The picture shown above cannot be described in words. The woman portrayed on Times Magazine’s cover is Bibi Aisha in 2010. Bibi had received her injury as a punishment for trying to escape her husband’s home at the age of 19. She was tortured by having her ears and nose cut off by her husband as her brother in-law held her down. The article cited below gives the full, gruesome details of Bibi’s suffering. Some of these cultural patterns in this article are present in A Thousand Splendid Suns. For example, Mariam was arranged to an unwanted marriage at the young age of 15. This is almost an identical story to Bibi’s; she was forced to marry her abusive husband at the age of 12. In Afghanistan, domestic beatings are a common occurrence for most women. One difference between Mariam and Bibi’s stories are the importance of education. Mariam was encouraged by her father to further her education; Bibi was only able to receive an education after she was rescued. Mariam and Bibi both had hope that their oppression and suffering would end. Their stories resonate with most Afghanistan women because it is something almost every one of them experience on a daily basis. As a society, we need to use the few public stories like Bibi’s as motivation to help those who are privately suffering.
Personally, I am blessed to say I have never experienced so much oppression from just being a woman. This monthly blog was one that I was really passionate about. These women in the Middle East have the most courage I have ever heard of. In the United States, we are certainly more progressive than the Middle East, especially when it comes to woman rights. Many claim it is “part of their culture,” but why should women continue to be viewed as property just because of tradition. I CANNOT wrap my head around the idea that Bibi was 19 years old…only a year older than me.Suddenly that little fight with my parents doesn’t seem so bad. If I was Mariam or Bibi, I would have been married for three to six years now. It is important to take a step back and appreciate our rights as women, but not forget the others out there that are still suffering. Believe it or not, appreciate the debt we will have because we have the opportunity to further our education (well maybe that’s a stretch…). Those of us who have a voice must use it to protect the Afghanistan women, or any oppressed woman in the world. This photo was released in 2010, which is not that long ago. “Women’s rights” are still prevalent issues in today’s world; they can never be ignored until all women are seen and RESPECTED as individuals.
Personally, I am blessed to say I have never experienced so much oppression from just being a woman. This monthly blog was one that I was really passionate about. These women in the Middle East have the most courage I have ever heard of. In the United States, we are certainly more progressive than the Middle East, especially when it comes to woman rights. Many claim it is “part of their culture,” but why should women continue to be viewed as property just because of tradition. I CANNOT wrap my head around the idea that Bibi was 19 years old…only a year older than me.Suddenly that little fight with my parents doesn’t seem so bad. If I was Mariam or Bibi, I would have been married for three to six years now. It is important to take a step back and appreciate our rights as women, but not forget the others out there that are still suffering. Believe it or not, appreciate the debt we will have because we have the opportunity to further our education (well maybe that’s a stretch…). Those of us who have a voice must use it to protect the Afghanistan women, or any oppressed woman in the world. This photo was released in 2010, which is not that long ago. “Women’s rights” are still prevalent issues in today’s world; they can never be ignored until all women are seen and RESPECTED as individuals.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/05/bibi-aisha-afghanistan-disfigured-taliban
