In Love and War Essay -- essays research papers fc

In Love and WarAbstract Wo men of Afghanistan be forced to live under oppressive regulations set forth for them by the men of their societies. Women have virtually no rights to do anything for themselves. There entire lives are controlled by and lived for some single else. Through their songs, they dirge the conditions of their lives and are able to convey a beauty in their verses that all people can identity with. (67 words)Key Words Pashtun, women, honor, oppression, songsLove and struggle, two concepts that are so contradictory it is hard to deliberate they could ever coexist simultaneously in one society. War is a state of conflict, hostility and chaos which reeks havoc on civilizations as opposing forces grapple to defend their cause not matter what the price. Through start history the world has seen the devastation such conflict can bring from the gory conquests of the ancient Romans, to the dreadful Nazi Holocaust in World War II, to the bloody battles between governmen t forces that raged in Afghanistan. It is in this world of mayhem and cruelty that Pashtun women essential fetch on their lives. They attempt in whatever possible to learn and salvage any kind of love and beauty amidst the turmoil of their warring nation. These women must find ways to stay strong and resist the oppression forced upon them by their patriarchal society which coerces them into hard physical labor as well as demeans their humanity as their status is reduced to nothing more than property (Majrouh XIII, XIV). The song of the Pashtun woman is her escape, her release, and her joy as she unites with other women in her community and sings out against her oppression. Through these landays, or songs, one sees another dimension to the lives of Pashtun women as they transform the misery and grief of their everyday lives into a spirit of beauty as they lament against their oppressors and find ways to love scour in a time of war. In order to fully appreciate and understand what is conveyed through the songs of these women, one must understand the historical, social and political context in which they are living. Afghan women have lived and continue to live in an oppressive patriarchal society where they are not even regarded as full fledged citizens, and where men control all political, social and economic powers. In the Saur Revolution in April 1978, civil war in... ...xists in the lives of Pashtun women, their songs live on to communicate a spirit of beauty amidst their helpless plight. Through careful analysis of her songs, we are able to see stooge the veil and reach the rich heart of the Afghan woman. There is a joy in her songs that illustrates the perseverance of the human spirit. No matter how demoralized ones life may be, there is a spirit within us all to survive a spirit that cannot be crushed even in the bloodiest of wars or the most hostile of oppressions. It is this universal desire the endure and find quench the thirst for human happiness that connects us all the Pashtun women and their beauteous songs. (1915 words) Works CitedMajrouh, Sayd Bahodine, ed. Songs of Love and War Afghan Womens Poetry. Paris Editions Gallimard, 1994. Moghadam, Valentine M. Revolution, Islamist Reaction, and Women in Afghanistan. Ed. Mary Ann Tetreault. Columbia University of South Carolina Press, 1994.Works ConsultedMoghadam, Valentine M, ed. Gender and National Identity Women and political science inMuslim Societies. London Oxford University Press, 1994.