Copyright: Soofia Says

A woman’s body is sin. Her existence invisible.

A man’s body is free. His existence supreme.

This is what the so-called advocates of Islam have said in many words. According to them, a woman raped is a woman scorned, as she herself is responsible for inviting a man to violate her. Her manner of inviting -stepping out of the house, not covered in layers of black cloth and not being with a male protector. And of course… if she wears perfume, it is an obvious call for rape. The people who say this are the ones avidly waiting for their chance in heaven to f%&% 70 beautiful virgins who will be presented to them.

Copyright: Soofia Says

These virtuous ‘men’ also state that a DNA sample is not substantial evidence to prove rape. After all, a woman could steal a man’s semen or the lab tests could be faulty.

There was a time when listening to such nonsense made me question my religion and then there came a time when I started questioning myself, until I reached a point where the only thing I started questioning was the utter stupidity of these Maulvis and the level of their own sexual frustrations.

All I know is that the supreme being that I have faith in, who is the most benevolent and the most merciful is not the one portrayed by these Maulvis. The religion I feel I belong to emphasizes justice and fairness. They say God made us from clay and filled us with His divinity. And look how these people are portraying His divinity- by justifying the brutal physical and emotional violation of a woman, who is also a creation of the same God.

If a woman is responsible for inviting men to rape her, I wonder why little children (girls and boys) are raped, I wonder why lawfully wedded wives are raped.

The men, the so-called “mijaz-e-khuda” (like God) are free to use their instincts and their reproductive organs while women, who are often called “paaoon ki juti” (the shoes under your feet) are free to choose to be the prey or the invisible . The visual imagery of such a society is nothing short of gory and depressing, at least for a woman.

I recall my mother telling me that it was Islam that saved women from the atrocities of the dark ages and got them respect in the society. I fear now, it will be this version of Islam that will take women back to it.

And with this, I hereby decree that all Muslim women should commit suicide, but we must be wearing a burqa when we kill ourselves.

Author: Soofia Says

Editor: Manasi Gopalakrishnan