18 April 2009

My Heroes

I'm a little late to the party, but I just wanted say that the women who protested the rape law in Afghanistan are heroes. I am forever humbled by their courage. Those women protested an immoral and completely misogynistic law at the expense of their safety. The men who hurled rocks at them are cowards, assholes and truly awful people. I've said it before, I'll say it again:

The most dangerous thing a woman (or anyone) can do, is to try to take power from a man.

Wars are fought over power struggles. Domestic abuse is about power (i.e. "Remember who has the power here, Bitch"). From the smallest violence, to the biggest world war, it's all about power.

Anyway, now that I've gone off on a tangent, I'm going back to what heroes these women are to me. Here's why: I'm a big ol' coward.

Seriously, there's not a hope I'd go out and protest at the risk of being killed. I have kids to raise and protect. I have a home I'm comfortable in. I'm a pretty average Canadian. We don't like to rock the boat. Getting screwed? Oh well. Not much we can do about it.

It's really pathetic when you think about it. What are we doing about the injustices going on in our country? Sweet fuck all. Where was the protesting when the govt took away pay equity protection? Where is the pot and pan banging when rapists go free or get just a few months in the clink? Why do we let this shit go on?

It reminds me of the Easter story in the Bible. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the horse, and the people cheered him on, and hardly a week later, he was crucified, with the same people either cheering for the crucifixion or standing by wringing their hands. Why? Were those people like me, scared of what they could lose? Or were they just caught up in the excitement of it all? First with the parade and then with the crucifixion?

And really, it doesn't matter why they did what they did. But it is something we can learn from. Those people, with their passivity, failed to protect Jesus from an unjust and painful death. We fail to stand up for justice with ours.

Funny how Muslim women from the other side of the world can teach me a lesson about how to be a better Christian.

2 comments:

The Mound of Sound said...

When someone wants to oppress others, fear is the ideal vehicle. Fear is the motivational tool of manipulators, hucksters and fixers because it's a force with staying power. Punch someone and the moment passes. Make that person constantly afraid of being punched and you reap long term gain for very little ongoing investment.

Bush/Cheney used fear against their own people to get them softened up to the point that they surrendered their rights and tolerated constitutional crimes.

Harper has made terrific use of fear to garner support. His 'law and order' agenda is all about spreading and then exploiting irrational fears.

It might be terrible prose but the American national anthem has one gem - the very last line, in which it refers to the 'land of the free and home of the brave.' When a people lose their bravery, they forfeit their freedom. It's bad enough that terrorists count on that. It's so much worse than our own leaders do likewise.

A Eliz. said...

The poor women were saying, if they did not provide sex, the husbands made them go hungry.
The women are correct when they say they are equal to men..the Quaran says so. The men made there own laws to suit themselves.