April 2017 – SEDAA

State of Neglect: Breaking the Silence on Sexual Abuse in Pakistan

19th April 20179th July 2019 admin

By Ammara Mustafa This is a cross-post from Daily Times Why does the State not take it upon itself to pursue cases of sexual assault? Does the fault lie in the judicial system or is it a deeper malaise? A child is full of curiosity, wonder and excitement when he or she opens their eyes into this new and alien world. A child who learns to walk by holding their parents’ hands and then later takes their first steps towards formal learning in educational institutions is a vulnerable being…

How to beat your wife

18th April 20175th May 2017 admin

By Saima Baig A few days ago, a video surfaced on the internet. In it, two hijab-clad women in Australia were discussing the verse Surah Nisa in the Quran (4:34). The translation of the verse in question is as follows: “Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend for [maintenance] from their wealth. So, righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband’s] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom…

Extremism-o-phobia is a crocodile that feeds upon extremism

13th April 20175th May 2017 admin

By Mo Dawah Since my last interruption in the debate on things the world has erupted into more and more violence and hatred against those who question why we must define terrorism as motivated by hate or whether it is actually violence at all. For when we focus on the violence perpetrated by perpetrators of violence it makes us lose empathy for them. And as we know, a lack of empathy for those who we force into killing us is the major cause of them killing us. We will…

Women smearing Ayaan Hirsi Ali are ‘carrying water’ for Islamists

6th April 20175th May 2017 admin

By Arshia Malik For us women in India, carrying water signifies courage, fortitude and surviving amidst insurmountable odds, considering the country still has parts where drinking water is not available and women have to walk miles to get two potable vessels of water for the cooking of the day. Compared to the slur of “carrying water” which the dictionary defines as “performing menial tasks for or to serve; to assist; to be forced by politics or pragmatism to endorse or promote a belief”, this act has become symbolic of…