I am always revolted when Islamic leaders, from Afghanistan or elsewhere, deny the very existence of female oppression, avoid the issue by pointing to examples of what they view as Western mistreatment of women, or even worse, justify the oppression of women on the basis of notions derived from Sharia law.
Interpretation
The quote criticizes Islamic leaders who deny female oppression while justifying it through cultural or religious arguments.
Khaled Hosseini expresses his disgust at leaders in the Islamic world who refuse to acknowledge the oppression faced by women. He highlights the hypocrisy in their arguments, which either deflect responsibility by referencing Western mistreatment or attempt to justify oppressive practices through interpretations of Sharia law, thus ignoring the very real suffering experienced by women.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech advocating for women's rights in Islamic countries.
You're gutless. It's how you were made. And that's not such a bad thing because your saving grace is that you've never lied to yourself about it. Not about that. Nothing wrong with cowardice as long as it comes with prudence. But when a coward stops remembering who he is... God help him.
There was brotherhood between people who had fed from the same breast, a kinship that even time could not break. - Amir
I don't outline at all; I don't find it useful, and I don't like the way it boxes me in. I like the element of surprise and spontaneity, of letting the story find its own way.
And that's the thing about people who mean everything they say. They think everyone else does too.
Perspective [is] a luxury when your head [is] constantly buzzing with a swarm of demons.
The desert weed lives on, but the flower of spring blooms and wilts.
Everything a detainee says is classified. Detainees cannot talk to you. They cannot talk to anyone. They cannot challenge, in a meaningful way, their detention. All that is left is for people who survived Guantanamo Bay to speak for people who are left behind, and speak for those who are in so many Guantanamos, plural, in my part of the world.
If resources become scarce, people tend to fight for them. This is increasing the number of people on the move and the number of people forced to move. They're not refugees, according to the legal definition, but they represent a major humanitarian and human rights challenge, as well as a major challenge for world politics.
Violence against women and girls touches every corner of the globe and is one of the world's most pervasive human rights violations.
If we support human rights, we cannot ignore legalized brutality against any group of our global community.
All people deserve to be treated with dignity and have their human rights respected, no matter who they are or whom they love.
Fundamental violations of human rights always lead to people feeling less and less human.
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