status of women in hinduism

Society Religion & Philosophy
1

If a woman was widowed, she would always have to wear a white sari (costume), eat vegetarian meals, cut her hair short, and never re-marry.

The bride always had to pay the dowry (bridal money) to the husband’s family.
And the husband could ask for anything, irrespective of whether the bride would have difficulty giving it.

Not only that, if after marriage she was not able to pay the full dowry she would be both emotionally and physically tortured, and could end up being a victim of “kitchen death” where the husband, or both the mother-in-law and the husband try to set fire to the wife while she is cooking or is in the kitchen, and try to make it look like an accidental death. More and more of these instances are taking place. The daughter of a friend of my own father’s had the same fate last year!

In addition to all this, men in Hinduism are treated literally as among the gods. In one of the religious Hindu celebration, unmarried girls pray for and worship an idol representing a particular god (Shira) so that they may have husbands like him. Even my own mother had asked me to do this. This made me see that the Hindu religion which is based on superstitions and things that have no manifest proof (1), but were merely traditions which oppressed women could not be right.

2

I took this above paragraph from a article that i already posted where this hindu women converted and she had to say something about status of women in hinduism.

3

Well..in Islam they have to cover themselves head to foot so that nobody can see them...they cannot question it otherwise they will be severely punished by men.

Each muslim men can keep four wives and divorce them at whim women have no power. Women cannot travel get passport without premission of their husband or father. In some muslim countries women cannot even shop without male relative or their husband accompanied them. Women are virtual slaves.

I agree things are not exactly perfect in India but we are long way ahead of u and trying very hard to do away with injustices towards women.

[This message has been edited by Rani (edited August 18, 2001).]

4
  • [quote] Originally posted by Rani:* ...they cannot question it otherwise they will be severely punished by men. Sorry, but who do you mean by "they"? If females in Afghanistan, then I would probably agree with you. Not ALL Muslim females however would be severely punished. Contrary to popular misperceptions, not all of us are shackled at home.

*Women cannot travel get passport without premission of their husband or father. In some muslim countries women cannot even shop without male relative or their husband accompanied them. Women are virtual slaves.
*
I think that is true of Saudi Arabia, but then MANY practices in Saudi Arabia are contrary to Islam. Islam has allocated many rights to females; serious problems arise when cultural practices such as tribalism enter into the picture.
[/quote]

5

[quote]
Originally posted by Rani:
**Well..in Islam they have to cover themselves head to foot so that nobody can see them...they cannot question it otherwise they will be severely punished by men.

Each muslim men can keep four wives and divorce them at whim women have no power. Women cannot travel get passport without permission of their husband or father. In some muslim countries women cannot even shop without male relative or their husband accompanied them. Women are virtual slaves.
[This message has been edited by Rani (edited August 18, 2001).]**
[/quote]

Injustices of a own person is different of applying injustices while taking religious principles into account.
All points you have mentioned here are different from my families attitude and we still consider ourselves Pakistani (of course Muslims) and all of my relatives are living in Pakistan and i never heard of such things happening in our community circle and society.

Yeah there are ppl who do it. NO doubt but i think still there have been a lot of changes and women in Islam have equal rights perhaps even more then their male partner.
What ppl do is dependent on their own character....these are character less ppl in my eyes.

[quote]

I agree things are not exactly perfect in India but we are long way ahead of u and trying very hard to do away with injustices towards women.
[/quote]

As far as that marriage is concerned. There is a place (while performing the 7 peras) when "pandit ji" says: "Tum apne Patti ki juti ke barabar ho aur tumara Patti tumare liye khuda hai".

I dont think ull find such discriminating statements in ISLAM!

"One who condones evils is just as guilty as the one who
perpetrates it."

6

[quote]
Originally posted by Rani:
Well..in Islam they have to cover themselves head to foot so that nobody can see them...they cannot question it otherwise they will be severely punished by men.
[This message has been edited by Rani (edited August 18, 2001).]
[/quote]

In Islam only head scaf is required. This shows how much you know about Islam.

7

[quote]
Originally posted by Abdali:
** In Islam only head scaf is required. This shows how much you know about Islam.

**
[/quote]

How about that verse from Quran that tell women that covering should go from their head to bosom..it has been posted by proponants of covering on this forum many times.

8

Injustices of a own person is different of applying injustices while taking religious principles into account.
All points you have mentioned here are different from my families attitude and we still consider ourselves Pakistani (of course Muslims) and all of my relatives are living in Pakistan and i never heard of such things happening in our community circle and society.

Really...i am not discussing your particular family, are u saying one men cannot have four wives in Islam and men cannot divorce women by repeating talaq four times..also all children of the marriage don't belong to a man...

