Just watched a documentary called 'FOUR CORNERS'. It's about an Afghan-British young girl in her early twenties who went to Afghanistan to search and gain understanding about her roots. After watching that show, i couldnt stop thinking about it so, blogging is my outlet.

it started off with the girl meeting her relatives and it's a happy reunion. Then she visited the women's rights 'fighter' called nina. Basically she explained that the women in Afghanistan by law, do not have to wear the 'head covers' now but most women still wear it. If not, men will stare. To avoid that, many women still wear it.
She had an interesting conversation with her 19 year old male cousin. She asked, if your sister wants to go into modelling, what do you think?

He said,'i wouldnt let her. Because im the eldest man in the family, relatives respect me, friends respect me, if she does that, i would lost the respect and it will bring shame to the family'

she then said,'So, just because of your own prestige, you wouldnt allow her to do it?'

then he talks passionately about why he thinks that women should not be allowed to do this and that...
i was like wow, such belief is so ingrained in them since young!

then, nina and the lady visited the women's prison. they are only allowed to talk to one of them. When asked why is she prisoned? she said when she was 15, her dad forced her to marry a 60 year old man. She didnt want to and run away and married another man whom she loves. Her dad sued her and accused her of having sex before marriage and she ended up in court without any say. Such justice huh?

they again visited the hospital, and many young girls suffered from burns. When asked why happened? the 15 year old gal said she was married off or more accurately was exchanged to another family so that their son can marry her sister. She suffered beating from her mum and dad in laws and her sis in law for 2 years. She couldnt take it anymore and set herself on fire. THe young Afghan-Brit tried so hard to hold back tears, she couldnt take it anymore and walked out of the room. By then, her tears were just flowing, she was saying, looking at these girls, she was so comfortable in London, where is justice in this? they are hurting...
Basically it's beyond words, she just cried.

Then she visited a school for young girls, the girls now are allowed to go to school, but not without risks. Some men are not happy with this and there had been several attempts in bombing the school. Thus, parents wouldnt let their daughters attend school, afraid that they may never come back again.

It was awful, here we are complaining about going to school and some people has to risk their lives to go to school, not knowing what would happened to them.

Basically, there are lots more to the show, and it was so oppressing and depressing. the women are still treated as just products? perhaps livestock?

IN the end, it's time for her to go home to London, she met her mum and gave her a long hug and told her mum that the afghan women and the young girls who go to school are heroines. she cried while tellin her mum what's happened.
that probably brought some bad memories about their home country to her mum and she started crying, saying that they have to move to UK for her daughter's sake and future. She hugged her mum with gratitude and said,i know..thanks mum'

After watching the show, the desire to fight for justice sprung up in me. I felt so blessed and grateful that i am where i am today. The things that i worry about and the stress i feel for my exam seem petty. so many little things that we take granted for, such as not wearing a veil? the freedom that i have.the freedom just to pursue what i want to do. Or the freedom to go out at night and not worried about being canned or hit by men which they do if women go out alone at night.I cant imagine myself as one of them, would probably live in fear everyday and thinking that my future is doomed since im subjected to follow men's authority. most people would ask where's God in this? but i know it's not His fault, it was never designed to be this.Instead, what can we do to help would be more appropriate as God uses people. He could have done it all Himself, but chose not to because we are significant enough for Him to use. We are His partners.

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of the widow. (Isaiah 1:17)

GIve justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.Rescue the poor and helpless; deliever them from the grasp of the evil people. (Psalm 82:3)

SPeak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. (Proverbs 31:8-9)

FOr I, the Lord, love justice. (Isaiah 61:8)