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Fatowa an Islamic Institution or a weapon of Social torture (Part 4) Published on May 03, 2009
A Housewife of Dhunat punished with 101 dorrah twice: Yes practice of dorrah on the delicate and fragile bodies of young girls continues un-protested. In my previous few reports I gave few examples how fatowa, an well known Islamic Institution was used against our rural womenfolk by the village touts and so called leaders in the name of preserving sanctity of the society. In most cases helpless women become their target of pleasure. Unfortunately the local imam of the Masjid is called upon to pronounce the fatowa-prescribed punishment and the punishment is usually carried out in his presence and approval. It is a pity that there is no united social movement against this malpractice. Here is another story of a village housewife of Dhunat Upazila in the district of Bogra. A peace-loving couple named Ismail Hosain-Anguri Khatun lives in a village Dhigalkandi in Dhunat Upazila in the district of Bogra happily. Anguri Khatun, a pretty looking girl is the mother of two sons. As the report goes about a month back one Mansur Ali, a neighbor of the couple and father of a son, forcibly entered the room of the couple at night. Hearing the cry of Anguri Khatun other members of the family and neighboring people held said Mansur Ali red handed while he was attempting to commit sexual violence. The village Salish committee (arbitration committee) consisting of so-called social leaders (in fact some mollhas and fanatics) of the village issued a fatowa against the young wife prescribing, as expected, 100 dorrahs (whipping by cane or lace made of leather) and a fine of Tk 8,000/- was imposed to the main offender Mansur Ali. The punishment against the young lady was duly carried out in presence of the local masjid imam. The persecuted housewife when filed a written complain with the Dhunat police station the village touts who formed the fatowa committee got furious and outcasted her family asking the family to leave the village. On the last Eid day (11 January, 2006) congregation at the local Eidgah when the family appealed to the assembled musullihs to reinstate the family socially, the village touts rejecting the prayer of the couple ordered for another one hundred dorrahs to be executed against the delicate body of the lovely and dear wife of Ismail Hosain. Would you believe that in presence of hundreds of pious Muslims and the imam of the mosque, punishment was carried out to the perverse pleasure of those village touts, mastans and fanatics? It is a pity none of the Musullihs, the follower of Great Prophet of Islam did have the courage to stand by the wretched woman. And Islam claims for equality of men and women! What a mockery of the term �equality�. When the imam was asked being a religious and pious man and leader in the religious affairs how could he allow such terrible thing in the name Islam to take place, the imam had no answer. He only murmured that he did not prescribe for fatowa, it was uttered by the leader of village matabbars one Matabbar Habibur Rahman; the imam claimed that he was present there during execution of dorrahs under pressure from those touts. Needless to say the poor young lady got ailed and sick. Even under such condition the couple was not allowed to stay in their house. They were driven out from their home. Finding no way out the couple with their children took shelter in her father�s residence in another village Guaganti under Sherpur Upazila of the same district where she was now under medical care. On 14th January, at last a team of police force of Dhunat visited the place of occurrence and recorded a case against five accused including that gang leader Matabbar Habib Rahman. Needless to say these matabbars of the village are given political and muscle support from the mastans of the ruling parties, otherwise they would not have the courage to do so. As a result no arrest have been made so far. All police actions are mere eyewash.
Alas this is the real picture of our village society today. Prof. Ajoy K. Roy, is a reputed scientist and human rights activist from Bangladesh
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