SaNiCo,
It isn't a case of whether violence on women is 'western' or 'eastern', but what is right & wrong. Every man, woman and child knows hurting or harming others is wrong.
Violence on women happens all over the world, not just in the East. The rates of domestic violence in most 'developed' countries is considerably high and are rising. In Australia, Canada, Israel, and the United States, between 40 and 70 percent of female murder victims were killed by their intimate partners. 20,000 to 50,000 women were raped during the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the United States, 83 percent of girls aged 12 to 16 experienced some form of sexual harassment in public schools. (U.N resource: endvawnow).
The irony is, using the flawed logic from the Western secular point of view. Rather than broadcasting violence or abuse in the name of entertainment, the show should aim to discourage it by sending the correct message. Dilshad is an affectionate mother to Asad, so the logic here should have been that a son raised by such a decent single mother, would NEVER hurt any woman.
Muslims already know about gender equality, because women are honoured in Islam, they are respected and violence on women even during war is totally unacceptable. From religious teachings, texts & scriptures Muslims should know it is a crime to abuse and hurt women - period.
Portraying men's abuse on Muslim women could never represent 'Muslim Culture', and can never remove negative stereotypes on Muslims. Showing 'Muslim' men's violence and abuse on 'Muslim' women only strengthens these negative stereotypes on Islam & Muslims, not weakens it.
If this story is to remove these negative stereotypes & to educate the masses, then producers should use good examples of real Muslim men who do respect their womenfolk, not poor ones who have little or no understanding and are ignorant of their own culture, faith & creed. Islam preaches the logic that women must be treated with love, kindness and equality. Men who beat up women, are ignoble and uncultured. Abuse & violence on women is totally unacceptable, forbidden & unislamic.
The PRODUCERS DON'T THINK because India is succumbing to accepting violence on women. The situation is worsened by urge to adopt promiscuous & secular Western values, so no wonder the vicious cycle and why there's little criticism or acknowledgement for a need to change.
