Since World War II, the Middle East has remained a region of political discord. Partly, Western involvement led to that disruption. The residue from Great Britain’s past empire created fictious “borders” which crossed ethnic and religious lines. In the case of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India, Hindus and Muslims engaged in religious rivalries that turned into massacres and pogroms. Muslim guerrillas battled Indian troops over the disputed, Pashmir region.

As years passed, conflict spread into other Middle East countries, such as Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan North and East Africa and Sri Lanka. The whole region flared with political upheavals and civil wars. Even today, the battles remained.

What has changed were the standards of women. Some countries, like Iraq and Pakistan modernized, with a heavy assistance from the United States, to give women more rights.

In Iraq, women are still made to follow three feet behind their men. However, they achieved their voting rights around a year and a half ago. They have the right to be educated as men. In both Iraq and Afghanistan, women are teaching children. They are taking on minor roles in their emerging, “democratic-like” governments.

In some regions, women are still denied of their rights. In Iran, a “suspected” adulterer received a death sentence early last year. Despite international condemnation, the hard-line Islamic government executed the woman by stoning. Other Middle Eastern countries, such as Sudan and Somalia, a young woman’s privates are sliced. Mutilations are part of tribal law. Refugees from these countries carried out this primitive act in America.

Some Arab countries still practiced the social sin of white slavery. Women are “chosen” to be sex slaves for a sheik or a prince. They get put into “harems”. Harems are “human” stables. Women received the same treatment as horses. They are purchased, reared, and then sold.

Some Middle Eastern countries modernized quicker than America. In India, Prime Minister, Indria Gandhi, presided over her nation during the 1980s. She faced challenges of attacks and massacres from both Hindus and Muslims. Rebellions broke out in cities, like Bombay and Calcutta; killing thousands of civilians. She also contended with the Tamil Tigers guerrilla movement in Sri Lanka. The Tamils fought to create an autonomous state. Gandhi failed to stop the 30 year rebellion. It may have been those reasons that led to her assassination.

Another esteemed prime minister was Benzair Bhutto. The popular stateswoman ran Pakistan for a term. Pakistanis loved and respected her leadership and benevolence. Bhutto returned from exile to reclaim her previous post. However, she disobeyed a decree from her political enemies, possibly Army Chief Musharaff, and Al Qaeda terrorists. Either or both assassinated her in a bombing at Rapaldini (Pakistan) on December 27, 2007. Her killing sparked nationwide riots. Musharaff’s armed forces repressed the population. Their brutal tactic killed hundreds, and eventually led to him resigning as Pakistan’s leader.

Women’s rights in the Middle East are like an inverted coin. On one side, two powerful nations had the sense to elect female prime ministers who earned admiration and respect. On the other side, some nations practiced the evils of white slavery, mutilation and stoning adulterers to death.

Heads or tails, life or death