This is an example of sexism and religion at work. Not that the two don’t often go hand in hand anyway.
Purulia (WB), May 7 (PTI) Not a single Muslim woman today cast vote in two booths specially arranged for them with women polling staff in Para assembly constituency in Purulia district today.
“It is unfortunate that none of the 641 Muslim women came out to vote in two polling booths despite posting women polling personnel as desired by them,” Sub-divisional officer who is in charge of Para constituency, Abid Hussain said.
While Sk Omar (55), a local male voter, told PTI that the women were willing to vote, but their husbands did not allow them to come out, Mohammed Unus (60) tried to argue that the women boycotted the vote for non-development of the area.
Unus, however, cast his vote.
The women had not voted earlier on the plea that they did not have Electoral Photo Identity Cards since they were unwilling to be photographed by a male photographer, District Magistrate A Singh said.
Honouring their wishes a female photographer had been employed to take their photos for the EPICs, Singh said. PTI CORR PR
Their husbands didn’t allow them to vote. Imagine that. Imagine not being permitted to exercise your right to vote. Imagine having your husband limit your freedoms in such a dogmatic way. Imagine being a man who felt that he had to control his wife to such an extent that she was not allowed to travel to the polling station to vote, even though special consideration for your faith had been made.
That doesn’t sound like a positive, loving relationship, does it? Isn’t it past time that the feminist movement reached beyond the West?
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The Magnificent Frog 
Well, it’s a controversial and problematic area.
No, as a western feminist, I think that it’s not acceptable that husbands in Muslim countries do not allow their wives to vote. Yes, as a western feminist, I think that it’s important that that changes. However, the rub is that western feminists tend to “colonise” non-western women in attempts to “civilise” them. This seems to have become an unfortunate feature of wider western colonisation and is a major criticism of nice, happy, white, middle-class, privileged feminism. The most glaring example we have of that at the moment is the banning of the veil in France. Though that move was government- rather than feminist-led, it’s all part of the same issue. There’s a conviction that “it’s for their own good” which is as offensive as it is inaccurate.
What western feminists need to do is understand the context of these women’s lives and work within those contexts and understandings and not just impose western sensibilities on them.
I think that feminism needs to come from within their own culture so that it becomes part of their culture. It isn’t something that should be imposed. That said they may not even be aware that they have the option of acting any differently so having feminists from the west provide them with an example is one way to promote change.
Yeah, it’s very unclear. I agree that it has to come from within, with support from western feminists if they need/ want it.
Reblogged this on Turmeric Paschimanchal.
At last Women muslims voted in Nutandi,Purulia