Women be given all Islamic, human rights: Clerics

GARDEZ (Pajhwok): A number of Islamic scholars in southeastern Paktia province on Sunday said women in the province remained deprived of inheritance and their right to education and choosing life partners.

Addressing a gathering in Gardez city, the provincial capital, the ulema said that women and girls should be given the right to education, inheriting property and choosing life partner.

Shir Rahman, an Islamic scholar, said that inheritance, education, ownership, choosing a life partner were Islamic rights of women and anyone refusing to give these rights to women were committing a big sin.

He said women were mostly not given their these rights and even oppressed when they ask for their rights.

Another Islamic scholar, Qari Fazal Rahman, said there was no education facility in many regions of the province, asking the government and nongovernment organs concerned to pay attention to the matter.

“Girls education is very important for us, boys can go anywhere -- to the district centers, provincial capitals and cities and can get education -- but girls are deprived of this,” he said.

Shazia, a resident of Sayed Karam district of Paktia, said that women were not given their inheritance and ownership right traditionally and people even had forgotten this fact.

“Many women face serious economic issues but their situation can turn better if their families give their inheritance”, she said.

“It is a main problem that women are deprived of inheritance, education and the right of choosing spouse. Patriarchy and women’s unawareness about their rights is another problem,” she said.

A civil society activist, Muska Mangal, said that many men believed giving inheritance to women was a loss of their economy and that was the reason women were deprived of their rights.

She said high dowry costs the groom’s family paid to the bride’s family ended up in pockets of elders.

Paktia Women Affairs Director Nasri Oryakhel said most of women and girls in the province were deprived of inheritance, ownership of properties, choice of choosing life partner, education and health services.

She said many people did not give inheritance and other rights to women and girls and this issue could be addressed parents, clerics and tribal elders.

This comes as a number of women recently approached the Paktia Women Affairs Department to help them get their inheritance right.

Mds/ma