Women’s history has been a long catalogue of suffering, oppression and injustice. From time immemorial she suffered like a slave of man who utilized her for sexual gratification and work. Children came as a byproduct and he handled her as it pleased him. She is equal to him in every way: studies show that she has a better EQ and is better equipped to handle emotional issues. She understands people better and she can be a better leader than him.
But man has been unfair to her: Aristotle viewed women as deformed men. In the feudal Japan, she was marred from climbing the holy mount Fiji because she would pollute it! Unhappy married women were expected to commit suicide. Buddhist texts see her as an emissary of hell. In the ancient Greece, women were not allowed to have 36 teeth like men! Their philosophers had fixed the number at 32. The Chinese used to keep women in steel slippers to make them lame throughout their lives! In the middle ages only women were termed as witches. In 1595 in the Wittenberg University of Germany a number of thesis were submitted to prove that women were not humans! When the English warriors went for the crusades they chained up their women lest they find out new lovers. It is reported that a Muslim ruler called Afsal Khan killed all his 700 or so wives so that if he never returned, they should not go after other men.
Oppression of women is universal. It had been more severe in some religions like Islam and Hinduism. In many of the Islamic states she is still a virtual slave. Women are in a ‘purdah’ from head to foot and move around like ghosts. Even today, in nations like India, she is burnt alive, beaten up and persecuted for inadequate dowry. In the developing countries she rears up children, does the household work and earns the bread of the family. It is also more pronounced in the poor societies where women remain largely illiterate having no say in deciding her fate. She is a stooge of man and her life is largely decided by the norms of the society framed up by men.
The discrimination begins in the Bible. God did not create woman equal to man. He first created man and he was put in the Garden of Eden with all conceivable pleasures. But after some time God felt Adam was companionless and his life was boring. So He sent a sleep unto him and he created Eve out of one of his ribs. Woman was meant to be a pleasure object of man. What a stupid thinking! Obviously those who wrote the Bible were the first male chauvinists. There is a story in the Bible as to how Eve, beguiled by the serpent, went against the commandments of God. He then cursed her to bring forth children under great pain. Women were seen inferior to men when the Old Testament books were written and the authors made the stories of creation to suit their thinking.
Well, all His prophets were men. The leaders of his chosen race, the Israelites, were men too like Moses. Later, when Jesus came, he chose only men as his disciples. Magdalena Mariam was his girl-friend and sex companion as per the Da Vinci code. But she was not a disciple or an anointed one.
Later his disciples followed his example and appointed only men as priests, bishops and popes. Although most of the latter used women for their pleasure and some popes even went to the extent of anointing their illegitimate sons as bishops and popes. Women were not even allowed to preach the gospel. She had to come to the church after covering her head and in subjection and she could not speak out to any congregation. Men as priests, bishops, cardinals and popes have always ruled women. It is only in the 20th century that the Anglican Church started anointing women-priests and gospel preachers. At last God has become sensible and just. As men and women are equal children of God, the discrimination could only be the handiwork of men.
Oppression of women is universal. It had been more severe in some religions like Islam and Hinduism. In many of the Islamic states she is still a virtual slave. Women are in a ‘purdah’ from head to foot and move around like ghosts. Even today, in nations like India, she is burnt alive, beaten up and persecuted for inadequate dowry. In the developing countries she rears up children, does the household work and earns the bread of the family. It is also more pronounced in the poor societies where women remain largely illiterate having no say in deciding her fate. She is a stooge of man and her life is largely decided by the norms of the society framed up by men.
The discrimination begins in the Bible. God did not create woman equal to man. He first created man and he was put in the Garden of Eden with all conceivable pleasures. But after some time God felt Adam was companionless and his life was boring. So He sent a sleep unto him and he created Eve out of one of his ribs. Woman was meant to be a pleasure object of man. What a stupid thinking! Obviously those who wrote the Bible were the first male chauvinists. There is a story in the Bible as to how Eve, beguiled by the serpent, went against the commandments of God. He then cursed her to bring forth children under great pain. Women were seen inferior to men when the Old Testament books were written and the authors made the stories of creation to suit their thinking.
Well, all His prophets were men. The leaders of his chosen race, the Israelites, were men too like Moses. Later, when Jesus came, he chose only men as his disciples. Magdalena Mariam was his girl-friend and sex companion as per the Da Vinci code. But she was not a disciple or an anointed one.
Later his disciples followed his example and appointed only men as priests, bishops and popes. Although most of the latter used women for their pleasure and some popes even went to the extent of anointing their illegitimate sons as bishops and popes. Women were not even allowed to preach the gospel. She had to come to the church after covering her head and in subjection and she could not speak out to any congregation. Men as priests, bishops, cardinals and popes have always ruled women. It is only in the 20th century that the Anglican Church started anointing women-priests and gospel preachers. At last God has become sensible and just. As men and women are equal children of God, the discrimination could only be the handiwork of men.
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