Bad character..!

"With education, the girl child will grow up and be a better mother - she will be better able to understand the importance of her own children being educated, and will be better able to provide for her children..."
Sarah Crowe, spokesperson for UNICEF in Johannesburg. A few years ago, it made my heart glad to see front page photograph in the Khaleej Times; t'was that of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai presenting a degree to a graduating girl. But a few moments later despair reigned in me as I read in another paper of two girls in India, Samina and Zarina who were threatened and assaulted by their neighbour for pursuing a college education. According to the paper, the neighbour warned the girl's father that only girls with 'bad character' studied! Lets say that man stood in front of a judge:
"Ah sir! And what do you mean girls of bad character?"
"Knowledge is bad for a woman!"
"What do you mean by bad sir?"
"They will start asking questions. Any woman who asks questions is big trouble!"
"What sort of questions sir?"
"Questions a woman should not ask!"
"Like why the earth goes round the sun? Why trees grow leaves and birds build nests?"
"Yes!"
"Like why rivers flow into the sea? Or closer home; what causes the monsoons?"
"Yes"
"Ah sir, so this knowledge will make them girls of bad character? Maybe you don't want them to know why fish can swim and birds can fly?"
"No!"
"What would you like them to know sir?"
"What women should know!"
"Like how to make a chappati round?"
"Yes, yes, round like how my mother made them!"
"And how to light a fire?"
"Without the smoke getting into my eyes or into that of my friends I brought home every morning and evening!"
"Would she be okay in the knowledge of making good tea?"
"Like how my mother used to make tea! It was so good my father brought his friends home everyday and my mother made cup after cup after cup and his friends liked it so much they asked for a second and sometimes a third! My mother was so good and after that she made our dinner, planned our breakfast and bought stuff for our lunch while we did our homework!"
"Did she help you in your homework?"
"No! How could she?"
"And you passed your high school?"
"No!"
"Why sir?"
"There was nobody to help me, nobody to take my studies, no one with whom I could converse with!"
"If your mother……"
"What? Women should not study. It will only give them bad character..!"
The judge looked at the defendant, "If only your mother had studied, I would have had a man of good character standing in front of me. If only she had been given the gift of knowledge, you would not be the ignorant, insensitive, ass you are today..!"
    
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Bad character..!

With education, the girl child will grow up and be a better mother - she will be better able to understand the importance of her own children being educated, and will be better able to provide for her children... Sarah Crowe, spokesperson for UNICEF in Johannesburg. A few years ago, it made my heart glad to see front page photograph in the Khaleej Times; twas that of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai presenting a degree to a graduating girl. But a few moments later despair reigned in me as I read in another paper of two girls in India, Samina and Zarina who were threatened and assaulted by their neighbour for pursuing a college education. According to the paper, the neighbour warned the girls father that only girls with bad character studied! Lets say that man stood in front of a judge: Ah sir! And what do you mean girls of bad character? Knowledge is bad for a woman! What do you mean by bad sir? They will start asking questions. Any woman who asks questions is big trouble! What sort of questions sir? Questions a woman should not ask! Like why the earth goes round the sun? Why trees grow leaves and birds build nests? Yes! Like why rivers flow into the sea? Or closer home; what causes the monsoons? Yes Ah sir, so this knowledge will make them girls of bad character? Maybe you dont want them to know why fish can swim and birds can fly? No! What would you like them to know sir? What women should know! Like how to make a chappati round? Yes, yes, round like how my mother made them! And how to light a fire? Without the smoke getting into my eyes or into that of my friends I brought home every morning and evening! Would she be okay in the knowledge of making good tea? Like how my mother used to make tea! It was so good my father brought his friends home everyday and my mother made cup after cup after cup and his friends liked it so much they asked for a second and sometimes a third! My mother was so good and after that she made our dinner, planned our breakfast and bought stuff for our lunch while we did our homework! Did she help you in your homework? No! How could she? And you passed your high school? No! Why sir? There was nobody to help me, nobody to take my studies, no one with whom I could converse with! If your mother What? Women should not study. It will only give them bad character..! The judge looked at the defendant, If only your mother had studied, I would have had a man of good character standing in front of me. If only she had been given the gift of knowledge, you would not be the ignorant, insensitive, ass you are today..! [email protected]