so irritating

photo courtesy of brommel. check out his other other great insights into life in Pakistan and in Manila. his photos are hilarious!

i spent another week in Lahore. It was pleasant, except the day of my departure, when i was stuck at the airport lounge with a 26 year old protocol officer who has really traditional ideas about women, work and politics.

i took all the patience in me not to stand up and slap him. i don't know what started it, but we started talking about women in the workforce. he made his stand pretty clear, that he didn't like the idea of women working, and no wife of his should have to work. he must be able to support his entire family. his wife's duties towards him would certainly be affected if she had to work and so that must not be- no honourable Muslim man should see his wife out and about, mingling freely with other men. It is not the Muslim way. He also proclaimed, that Islam teaches us that our women should not be allowed to work, etc. etc. When i said that the prophet's wife was a businesswoman, he retorted that she worked from home. Of course he supported himself by saying that all the Muslim 'saints'- the imam's at the mosque- teach everybody this.

Oh did i mention, at home, they do not allow their sisters or mother's to watch movies or listen to music, because it's not morally healthy for them to be exposed to all the love scenes etc.

Bloody hell! I was close to slapping him about 10 times during this conversation. Soo irritating!