Nicholas D. Kristof brought to light the torture that women are subjected to (please note, not the men), in countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Cambodia, and in several countries lying between these nations. Where ‘divorce’ proclaimed by the husband’s utterance of a single word, just three times… ‘talaq, talaq, talaq’… does not mean “end of violence’!
Exchange of caustic remarks in a bad marriage is not unheard of, but torture to this extent! The burn marks from the acid, flung at the wife (or ex-wife), leave physical scarring that speaks of the pain in the woman that is not just external, but also deep within. Are you shocked? Sadly, I’ve heard of such cases, not only among the poor in society, but also among the more affluent classes across both, Eastern and Western societies. The cases cited by Kristof refer to the growing ‘terrorism’ more specifically within Islamic society.
As recently as last week we have seen how anger and hatred, deep-seated among people manifests through violence against an entire nation. Burning women, killing people, spreading hatred seems to be the sole purpose of their very existence. The men who inflict these atrocities were not born with this venom. Slowly but surely, from childhood to manhood, these so-called humans are nurtured… with great care and poison in their veins. Sparing no one, they attack the unguarded, with their premeditated approach… not once, but again and again.
Why then, are people and nations not on guard? Why are we unprepared? Why are we so trusting? Why are we so welcoming? Does it all speak of our naivete, or is it a reflection of our belief in the goodness of humanity, despite no dearth of adversaries? Personal terror upon an individual, or terror upon an entire city, or terror across nations… we all must resolve, as individuals, and as a people, to combat it… ‘might’ may not be right, so then what indeed is ‘right’, when there is as much ‘wrong’ all around us?
Words-n-Motion 