All of us are regularly reading and watching a spate of news about crimes like suicides, homicides, indiscriminate rapes and murders of even minors, etc. everywhere at increasing rates, the major reasons being increase of alcoholism, the mother of all evils, which is justified and even glorified along with sexual abuse and violence in small as well as big screens. It is high time we should think of preventive actions to empower women instead of always demanding for new rules, new ruling parties and new rulers.
First, it should be noted that these crimes are merely symptoms on the surface of the deeper disease of immorality, lack of character and indiscipline in the society. In spite of modern medical science concluding alcohol consumption as having demoralising effect on the human mind in addition to causing loss of health, wealth and peace of mind in families together, even a party like INC is not ready to take a tough and principled stand on prohibition. Leaders do not realise they do not serve anyone by simply paying a floral tribute at Rajghat even as the killers of Gandhiji’s principles do. The real tribute to a leader is implementing his principles rather than celebrating his birthday or observing death anniversary.
Whenever there is some breaking news on TV channels about a sexual assault on a minor and her subsequent murder, the representatives of various women’s rights organisations condemn the incident, candle marches are held as a token of sympathy with the victim and discussions are held concentrating on nonissues like khap-panchayats’ restrictions talibanising the society. Demos are held at the leaders’ residences, people are lathi-charged, a few are arrested and curfew is imposed. The leaders promise enquiries into the incident and a fresh law to deter such crimes. The matter is forgotten till similar or more serious breaking news appears soon.
It is shameless and useless to discuss rules and regulations about live-in-relationships, and lowering or increasing the consensual sex age limits so on and so forth. Let us instead work out legitimate and effective preventive measures as the effective remedy, the absence of which for a long time is cause of this malady.
However sour it may be to some, it is essential that we put an end to extramarital sex.
As in case of many of our current problems, the fact on the ground is that there is no need for any major or drastic actions, provided the existing rules are taken in the correct way and implemented in the correct spirit viz. lodging of an F.I.R. Let the focus of all preventive actions be on schemes for education of women about their rights and empowerment by asserting themselves. When a girl or a woman gets educated, a whole family, and not merely a single person, is going to be influenced by it. Women and children, whether poor or well to do, are the worst affected by crimes.
For example, if the sexual urge of our youth finds expression at a proper age through the legal institution of marriage, which is becoming more and more difficult than the illegal ways, sex crimes and pornography would not have assumed the present scale. Spread of vulgar music and dancing in the name of entertainment is adding fuel to the fire.
The ultramodern social scientists and blind imitators of the western culture who oppose tooth and nail the Islamic solutions of hijab and stringent punishments for sex crimes find themselves helpless to suggest effective solutions, preventive or corrective.
The women’s Liberation Movement in the west is a result of unceasing frustration, financial, moral and physical insecurity, and the absence of a divinely devised way of life. Movements such as these are unnecessary and inconceivable in an Islamic society.
More than fourteen centuries ago Islam declared that both man and woman shared the obligation of being true and faithful servants of Allah and that both would be rewarded by Allah in accordance with their deeds.
In Islam a woman enjoys a place of honour and dignity which in a sense may be considered higher than that of man. There are certain duties that man has towards woman and woman towards man.
While provisions like those of property rights for women, remarriage of widows, divorce, etc. are adapted from Shari’ah laws as advanced improvements in their own personal laws and customs by others; the so-called experts in these laws fail to acknowledge the same and even attack these very laws as out-dated and obsolete.
Unlike other religions of the world, Islam has removed the stigma of ‘wickedness’ and ‘impurity’ placed upon woman.
For example, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) said that:
– ‘The most precious thing in the world is a virtuous woman’
– ‘Paradise lies under the feet of the mother.’
– ‘When man has married, he has completed one half of his religion. Then let him fear Allah for the remaining half’.
– ‘The perfect among the faithful is one whose moral character is the best, and the best among you are those who are kindest to their families’.
– ‘Women are twin halves of men’.
– ‘One who makes efforts to help the widow is like a warrior in the path of Allah, or like one who stands up for prayers in the night and fasts in the day’.
In Islam woman is not a plaything in the hand of man, but a spiritual and moral being who is entrusted to him on the sacred pledge to which Allah is made a witness. The wife is, therefore, not meant to provide sensuous pleasure only for the male, but to fully co-operate with him in making the life of the family and ultimately of the whole humanity significantly meaningful.
Allah the Exalted states, ‘And of His signs is that He has created wives for you from your selves that you might find peace of mind in them, and He put between you love and affection.’ (30:21). This verse says that the female is not inferior to the male in the sense that the former is created out of a superior stuff while the latter comes of a base origin. Both man and woman are progeny of Adam and have the same soul. As per the Qur’ān, marriage is therefore union of the two souls which are one in essence. It further says: ‘He it is Who created you from a single soul, and of the same did He make his spouse, that he might find comfort in her.’ (7:189).
Marriage brings couples close to each other physically, mentally and emotionally with piety.