Yeah there are ppl who do it. NO doubt but i think still there have been a lot of changes and women in Islam have equal rights perhaps even more then their male partner.
What ppl do is dependent on their own character....these are character less ppl in my eyes.

What equal rights are u talking about..can women have four husbands or divorce their husbands by saying talaq three times.

As far as that marriage is concerned. There is a place (while performing the 7 peras) when "pandit ji" says: "Tum apne Patti ki juti ke barabar ho aur tumara Patti tumare liye khuda hai".

That is what they tell you in schools in Pakistan...what a joke. Hindu marriage act comes under the law of the land and it is very similar to laws of all secular nations. Under the law men and women have equal rights and equal share in all the property of the couple.

I dont think ull find such discriminating statements in ISLAM!

No need to discriminate in Islam women have no rights they are virtually slaves, they cannot even get a passport without premission from their husband or fathers..

[This message has been edited by Rani (edited August 18, 2001).]

9

[quote]
Originally posted by Rani:
*Well..in Islam they have to cover themselves head to foot *
[/quote]

[quote]
Originally posted by Rani:
*How about that verse from Quran that tell women that covering should go from their head to bosom *
[/quote]

First of all, make up your mind. head to foot? head to bosom? or was that head to left-hand's thumb? please decide and then get back..aakhir we as Muslims should be made aware of what our own religion advises us to do, by you.

Secondly, yes how about them? Please enlighten what's wrong with covering to the bosom..or are you prescribed by yours to roam around with a open chaati?

10

[quote]
Originally posted by Rani:
** How about that verse from Quran that tell women that covering should go from their head to bosom..it has been posted by proponants of covering on this forum many times.

**
[/quote]

I don't want to argue with you bcoz of ur ignorance. Forget who said what go to the source,,,, "Qu'ran"

11

[quote]
Originally posted by Rani:
**Injustices of a own person is different of applying injustices while taking religious principles into account.
All points you have mentioned here are different from my families attitude and we still consider ourselves Pakistani (of course Muslims) and all of my relatives are living in Pakistan and i never heard of such things happening in our community circle and society.

Really...i am not discussing your particular family, are u saying one men cannot have four wives in Islam and men cannot divorce women by repeating talaq four times..also all children of the marriage don't belong to a man...

My family and my society i live in doesnt consist of only 1 or 10 persons there are more than 200! And then those 200 know other 200 etc etc....there might be 2 who adopt those "pendu" habits.

What equal rights are u talking about..can women have four husbands or divorce their husbands by saying talaq three times.

You want that??! Do it. But dont accept from ALLAH then that he'll provide you "JANNAT".

What equal rights are u talking about..can women have four husbands or divorce their husbands by saying talaq three times.

As far as that marriage is concerned. There is a place (while performing the 7 peras) when "pandit ji" says: "Tum apne Patti ki juti ke barabar ho aur tumara Patti tumare liye khuda hai".

That is what they tell you in schools in Pakistan...what a joke. Hindu marriage act comes under the law of the land and it is very similar to laws of all secular nations. Under the law men and women have equal rights and equal share in all the property of the couple.

I have never been to a Pakistani school my dear..this is what hinduism is all about. Every kidd knows it not only Pakistani ppl.

*No need to discriminate in Islam women have no rights they are virtually slaves, they cannot even get a passport without premission from their husband or fathers..
*

That's what you are saying not (and maybe some are applying) ISLAM...stubborn ppl wont understand.
Read Holy Quran...it has all the right answers to your right (wrong) questions.

[This message has been edited by Rani (edited August 18, 2001).]**
[/quote]

Religion is a part of history and it has to be performed according to the change of time.

"Ignorance is no excuse. You might proof right wrong and wrong right."

12

You have to be a little smarter. Who told you that Muslim women can’t have a passport and they can’t travel? How imprudent could you get?

How come close to 1 million women go for Hajj pilgrims every year?
As I said “a littler more smarter”….

Where did you see Muslim men cogently divorcing their wife’s and getting married to other women? Did you see this happening around your community?
Again if you make a point or mean to say it, do provide some sort of a proof just to back you up.

13

Rani always manages to confuse me..

i mean, we're talking about hinduism. she, being a sikh, is protecting hindiusm?

i know many sikh here in canada (my neighbour being one of them), and they're disghusted by hinduism (caste system tops the list)..

I think its her blind hatred towards muslims that is the reason..

14

LAW in india "corrects" many inherent wrongs in hinduism.

