Thousands of years of religious violence against women continues.
Under sharia law in the Maldives a 15-year old female rape victim has been sentenced to 100 lashes and eight months of house arrest. She was raped by her stepfather, but the charge supposedly refers to pre-marital sex with another man, to which she ‘confessed’ while being questioned by the police. The other man has not been named, found or identified.
This is yet another disgraceful episode in the outrageous history of the religious heritage of misogyny, abuse and violence against women. In both the Quran and the Bible women are clearly regarded as inferior to men. Here are just two quotes of many:
Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance – [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand. Quran 4:34.
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Ephesians 5:22-24 King James Version (KJV)
As this graphic (from AtheistWorld) shows, with reference to marriage, religion is a man’s world with women relegated to the status of a slave and a possession. The recent issue of gay marriage brought out many Christians complaining that the very foundation of marriage was being redefined. Well, I should hope so because traditionally it was essentially a way of legalizing the rape and slavery of women by men.
