DECEMBER 9 — When tides of sexism and discrimination hardly show any sign of letting up, the next best course of actions are to brazen it out and go at it hammer and tongs.

Ignorance per se, coupled with one’s reluctance to break down the barriers of ignorance is instrumental in further worsening one’s level of unfortunate stupidity. While stupidity itself is curable, one’s determination to actually want to jump out of that abyss of stupidity is indeed a Herculean task and no amount of cure is available to restore one’s state of sensibility, unless he is fully aware of his own suffering and is prepared to seek proper treatment.

Oftentimes, such malady is suffered by a group of people who are victims of delusional superiority and power. They continue to revel in the joy of ignorance and stupidity at the peril of others who in turn, have always had to be in constant exercise of caution from any impending harm that might potentially be caused to them. 

To compound it further, religion is widely involved, recklessly misinterpreted and cruelly made as a source of law to support the patriarchal stand to be subscribed to. As a result, a special distaste accompanied by a cruel punishment is reserved for those who take objection to such stand on the pretext that challenging institutionalised misogyny means challenging God, thereby causing Her great displeasure.

How convenient it has become for a value, howsoever abhorrent or discriminatory it may be, to be easily foisted down one’s throat and for the voice to be silenced for fear for such self-imagined divine retribution. 

There are already many undeserving casualties as a result of this disease and we certainly cannot afford to have another.

It is in the difficult times like these that a show of support in opposition to the creeping ignorance is paramount.

However, it must be distinguished that this is not a ‘men versus women’ battle as such. Neither is this a case of power struggle between ‘them’ and ‘us’. This is simply an act of standing in total solidarity to create the ripple of awareness and to fearlessly reclaim what is rightfully ours.

That is none other than justice for us all, wherever it is due.

The burning desire to continuously fight for the rights of women should be felt, internalised, and in fact, espoused by all, men and women alike. This is not a war of one gender against another. This is a well-intentioned crusade against a group of people would stop short at nothing to pursue their goal in tearing people apart.

So long as such goal remains unchanged; our demand for acceptance, liberty and tolerance should never stop.

Such is admittedly a tall order that we must not ignore.

Hijab, or without hijab, the rights of women should always remain their rights and it behoves everyone to ensure that such rights are safeguarded.

It is horrifying that denial of women’s’ rights of the here and now is no longer viewed with utter disgust and disapproval. The underlying reason behind it is premised upon a gravely flawed argument of women’s choice to devalue themselves by virtue of their outer appearance. Less length of clothes covering our sisters’ bodies nowadays warrants fewer rights and protection to be accorded to them, and acquiescence to patriarchal demands, howsoever ridiculous they may be, might earn them a handsome amount of heavenly rewards, so men always assert.

When one happily starts his day by reminding that his God is most compassionate and loving, then why such reflection is not equally portrayed in the treatment of women?

What a shambolic world we live in where shaming, torturing, and criminalising of women are tolerated simply because every Tom, Dick, and Harry believes that women are beneath men.

Worst of all, many believe that feminism is the greatest insult to the religion.

Indeed, absolute belief, embraced with haste and without careful considerations, corrupts absolutely.

It is absolutely wrong to expect a person to believe in something that she or he has no opportunity to question the essence of such belief.

It matters not who asserts such belief. What does however, is the appreciation of the fact that for a belief to stand steadfastly, both reason and logical arguments must always take precedence.

There is a clear distinction between belief in a set of propositions and a faith which enables us to put our trust categorically in them.

After all, when a religion is used as a source of law and public policy to govern our lives, then all, be they women, men, Muslim or even non-Muslim, have every right to challenge both validity or sensibility of the laws enacted and policies formulated.

There is more to religion than blind submission to a belief that is bereft of compassion, mercy, and inclusiveness. There is certainly a reason why God chooses to be unseen, for, She wants us to see for ourselves and not through others’ lens.

Let’s take heart from this undying spirit that challenges the status quo through this noble cause in order for diversity to be much appreciated and for tolerance to eventually become the order of the day.

Let’s not allow the voice of misogyny make inroads into our homes, our beds, or even our minds. 

Let’s try to understand the plight of women perpetuated in the name of religion through the lens of other unfortunate sisters, arising from our sisters’ yearning for equal engagement in the liberating society, and certainly for our sisters’ undying spirit to crusade for the rights of other fellow sisters. 

Let us all support by first having faith in this cause as much as we place our unmitigated faith in God.

We can, and must do this together, with God’s help of course. She listens, very lovingly indeed.

How can She not? We are all Her children, after all.

*The writer is a lawyer who believes in justice and equality. He is also a fervent advocate for women’s rights. 

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or organisation and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.