2023, A New Beginning

It's been a whirlwind for these last two to three years. Wouldn't you agree?

From COVID-19 becoming a global pandemic with full lockdowns in multiple countries across the globe to finally receiving relief in its wake. From the deaths of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Jeopardy Host Alex Trebek, Black Panther Actor Chadwick Boseman, Full House Actor Bob Saget, NBA fame Kobe Bryant to the death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Daunte Wright, Andre Hill, Manuel Ellis, and who knows how many more as a result of Police Brutality and Bias. From the insurrection at the Capitol to the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan. And this is only the tip of the iceberg.

We've seen a lot of ups and downs these last two years. And I am sure we will continue to see more. We've seen one of the most powerful, developed countries regress in its mindset by overturning Roe v Wade. We've seen a 20-year war turn to be a complete waste once the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan. We've seen plenty of deaths as a result of Police Bias, but no action taken to change it. We've continued to see the result of the lack of proper gun control with more and more shootings, especially mass shootings. As we enter 2023, it is time to decide whether we continue to react at the moment, or start taking action to implement long-term change.

One of the few things I've noticed is that most mainstream media will focus on an event for a few days and then there is no mention of it again for months. And as soon as that happens, people forget all about the events that happen, even though they would react intensely when the event becomes public knowledge. This is a constant cycle that occurs. This is what needs to change.

I'm not talking about making any kind of big gesture to start a change. I'm saying do not forget to keep talking about these issues. The conversation dies when any focus on the issue vanishes. And when some issues do not make it to mainstream media, it receives no attention whatsoever. As we enter 2023, I urge everyone to make a personal change to not forget about these issues. Keep the conversation going, because any substantial long-term change can only occur if it begins at home.

Let's take a look at the situation in Afghanistan today. If any of you followed the news in recent days, you'll see that the Taliban has implemented a ban on women's rights to education. Now, women in Afghanistan are not allowed to enter any form of an educational institution as a result of Taliban rule. In spite of their promise in 2021, that they would have a more lenient rule than they did from 1996-2001, they've gone back to imposing strict restrictions and bans for its women. History is repeating itself in more than one manner.

Does the resistance to giving women the right to education sound familiar? It should. If you've heard of Malala Yousafzai, you should know exactly what I'm talking about. She is an activist who was shot in the head in October 2012 for speaking for women's rights to higher education. She was shot by a member of the Pakistani Taliban, who, just an FYI, have pledged allegiance to the Afghan Taliban. It's been 10 years since one Malala was almost killed, and here we are again, just this time in Afghanistan. History is repeating, but we do nothing to change, prevent, or stop it from happening.

Many people assume that Islam is defined by what these extremist groups are following. What they fail to realize is that in Islam, men and women are given equal rights to education. If you take a look at Surah 96 in the Quran, the Surah states (in English):

One thing to note in this is that this does not explicitly state men or women, as in the Quran, both are explicitly stated in various Surahs. Even in some Surahs, where the wording may use "man", this does not refer to the male gender, rather it refers to mankind as a whole. Nowhere in the Quran, or in the Hadiths does it say that a woman does not have the same right as a man in the pursuit of education. In fact, on most matters, contrary to what some of these extremist groups say, men and women have the same basic rights as human beings. By denying women their right to pursue education, all the Taliban is doing is going against the teachings of Islam and of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Religion aside, let's take a look at history. Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) wife, Khadijah was a successful businesswoman in Mecca before meeting Prophet Muhammad. To manage her business, she employed several men to assist, and to do so in Mecca, in her time, required a higher level of depth, understanding, and knowledge. His second wife Aishah was a well-respected scholar in Islam. In fact, without her, we would not have written versions of Islam's Hadiths if she didn't have a good memory, and higher knowledge. The Hadiths would've been lost to time without her.

So when two of the major female figures of Islam are well-educated, then who is the Taliban to ban women from pursuing higher education? And why is this not a major topic in our mainstream media? I can go on about multiple instances where women's rights have been challenged by governments, but this post would never end. In fact, I'd recommend reading my other posts regarding gender inequality in our world today, because this is a long-standing battle. All I ask is not to let this conversation end. The fact that this conversation ends is what ends up being a hurdle in promoting long-standing change.

If we do not change our own mindsets, how are we to change the society we live in? Plenty of women today are still treated like trash by men because of long-standing misogynistic ideologies that exist in our world today. They are abused, mentally and physically, restricted, and bound by societal norms to behave inferiorly to men, so that society continues to function. But what is society? Society is created by us. If we want society to change, we have to change ourselves for the better. If we want someone to be treated better in our society, we need to be willing to treat them better ourselves. But how will this happen if we let the conversation die down, and as a result stop ourselves from challenging our own perspectives, and the perspectives of this world?

As we enter 2023, I urge everyone to keep a conversation going. Do NOT let the conversation die down, challenge each other's perspectives, and keep asking questions. Because as long as we keep the conversation going, the hope for a stronger, long-lasting change will never die.