically unattached when you begin your search for love. It's karma, it's trust, it's morals, it's only fair.

And what of your overall worthiness - are you worthy? This is not a beat yourself up question. Imagine that special person is alive and real flesh and blood person out inrepparttar 130617 world searching this very moment for 'happily ever after' just like you are. Are yourepparttar 130618 kind of person that you would spend time searching for? Ifrepparttar 130619 person meant for you was indeed your perfect match, what would they look like? How would they behave? How would they feel and respond? Look intorepparttar 130620 mirror my friend - are you what you are looking for? Untilrepparttar 130621 person you see inrepparttar 130622 mirror is worthy of your love and attention, then you will not recognize your twin soul. For they share your essence. Becomerepparttar 130623 type of person that you would want to find and in so doing so you will becomerepparttar 130624 kind of person that your rightful partner wishes to find. Now you will be able to recognize each other and accept each other. Trust me, there is nothing worse than finding your soulmate when you are both screwed up and dysfunctional - intense and ugly, rather than intense and beautiful.

If you want to call a magical cosmic kind of love into your life, then you must look at what your life is now. Is it inviting and warm? Would it nurture or challenge true love's growth? Are you ready, really ready? Isrepparttar 130625 space in your heart, in your life, in your bed where only one's most treasured beloved belongs cleared out and available for them to lay their weary head once they do find you? My father used to tell me that he had pockets sewn all over his heart and each of us had a special pocket in which nobody else could fill. Isrepparttar 130626 'happily ever after' pocket of your heart big enough and ready? Is there space for real love in your life? Are you free to fall?

Copyright 2004, Skye Thomas, Tomorrow's Edge

Skye Thomas is the CEO of Tomorrow's Edge, an Internet leader in inspiring leaps of faith. Her books and articles have inspired people of all ages and faiths to recommit themselves to the pursuit of happiness. After years of high heels and business clothes, she is currently enjoying working from home in her pajamas. To read more of her articles, sign up to receive her free weekly newsletter, and get free previews of her books go to www.TomorrowsEdge.net.


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