15

eventhough india is secular hindus and muslims have different law governing marriage diovorce and inheritance.
even in the west there is one law governing all religens.if mulsim wants divorce in the west he has to go through same as christians.

16

[quote]
Originally posted by rvikz:
even in the west there is one law governing all religens.if mulsim wants divorce in the west he has to go through same as christians.**
[/quote]

Ibrahim says: the west has decided to throw away its teachings because it has found it to be in error, why should those who follow the right teachings which has No errors follow them blindly?

«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

** Wisdom we know is the knowledge of good and evil – not the strength to chose between the two.

17

Rani really baffles me with her stupidity and stereotypical attitude. What are the schools like in your country!!!

Just imagine if she ever graduated (impossible, judging by her comments) and actually entered a job of Power. I wonder whose side she'd take!

Equality and Knowledge must seem like a swear word for her!

Just in case she missed the point in another thread (as she usually does), I will give her something to compare her Ideology with:

The Hindu Woman:

  1. The Hindu Woman has no right to divorce her husband.

  2. She has no property or inheritance rights.

  3. Choice of partner is limited because she can only marry within her own caste; moreover her horoscope must match that of the intending bridegroom/family.

  4. The family of the girl has to offer an enormous dowry to the bridegroom/family.

  5. If her husband dies she should commit Sati (being cremated with her dead husband). Since today's law forbids Sati, society mainly punishes her in other "holy" ways (see below).

  6. She cannot remarry.

  7. The widow is considered to be a curse and must not be seen in public. She cannot wear jewelry or colourful clothes. (She should not even take part in her children's marriage!)

  8. Child and infant marriage is encouraged.

The Muslim Woman:

1.The Muslim woman has the same right as the Muslim man in all matters including divorce.

  1. She enjoys property and inheritance rights. (Which other religion grants women these rights?). She can also conduct her own separate business.

  2. She can marry any Muslim of her choice. If her parents choose a partner for her, her consent must be taken.

  3. The dowry in Islam is a gift from a husband to his wife (not the other way around as is practiced by some ignorant Muslims).

  4. A Muslim widow is encouraged to remarry, and her remarriage is the responsibility of the Muslim society.

6.Mixed marriage is encouraged and is a means to prevent racism creeping in society.

  1. A Muslim mother is given the highest form of respect.

Before you actually embarras yourself like usual, please digest the post rather than equate this topic with 'the cow that jumped over the moon' or something rediculous!!

18

sholay i dont mind women expressing thier
true sexual freedom and we need sexual freedom in both countries for women.
we should not make them feel guilty
if they sleep around

19

I don't know what to say.

20

6.Mixed marriage is encouraged and is a means to prevent racism creeping in society.

ONE can read the appeals for help in newspapers with depressing
regularity. Typically, a heart-rending photograph of a young child
with thalassaemia stares out at you with a desperate plea for
donations. For all but the lucky few, however, thalassaemia is a death
warrant, a cruel inherited blood disorder that kills thousands of
children in Pakistan every year. One recent report suggests that one
in every 2,000 children in this country is born with thalassaemia.
Another report states that between 10,000 and 15,000 babies are born
with the disease every year, either as carriers (thalassaemia minor)
or with the life-threatening form of the disease (thalassaemia major).

It is estimated that as many as 7.5 million persons are carriers. In
Pakistan, the average life expectancy of children with thalassaemia
major is between 12 and 16 years whereas a victim can live up to twice
as long in the West. Even if one parent is a carrier, the risk of a
child contracting the disease is high. If both parents are carriers,
the probability multiplies.

Treatment of the disease is fraught with dangers and is extremely
expensive. The most effective treatment with the highest probability
of success is a bone marrow transplant. This facility is available at
only a few hospitals in Pakistan but is prohibitively expensive at
around 1.3 million rupees. Treatment abroad, however, can cost up to
ten times as much. The other option is to have regular blood
transfusions, which, although cheaper, is still beyond the reach of
most people. In a country where blood is not normally screened, this
option also carries dangers of its own. The most at risk from
thalassaemia are children whose parents are closely related,
especially if they are first cousins. With cousin marriages highly
prevalent in Pakistan, it is not difficult to understand why the
disease is so common.

What can be done to prevent the further spread of the disease? One
step is to spread awareness about the disease, especially stressing
the perils of cousin marriage. Another would be to make blood tests
mandatory for the issuance of nikahnamas. One other option is to move
towards screening all blood so that thalassaemia patients are safe
from contracting other diseases. Thalassaemia centres, at least at the
provincial level, should also be created for specialist treatment. The
number of hospitals offering bone marrow transplants should also
increase, with philanthropists encouraged to donate generously to
cover part of the costs.