Friday, January 04, 2019

Misogyny & Violence of Religious Beliefs


BBC - Sabarimala: India's Kerala paralysed amid protests over temple entry (extracts):




Violent protests have paralysed the southern Indian state of Kerala after two women made history by entering a prominent Hindu temple.

Schools across the state are closed and public transport too has been suspended. One person was killed in clashes on Wednesday.

The Sabarimala temple was historically closed to women of "menstruating age" - defined as between 10 and 50.

The Supreme Court revoked the ban in September, which prompted outrage.

On Wednesday, Bindu Ammini, 40, and Kanaka Durga, 39, entered the shrine around dawn and became the first women to do so.

Thursday saw a second day of protests across the state.

Right-wing groups, supported by India's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), demanded a state-wide shutdown. They wanted schools, colleges and businesses to remain closed as a sign of protest.

The state government, which supports the Supreme Court ruling, stepped up security and deployed police across the state for protection.

But fearing violence, schools and shops were closed. And buses did not run as protesters blocked highways and other roads.


In total, more than 700 people were arrested on Wednesday and Thursday. Sixty police officers were injured, more than 80 public buses were damaged and at least a dozen police vehicles were attacked.

Yesterday I saw on Australian TV a scene depicting Indian women protesting against male chauvinism on the temple issue, where the sweet ladies lined up for more than 620 km long to show their displeasure.

That's a distance from Alor Setar to Johor Baru, mates.

Looks like it's not only our Pak Hajis in the East Coast who are misogynistic, wakakaka, but our dear mamaks and anehs in Kerala. I wonder ..... ??? ..... wakakaka.

BBC also reported:

The Kerala state government supports the court verdict and Mr Vijayan has repeatedly said his government will provide the security to enforce it.

But India's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has argued that the court ruling is an attack on Hindu values.

The issue has become increasingly contentious in the run-up to India's general election, scheduled for April and May. Critics have accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of pursuing a religiously divisive agenda to court the BJP's mostly-Hindu support base
.

Sounds familiar? It proves that when religion mixes up with politics, some 'naughty' politicians are liable to exploit the religious beliefs of the voters.

BBC also reported on the legend of Lord Ayappa, the principal deity at Sabarimala temple:

Every god in the vast Hindu pantheon has his or her own personality, complete with a unique legend, and Lord Ayappa is no different.

According to the temple's mythology, Lord Ayyappa is an avowed bachelor who has taken an oath of celibacy.

There are several stories about why this is the case.

According to one legend, Ayappa was born out of a union between two male gods which gave him the ability to defeat a she-demon who had been unstoppable until then.


Wow! Did that mean ..... ? STFU, Kaytee!!!

Upon defeating her, it was revealed that she was really a young woman who had been cursed to live the life of a demon.


She fell in love with him and asked him to marry her, but he refused, saying he was destined to go into the forest and answer the prayers of his devotees.

She persisted, so he said he would marry her the day new devotees stopped coming to seek his blessings.

That never happened.

The legend says that she waits for him at a second temple, which lies on the way to the main Sabarimala shrine.

Women do not visit either temple - the belief is that to do so would insult both the deity and the sacrifice of the woman who loved him
.


Related: Times of India - Kerala on edge as mobs take to streets over women's entry into Sabarimala


6 comments:

  1. Narendra Modi's policies are steadily building India up to superpower status, eventually will rival China's economy.

    He has his flaws, and his pandering to his Hindu Nationalist base is jarring and needlessly creating strife with India's sizable Muslim minority as well as more secular Hindus.

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  2. man is a funny creature, when they are in a group like say in a pub they believe they can take on a whole regiment but when they are at home with the missus they can quietly do the ironing, what the


    fog the frog

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  3. The world knows that BJP is promoting violence and ultra Hindu Supremacy which is considered Hindu Talibans. Don't believe meh? Ask Ramasamy Palanisamy.

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  4. Very similar in behavior to our local Malaysian religious bigots where political parties use religion as support for their parties.

    Only fools believe such idiotic people who thinks they are messengers of God/Gods.

    The sad thing is most of them are poor/illiterate/easily bribed and led astray by their so called saviours.

    Now, why are we talking about another country and about Human Rights when Malaysia itself is not committed to ICERD?

    What hypocrites Malaysians are.

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  5. music help not cause violence, unknown:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNoHHWfn6q0

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    Replies
    1. [The clock chimes the signal for returning home,
      It brings to his life a note of sigh!
      The meaning given him thru his dark skin Is devotion of his whole life to a struggle of skin colors.
      The years have changed possession into loss.
      The weary eyes are showing expectation. Today only the injured body still remains
      To welcome the glorious years
      To hold tight to freedom amidst wind and rain.
      Thru faltering struggle in this life,
      He believes he can change the future.
      May I ask who else can accomplish this? Could we make no distinction of skin colors?
      Wish everyone could share everything and be treated equally in this land!
      A profuse variety of colors emits a sparkling beauty
      Because it makes no distinction of each color.]

      Delete