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Bahrain Women Association completed its discussion of series with the issues
28/07/2010
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 (Women Gateway)
Bahrain Women Association - for Human Development (BWA) conducted the fourth and final open discussion series titled: "Towards a successful family partnership". Which ends "Women ... New paradigm" project it launched at 21st of March 2009.
BWA President Eng. Saba Alasfoor delivered a speech at the closing ceremony marking the end of the discussion series that also happen to be on BWA ninth anniversary. She said "It's been fifteen months since we launched BWA project "Women ... New paradigm" with a long-term vision aiming to correct the false beliefs rooted in the culture that downgraded women in the community with unjustified reasons, as neither human nature nor the Quran validates that women differ from men in rights and duties".
She continued "Unfortunately, more than 50% of the Survey respondents still forbids women guardianship, and 54% believe that the testimony of a woman carries only half the weight of a man's!! While 7% were against women’s testimony in general !!, and in spite of these fact, we still continue hearing that some are wondering in the benefits behind discussing women's rights and why should researches attempt to introduce innovative ideas.
In the first session of the open discussion Mr. Isa Sharqi a researcher from Al Tajdeed Cultural & Social Society highlighted that the polygamy is not rule that Islam has enforced, but its an existing social Arabic situation that Islam has trimmed and set controls on it", he assured that "There is a big difference when a religion establishes a certain rule and when a rule exists and requires trimming and reorganizing. Establishing a rule to be introduced to people will be generated from the essence and spirit of the religion, whereas in the second case the righteousness may be to stop the rule if the social awareness degree reached the required stage and the problem and causes of the rule vanishes completely. In fact it’s a must to work towards getting the community to that stage, as the case with slavery, it was coping with the situation that is lagging behind the ambition and prompted by general interest and necessity.
Mr. Alsharqi clarified "The verse of upon which scholars legitimize (multiplicity) man to marry more than one wife, (Qu'an 4:3) which is "if you fear that you cannot act equitably towards orphans, then marry women of your choice two and three and four; but if you fear that you will not be able to deal justly with them then only one or what your right hands possess; That is nearer to prevent you from doing injustice". This verse is unrelated to multiple wives, it was and still a dilemma for all who tried to explain it, even some interpreters invented different word pronunciation types that bear a load to the words it was not meant to carry". He stressed that "the opinion is that the verse is about of marrying and marriage of male and female orphans, so one who practice "Qeast" "fairness" for the orphan, and "Qeast" is the ultimate justice, may feel his care for them as young is insufficient so he extend the care to marriage and family formation, so "two" means a person enabling two male or female orphans to gets wives and husbands to form two families if his ability ends to two, and "three" means enabling three orphans to marry orphans or others taking care of them till they are capable for independence.
The second session had number of speakers to discuss underage marriage issues. Mrs. Huda AlMahmood, vice president of the Bahraini Sociologists Society said "by authorizing underage marriage we are legitimizing social irresponsibility". She wondered: what's the justice behind this practice, and she refused to have our wrong practices in the name of religion. Mrs. Huda called for researches to seek solutions exploring the root of the problem with sensibility away from fretfulness and anxiety. She asked for social responsibility towards marriage issues.
Dr. Fawzia Al-Hani a human rights activist from Saudi Arabia said "Our communities instill in girl's mind waiting for marriage, while there are basic needs that must be fulfilled, among most important is self-awareness and a sense of self." She added "The family formation is not limited to the physiological reproduction only but requires intellectual, emotional, cognitive and social maturity to achieve the social objectives of a family. Unless girls are mature and educated they will not be able perform this role.
Mr. Isa Sharqi mentioned: "Young girls were included in marriage issues while they were not meant in the Quranic verses which addressed marriage issues for women only. All marriage verses mentioned "women" only, a word usually reserved for an adult female. Small girls are excluded from marriage topics, and their parents' guardianship during their immaturity should not impose on them what to be applied on matures, this applies to males as well".
Lawyer Hassan Ismail called women's associations to study the medical and health damages caused by underage marriage of below 15 years.
The President Bahrain Women Association at the end of the open discussion forum expressed her thanks to all those whom contributed significantly in the success of the project from their various positions and responsibilities, and extended the appreciation to Al Tajdeed Cultural & Social Society for their contributions in presenting innovative enlightening researches. She added "This is the fourth and last open discussion forum of "Women ... New paradigm" series, which ends the culture establishment phase to correct the perception of women in the society, but it initiates a new phase to set practical steps for making the change sustainable in restoring rights and dignity for women. |
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