By Azizur Rahman,
For the last couple of years, there has been an alarming rise to the cases of sexual abuse against women. Just pick up any newspaper, and you will definitely come across a number of cases of rape and molestations. Though, there are a host of reasons contributing to this increase in sex crimes, I do believe that the below listed are the key reasons behind it.
Commodification of women’s sensuality:
We are living in such a time where there has been an ongoing attempt to associate each and everything with sex. Women are being commodified and used to lure the customers in order to maximize the sale. There would hardly be any example where it is possible to sell a product with the help of women’s sexual appeal, and it is not applied. Be it an office reception desk, be it a workplace, be it playgrounds, be it airlines, be it showrooms and malls, be it restaurants or be it any other shops; young girls and women will abound in numbers to ensure the successful business. No business is complete without selling the products and services through the power of the weaker sex. The world is extremely hell-bent on exploiting women by using them as a commodity. At most of the places, the women are not being used clad in a modest dress, else they are asked to wear in such a way that provokingly reveals their features and beauties to attract the customers.
The advertising agencies are making the most of women’s commodification. For instance, a perfume is advertised by showing a man spraying it onto his body and the moment a woman watches him, she begins to undress herself for the obvious reason. The Cadbury chocolate has such a magical power that a woman asks for a lift from a car rider that she gets; however, when at the very moment a bike rider comes holding a Cadbury in his hand, her mode changes and she prefers to ride on the bike leaving behind the car rider’s offer. SKORE condom is advertised by a woman clad in panty and bra uttering the wise sentence “It is a naughty world; get ready”. These are only a few examples.
So, if our society is so sex-saturated and so much is being pumped into sex, how can we expect that it will not have an adverse impact on the psyche of the people and their behavior towards women? However, I am not defending and justifying whatever is happening. The culprits have to be punished unconditionally.
Toothless Punishments:
The punishments for sexual crimes enshrined in the constitution are proving ineffective, largely because they are insufficient and flawed and to some extent due to non-application of these punishments in their true spirit. Most of the culprits go scot-free, or if tried in the court, they get bail after some time. So if a punishment is not serving as a deterrent, it is useless and the government has to rethink it.
Absence of Fear of God:
With respect to the sex crimes, I believe in most of the religions, there is not a strong concept of punishment in Hereafter and that is why people do not have the fear of God which can prevent them from committing these heinous crimes. So, the people have little or no fear from humans and no fear from God as well. That is why they assume that someday or the other they will be forgiven.
On the other hand, Islam has outlined the punishments very categorically and has warned of severe consequences in the Hereafter if someone goes unpunished for the crime committed. Islam has not just only formulated the laws but at the same time has also instructed strongly on how the men and women have to live, wear and mingle with each other without violating the Islamic injunctions.
As long as, there will not be the fear of God among people, these crimes are bound to happen. At a time, when we come across the incidents of minor girls of the age of as low as three years being raped and when many times, mothers, sisters and daughters being raped by sons, brothers and fathers, what is the worldly punishment that will deter them?
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Azizur Rahman works at a technology company in Chennai.