Author: Editorial
Publication: The Daily Star
Date: April 5, 2006
URL: http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/04/05/d60405020229.htm
Violation of women's rights must be resisted
Of all the growing menaces in the society,
we find fatwa an institutional dictate of self-proclaimed religious leaders.
Exploited by a handful of self-styled religious clerics particularly in the
rural areas of the country this has become a matter of grave concern. Their
actions in turn often are supported by vested groups of socially influential
people of concerned localities. In most cases a fatwa implies blatant violation
of basic rights of women in particular.
Although there has been a noticeable lull
in fatwa-related incidences in recent times, but of late we feel worried about
an incident, which took place in a village at Fulachari Upazila. Apparently
a 16-year old girl was allegedly raped by Madhu Mia and Fariduddin Fakim on
January 31, subsequently on March 24 the principal of the Fulchari Madrasah
Sirajul Islam and teacher Aminul Islam issued a fatwa sentencing both the
accused and the victim to 57 lashes. While the young rape victim became unconscious
after being subjected to 51 lashes the two accused managed to flee after taking
21 lashes.
It is, however, heartening to see that having
been enraged thousands formed a human chain in Fulchari protesting against
all such forms of barbarism of the medieval age enacted in the name of fatwa.
We wish to commend all local NGOs and women's rights bodies that organised
the protest against the heinous act.
We have the Dowry Prevention Act of 1980,
the Family Ordnance 1985 and the Women Repression Act of 1983 -- all apparently
aimed at preventing repression against women. Despite all these acts and ordinances,
it is sad to see that as yet both the society and the state have failed to
enforce the rights of women. It is clear that mere existence of laws cannot
ensure prevention against such serious violations unless the state is serious
about enforcing the provisions of all such acts and ordinances. The civil
society should also be proactively involved in creating social awareness against
such criminal violations of women's rights. However, the lead has to come
from the administration.
