"For seven years, her husband taunted, threatened and thrashed her, she says. After she filed for divorce, he struck again, throwing enough acid on her face to destroy her left eye."
I feel as though you should really just read the story to understand the situation. The environment reported by these women seems so sad and, they seem to be stuck between a rock and a hard place.
On the one hand, sure, I suppose they could leave their husbands. However some of these women still experience abuse after they've divorced their spouse. The social pressures and expectations that exist keep them where they are. If they leave their husbands they risk social isolation from their community, extended families included.
If they report abuse to the police, they are met with little or no understanding, much less legal recourse. So what to do? Stay in an abusive situation and have your face burned off with acid?
The article seems to indicate that at present there is no legislation protecting the family from spousal abuse, and the legislation under debate seems to have little to no chance of being approved.
In the article, an interview with a Pakistani legislator reveals his belief that domestic abuse legislation will weaken the family structure and create social unrest. This is where things get a bit sticky for me.
On the one hand I can empathize with groups pushing for change and support for these women in such difficult conditions. However on the other hand, I find it hard to push agendas on societies that don't necessarily want them. My world view provides a belief that no person should be subject to abuse, but from the views described in the article it seems that may not be the case in Pakistan.
In recent years I have changed my position on U.S. involvement with other countries and cultures, as I think our country needs to empower long term change through non-invasive methods like providing support and education, not troops and tanks.
Leaving the best way of addressing this situation to those more qualified and suited to do so, I remain thankful for the imperfect protections that exist against domestic abuse here in the U.S. While I am certain they are deficient for some, as demonstrated by the situation in Pakistan, it could be worse.
While I realize that we have all experienced that feeling of "Why doesn't she just leave that abusive dirtbag? She's better than that", when I saw this story I was mortified, humbled, and grateful.
I feel as though you should really just read the story to understand the situation. The environment reported by these women seems so sad and, they seem to be stuck between a rock and a hard place.
On the one hand, sure, I suppose they could leave their husbands. However some of these women still experience abuse after they've divorced their spouse. The social pressures and expectations that exist keep them where they are. If they leave their husbands they risk social isolation from their community, extended families included.
If they report abuse to the police, they are met with little or no understanding, much less legal recourse. So what to do? Stay in an abusive situation and have your face burned off with acid?
The article seems to indicate that at present there is no legislation protecting the family from spousal abuse, and the legislation under debate seems to have little to no chance of being approved.
In the article, an interview with a Pakistani legislator reveals his belief that domestic abuse legislation will weaken the family structure and create social unrest. This is where things get a bit sticky for me.
On the one hand I can empathize with groups pushing for change and support for these women in such difficult conditions. However on the other hand, I find it hard to push agendas on societies that don't necessarily want them. My world view provides a belief that no person should be subject to abuse, but from the views described in the article it seems that may not be the case in Pakistan.
In recent years I have changed my position on U.S. involvement with other countries and cultures, as I think our country needs to empower long term change through non-invasive methods like providing support and education, not troops and tanks.
Leaving the best way of addressing this situation to those more qualified and suited to do so, I remain thankful for the imperfect protections that exist against domestic abuse here in the U.S. While I am certain they are deficient for some, as demonstrated by the situation in Pakistan, it could be worse.
The pictures in this article are absolutely horrific, and I cannot imagine any situation that would call for such treatment of another individual, let alone a spouse or a child. It's interesting that you bring up the difficult situation that these women are facing in Pakistan (among other nations) because of the cultural norms. I happen to feel very strongly as you do, John, that it is no right of any nation to impose their cultures and values on another nation. However, I think we've reached a point in human history where we need to start to think in terms of a global society rather than rigid national or cultural boundaries. There are certain standards for treatment of humans, some are more reasonable for some societies than others, but the question is, does that mean such ideals should be abandoned? (see http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/ for Human Rights Declaration)
Overall, it is a question of what is considered to be a harmonious society? Could a more conservative country like Pakistan or Iran or Afghanistan ever accept women as equals to men? Actually, the culture that we see in the middle east is a.) not always well accepted by the residents and b.) is a relatively new thing (http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/08/iran-archaeology/del-giudice-text/1). The middle east, once known as the Persian Empire, was originally considered the seat of civilization, complete a bill of rights, equality, and freedoms. So I would say that, while it is not a good policy to impose your values and culture on others, it is also important to note places where the will of the few is being imposed on the many through force and intimidation.
Much of what the article talks about is a policy of fear and control with which the women of live under. They are afraid to report the abuse and violence because they will not be taken seriously unless they have apparent injuries. These women really have nowhere to go because they have children and other family to attend to, and then you have a cultural value of submissiveness which has been supported, by force mind you, by the religious leaders and more importantly the men. Finally, if I may be so bold, it is as if such violence toward women is used as a tool to keep women in their place. How can this be considered a harmonious society if one group of people needs to use violence and torture to keep another group of people in its place?
There are many ills in the world today, and there are a lot of noble causes worth fighting for. I guess my hope would be for the U.S. to stand on the side of the women in places like Pakistan. For that matter, I would like to see the U.S. stand more on the side of women in the U.S. It should not be a futile policy to practice what you preach, and it makes telling other people what to do a lot less hypocritical. Violence and stability do not compliment each other, so in seeking to end violence, we should not accept instability as an inevitable outcome. The bottom line is, there are rights and freedoms that every individual on the planet warrants. We are indebted to the women and young girls in the middle east and around the world who have these freedoms stolen from them in being abused, tortured, and raped. Why don't we ask them how they feel about the stability of the family structure and the unrest of society? It's the least we can do for them.
These pictures are indeed horrific. But it shows us how extreme some people will go, to claim a women as there "property." The fact that this is happening or has occurred throughout world is sickening. Is it do to religion or the aspect of male dominance? Or is it do to a persons idea based on cultural identity, based on machismo, were male dominance is suppose to be more superior then that of a women, or there environment were there is a mimic of there fathers actions as one grows older.
I would beg to differ, when it comes to a women, we as men would not exist. Form a religious stand point each culture is different, and what we see as wrong my not be wrong in their culture or in there eyes. To violate a women by any means weather it be mental, verbal, or physical abuse is wrong and should not be tolerated.
As a young child I have seen these actions within my own home "domestic violence" between the two people who gave me life, I can recall my father dragging my mother through the kitchen to the room and holding a shot gun to her head, and me crying out, "why." I believe I was around the age of nine at the time.