Afghan women stores make a mark

[guyabano]

The women's affairs department in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif has launched a scheme to help women set up their own retail businesses.

Five shops, owned and run by women, have already opened in the city and the women say the stores are doing well.
The provincial governor is now planning a shopping centre with about 200 shops, exclusively owned by women.
The initiative is also helping customers as many families do not allow their women to enter shops run by men.
Since the Taleban were ousted from Afghanistan, many women have found that gaining or regaining their rights is a long and difficult process.
Yet in some places, they are managing to chip away at patriarchal institutions.

Thriving again

North Afghanistan's biggest city, Mazar-e-Sharif, is trying to put behind it the bloody years from 1997 to 2001, when it was fought over by militias, including the Taleban, and thousands of people were killed in the streets.
Today, this low-rise city, baked by the sun of the central Asian grasslands, is thriving again.
The broad boulevards have been resurfaced with Japanese funding.
Each city roundabout is being designed by a different local business, some with outlandish sculptures as their centre-pieces, and Mazar is the hub of a part of Afghanistan vastly more peaceful and secure than the south or the east.
It remains socially conservative, with most women going about in white or blue burkhas, the all-encompassing veil.
But the provincial women's affairs department has now started a scheme for women to own their own shops, something almost unheard of in Afghanistan.
The five that have so far opened in Mazar-e Sharif are mostly devoted to women's clothing or foodstuffs.

Women's garden

The shop owners are getting good returns, giving them more financial security.
And they appear to be popular with the customers - in conservative Afghanistan, many families do not want their womenfolk entering shops run by men.
And now, the number of such shops is set to soar.
The provincial governor has laid the foundation stone for a complex called Bagh-e-Zanana, or Women's Garden, which will contain about 200 shops owned by women.
Men as well as women will be able to shop there, but officials say their behaviour will be closely monitored.
Some conservative local clerics are unhappy with the moves.
One has said that the new female entrepreneurs are misleading other women, encouraging them to claim freedoms that are inappropriate. But other religious scholars are satisfied with the initiative, arguing that the new commercial activities are a step towards advancing women's role in society.
The new shopping complex is expected to open within weeks.

Source

Some conservative local clerics are unhappy with the moves.

Now why would be some clerics not happy about those moves? Why 'males' don't like to grant women to become more independant and run their own business, specially the Quaran allows it to women?
I wonder if this is not more an 'Ego of men'-matter to try to forbid that or the more conservative opinon 'women belong behind the kettles at the kitchen stove' ?

[guyabano]

Bump

[Ebtisweetsam]

[SIZE="3"][B]


Now why would be some clerics not happy about those moves? Why 'males' don't like to grant women to become more independant and run their own business, specially the Quaran allows it to women?
I wonder if this is not more an 'Ego of men'-matter to try to forbid that or the more conservative opinon 'women belong behind the kettles at the kitchen stove' ?

I agree with you. Good on them for giving them the opportunity to share their skills

[MTAFFI]

I wonder what the Taliban will do to these women if they get back in power

[Md Mashud]

Please do not judge it as an egoistic view. Allah did not say that women cannot study, or work. Men, have extreme care for the safety and wellbeing of women - Because unfortunatly alot can happen to a women when she is by herself, living in England I can see alot of problems. No, this shouldn't be the case your right, but Islam believes that prevention is better than cure. We don't cover up our women for example because we want to be greedy or "better", but for their protection and ours. People have to see the bigger picture to understand everything and not just start saying we oppress women and are egoistics... a very ignorant stance.

[MTAFFI]

Please do not judge it as an egoistic view. Allah did not say that women cannot study, or work. Men, have extreme care for the safety and wellbeing of women - Because unfortunatly alot can happen to a women when she is by herself, living in England I can see alot of problems. No, this shouldn't be the case your right, but Islam believes that prevention is better than cure. We don't cover up our women for example because we want to be greedy or "better", but for their protection and ours. People have to see the bigger picture to understand everything and not just start saying we oppress women and are egoistics... a very ignorant stance.

was this supposed to be in response to my post or the original post? also the word is egotistic (not trying to be a wise guy, just trying to help you out)

edit: nevermind i didnt catch the original posters comment at the bottom of the original post... sorry

[wilberhum]

I agree with you. Good on them for giving them the opportunity to share their skills

If there is any group that needs a break it is Afghan women.

I wish them much sucess.

[NobleMuslimUK]

This is good news but the larger picture still remains, this is a small number of people making progress while millions still suffer. I wish the foreign occupiers would leave the country alone and get out so they can put the warfare behind them.

[wilberhum]

This is good news but the larger picture still remains, this is a small number of people making progress while millions still suffer. I wish the foreign occupiers would leave the country alone and get out so they can put the warfare behind them.

And who will protect the women then?

The Taliban?

[NobleMuslimUK]

And who will protect the women then?

The Taliban?

I dont think the american troops are there to protect anyone, in fact they kill more civilians.

