No one can deny that our current exit from Afghanistan is a national humiliation brought on by incredible political and military incompetence; and the chips haven’t finished falling where they may. But, there is a greater humiliation that few will discuss: abandoning Afghan females.
Afghanistan was, is, and may always be a primitive area. To call it a nation, or nation-state, would be a misuse of the terms. It is tribal, it is patriarchal, it is medieval, it is thoroughly Muslim. Each of these realities are mutually supportive. If one characteristic links all these realities, it is the harsh treatment of women and girls. In all my studies of history I have culled one lesson: it is the way a society treats women that determines its progress.
Our Western Civilization was not always female-friendly. The otherwise progressive Greeks relegated their ladies to the home and blamed any erratic behavior on hysteria (literally: the womb). It was the Etruscans and Romans who socially liberated women – freed them from being “unclean”, allowed them education, gave them the right of divorce, and restricted marriage to one man/one woman. Roman senator/consul Cato the Elder famously lamented, “We Romans, who rule all men, are ruled by our women.”
It was our Italic ancestors who laid the groundwork for a crucial component of modern civilization: gender equality. All the Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam suppressed women, as some of their modern adherents still do. The Catholic Church, an off-shoot of Judaism, still forbids women from the priesthood and would be more akin to Orthodox Judaism in deeming women inferior, had the ancient Italians not overhauled it. Unlike the West, Muslim countries permit a man four wives – President Obama’s Kenyan father had three wives and eight kids. Truth be told, Islam would never have created the modern world, despite the hype about its scholarly enlightenment before the 1200s.
What greater con job is there than to excuse a culture and society that denigrates the female half of its population? Lord knows the United States tried to save the women and girls of Afghanistan, but twenty years wasn’t enough. Now, where is our MeToo Movement of “militant” women publicly demanding the victorious Taliban to mend their ways? Clearly, you don’t get in the face of a primitive mullah like you do an Andrew Cuomo. How about other Islamic nations initiating a brotherly “intervention” to modernize Afghanistan? Half, if not all, of them need their own modernization. Surely, many enlightened Muslims feel crushed by this Taliban victory.
The late Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci (1929-2006) had no respect for Islam and its treatment of women. During an exclusive interview with Iran’s Ayatolla Khomeini she complained about having to wear a degrading full-body chador. When the ayatollah belittled her, but allowed her to remove it, she replied, “This is very kind of you, Imam. Since you tell me that, I’m going to immediately rid myself of this stupid, medieval rag!” She removed the chador and flung it at Khomeini. A real Italian temper! (An article on Fallaci appears in our Research Library – Italic Way Magazine XLI)
The degradation of women is a hallmark of most non-Western cultures. The Chinese would rather forget the foot-binding of young girls in their traditional society. All Hindus may not be proud of their caste system, or the days of throwing a widow on her husband’s funeral pyre (banned by the British in 1829). Sub-Saharan Africans would rather not explain the still extant practice of female genital mutilation. These are all cultural traits worthy of condemnation.
I believe there is a direct correlation between our Western treatment of women and our amazing intellectual and material progress through the ages. Roman women were the social equals of men. In 1237, Bettisia Gozzadini earned a law degree at the University of Bologna, and later taught there. From 1390, Dorotea Bucca held the Chair of Medicine at that university for forty years. Examples of exceptional Italic women abound.
Afghanistan was on the path to a co-ed society during our 20-year stay, however temporary or unrealistic. That path is necessary for any society to break free of stifling tradition and superstition. When women are mere chattel doing the grunt work of males, as well as their own, technical progress stalls – invention and innovation become unnecessary.
Afghanistan had a chance to exit the Dark Ages through its women. What now? -JLM
If I had a wish, and maybe it is so, and I just have not seen it in print, “why is no other Muslim nation joining in this concern?” Perhaps I have missed it in the news…but considering the kidnapping of girls in Africa by Muslim terrorists, a US ally, Saudi Arabia, not even allowing women to drive, more is the craziness, not to mention the primitive eye for an eye plus of Sharia law. Where is the Red Crescent, the Muslim equivalent of the Red Cross, in issuing pleas to assist their brethren? Tragically not much of this is happening yet the maligned West is where the humanitarian help is coming from, and refugees are relocating to…..there is something very wrong in this playing field.
Excellent piece. The point about the deafening silence of the larger Muslim world during these unending crises is mirrored by the media’s equally deafening silence on asking about it. Islam’s “dirty (not so) little secret” is its unblinkered sexism.
As for women: I would urge all readers to click on the “GALLERIA” menu on the Italic Institute’s website. You will find a stirring, two-minute tribute to Italic women.
Show it to friends and family.
Finally: spread the word about Oriana Fallaci. It is this amazing journalist whom Lady Gaga should be portraying in a major film, not some goofed-up Gucci wife!
Sadly, the Anglo/Northern European countries like to think better about themselves and see Italy (specially the South) as a place where sexism and gender inequality are “part of the culture”. See a recent article from an American writer located in Rome: the https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/sexism-in-italy-a-cultural-phenomenon.html
Of course, there are problems like in any other Western countries, but is fair to say that the woman’s condition in Italy is the same as in any other Western countries. It is actually better, if you look at the official numbers. For example, 54% of judges in Italy are women. Also, 54% of Italian doctors are women.
This kind of article simply feeds the Hollywood stereotype of the swarthy Italian man, wearing a wife-beater, and his stay-home submissive wife.