Welcome back to my blog and today I’ll be writing this blog about a very alarming article I read online. Nusrat Jahan Rafi was a 19 year old who attended an Islamic school in Bangladesh. She was burned on her school roof for reporting a case of sexual harassment back in April and soon died shortly in the hospital after giving her testimony. Several of the students and the housemaster were involved.
It breaks my heart to hear these types of news everyday. Even in today’s society, the living conditions are just as bad as they were 10 or 20 years ago. Whenever a woman raises her voice in these conservative communities, there are always consequences for her. This is not just in South Asian communities but in fact happening all over the world. Women who report anything are just labeled attention seeking and liars when it comes down to the reputation of a man. In South Asia, the reputation and honor of men and family is always put above everything, whether it be a woman’s happiness or even her life. The housemaster of the school who Nusrat was filing a case against did not want to be dishonored in front of his community, thus resorting to this monstrous act.
Women are just seen as objects that men could just use and toss around. But when they do speak out, they are seen as dangerous “things” that need to be destroyed. This is the main reason to why women in these communities are afraid of speaking out. They have the fear that if they do, they or their loved ones will be harmed.
I’ve heard so many stories about girls being murdered by THEIR OWN FAMILY MEMBERS for simply getting married to the person they love or for following their passions. People are always more concerned to what other people would think and not what their own loved one would feel. The women who do speak out on these issues and support other people who go through the same thing are seen as “too westernized” and someone from whom you should keep your kids away from. They only want attention and want to destroy the century long traditions. Only God knows what would happen if your sons and daughters would get some basic humanity!
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-asia-47947117