KOZHIKODE: The remarks made by Arunima I P, a travel vlogger, on the status of women in Afghanistan have ignited a debate on social media with Muslim scholars including M M Akbar chiming in, saying what she experienced in the country cannot be equated with Islam.
In a Facebook post, Arunima, who calls herself a ‘solo traveller exploring the world for six years’, said experiencing the life of women in Afghanistan made her regret being a woman for the first time in her life. “Women are not valued in the country,” she said.
Initially, immigration officials refused to clear her solo travel, and asked her to wear a dress that would cover the entire body, she said. “It was my dream to travel through Afghanistan alone, but now I feel regret,” she said. Arunima, who hails from Ottapalam, Palakkad, added that many people in Kerala would be upset by her remarks. “But I need to convey the sense of suffocation I felt,” she said.
In another post, Arunima said she has been allowed to wear a dress that reveals her face because she is from another country. “Here [in Afghanistan] women are not allowed to show their faces, beyond the eyes,” she said.
Reacting to the posts, Akbar said that Afghanistan is not Islam and its government’s regulations do not completely reflect Islam. “You are a person who has travelled to different parts of the world and you must have been to Muslim-majority countries as well,” he said, also on Facebook. Akbar asked Arunima to examine whether the restrictions in Afghanistan are due to the political and social situation in the country.
“The tribal culture and Pashtun social customs should be taken into consideration while understanding certain restrictions in Afghanistan. Religious faith and local cultures intermingle in many societies,” Akbar said. Therefore, it is not correct to state that ‘this is Islam’ by pointing to a particular social custom, he added.
Akbar said that crores of Muslims live in different countries and under different social and political systems.
“There are differences even in Muslim-majority countries in dressing, profession, journey and social participation,” he said, adding that coming to a conclusion on Islam on the basis of the restrictions in a particular country is not correct.
In response, Arunima said she did not say that she dislikes a particular religion. “I believe that happiness and peace will better prevail in countries that do not propagate any religion,” she said.