[wilberhum]

I dont think the american troops are there to protect anyone, in fact they kill more civilians.

By civilians, do you mean the Taliban's famly that they take to war?

Right, fight from a hut that contains you wife(s) and children.

That way when they are killed, so is there famly and then the survivers can say "EVIL Americans", they kill our women and children.

[NobleMuslimUK]

By civilians, do you mean the Taliban's famly that they take to war?

Right, fight from a hut that contains you wife(s) and children.

That way when they are killed, so is there famly and then the survivers can say "EVIL Americans", they kill our women and children.

I thought you were an open minded individual being an atheist an all, but I notice you allow nationalism get in the way everytime to see the bigger picture. The American government doesnt care much about its own citizens what makes you think they are good enough to liberate someone across the world.

[wilberhum]

I thought you were an open minded individual being an atheist an all, but I notice you allow nationalism get in the way everytime to see the bigger picture. The American government doesnt care much about its own citizens what makes you think they are good enough to liberate someone across the world.

Atheist? Can't read?

What makes you think we went to Afhan to liberate anyone?

We went to kill someone.

[wilberhum]

These stories are always exaggerated

Which stories?

Or you just trying to get "Your Count" up?

[MTAFFI]

This is good news but the larger picture still remains, this is a small number of people making progress while millions still suffer. I wish the foreign occupiers would leave the country alone and get out so they can put the warfare behind them.

oh: that seems a little bit silly since the taliban were in control for how many years and they hardly put warfare behind them, in fact they established themselves with warfare and oppressive rule which continued until the day they were ousted

[NobleMuslimUK]

oh: that seems a little bit silly since the taliban were in control for how many years and they hardly put warfare behind them, in fact they established themselves with warfare and oppressive rule which continued until the day they were ousted

It was the northern alliance that were conducting warfare and oppressing people, they had check points where women were molested and even raped, people robbed, young boys were solicited for sex and the list goes on. Taliban came into power to liberate people from this using Islamic guidelines. A minority of people and the west frowned upon this idea of an Islamic state following Islamic law. Its the reason to this day there is friction between Iran and America, as Iran claims to be an Islamic state. Taliban is translated students, it was a movement started by students who wanted a stop to all the corruption and warfare.

[wilberhum]

It was the northern alliance that were conducting warfare and oppressing people, they had check points where women were molested and even raped, people robbed, young boys were solicited for sex and the list goes on. Taliban came into power to liberate people from this using Islamic guidelines..

My sources say the Northern Alliance was formed to combat the Taliban.
Some one has a sequencing problem.

A minority of people and the west frowned upon this idea of an Islamic state following Islamic law.

No the majority of people in the West frowned upon the total brutality of women.

Its the reason to this day there is friction between Iran and America, as Iran claims to be an Islamic state.

The reason for the friction was taking our citizens on US territory (which all embassies are) prisoners for over a year.

Taliban is translated students, it was a movement started by students who wanted a stop to all the corruption and warfare.

Right, such a wonderfull bunch.

Where do you get this idea the the West cares about what the religion is in the ME?

[Malaikah]

I remember one Afghan woman, when being asked if she wanted a job, replied that first let them find her husband a good, a school for her children, etc.

Pretty deep statement.

Now why would be some clerics not happy about those moves? Why 'males' don't like to grant women to become more independant and run their own business, specially the Quaran allows it to women?
I wonder if this is not more an 'Ego of men'-matter to try to forbid that or the more conservative opinon 'women belong behind the kettles at the kitchen stove' ?

Wow, how did you manage to make such a long winded conclusion only from their dissatisfaction? Do you even know why they are unhappy? Maybe they are worried about who is looking after the kids? Especially if the husband is working himself, and Afghanistan isn't exactly the richest country, can hey afford or have access to day care?

Think outside the box a little, these people aren't living in the luxury we are used to, there are so many other factors that effect their lives that we have never had to even think of.

[guyabano]

I remember one Afghan woman, when being asked if she wanted a job, replied that first let them find her husband a good, a school for her children, etc.

Pretty deep statement.



Wow, how did you manage to make such a long winded conclusion only from their dissatisfaction? Do you even know why they are unhappy? Maybe they are worried about who is looking after the kids? Especially if the husband is working himself, and Afghanistan isn't exactly the richest country, can hey afford or have access to day care?

Think outside the box a little, these people aren't living in the luxury we are used to, there are so many other factors that effect their lives that we have never had to even think of.

I notice that you also don't live there, but hence, you allow yourself to comment it also.
If the woman with her shop can make more money than the husband in the opion fields, so why he doesn't stay at home and manage the household?
He could perfectly be the one, who change diapers? So, where is the problem?
As I told you already before, it's just an Ego-Matter, nothing more !

[zarhad]

im so happy to see my counrty trying to do something other then fight eachother...there is alot of good people there but they are just afraid of the bad
even in bamiyan they are making strides with a new female govener of the area its great, inshallah they will not continue to regress but to move forward