Preserving the sanctity of life in a modern world
February 20, 2017
The pressures of dowry in an increasingly materialistic society
March 6, 2017
Over 1.2 million girls were murdered in Pakistan between the years 2000 and 2014. The yearly average: 116,384.
But where are the statistics you’ll ask? There’s been no news of these mass murders, has there?
We hide behind the guise of “sex-selective abortions“, using fancy medical terms to cover up how we rip away lives that haven’t even begun because of something neither the mother nor child can control. Someone once said “Life in general is cheap in Pakistan and women’s life, even cheaper” and sadly they speak a horrifying truth. The words “Beti hai” ring the funeral bells of many an unborn child, and unfortunately for most mothers as well. Given the deplorable health facilities present here and the stigma around bearing a female child, these abortions are often performed in the worst possible conditions. Should an abortion not be possible, these baby girls are thrown into dumpsters where they are then left to die. It seems that selfish needs have started to trump the value of human life.
We need to understand why so many women are pushed to feel like they can’t afford to give birth to girls because of all the pressures that come with a daughter. Our society itself has associated daughters to be a burden from the time they are born to when they are married, as if to say that sending them to another household no longer makes them the parents responsibility. We can’t tackle the issue of female infanticide until we tackle it’s root cause first and that is the very idea that a girl child is a blessing and not the opposite as so many people think.
The attention we have focused onto our daughters should be diverted towards our sons, so that they are aware of the respect that a woman should be accorded and her rightful place in the family. As elders, we need to work towards abolishing the system of dowry that places unnecessary pressure on girls and their family’s and has made a young girl little more than a commodity that can be bought and sold for the right price.
Our religion Islam teaches us that the reward for giving birth to a daughter and bringing her up is paradise. The history of the life of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) shows only tolerance and respect towards women. Then why do so many people despise the idea of having a female child?
As we preach the message of Islam, let’s keep in mind that we need to stress upon the importance Islam gives to women and the high status it accords them. A woman’s role in society be it inside or outside the house is irreplaceable and it is only when we deviate from religious beliefs and try to oppress women and make them feel inferior that such stigmas arise.
