Miso‘jean’ist
By Annie Cyriac
The deep
-rooted misogyny in the male psyche
evident in a catholic priest’s speech has caused a stir in the social media,
recently.
The Deuteronomy
in the Old Testament of the Bible gives rules that the Lord commanded through
Moses to the people of Israel. The verse taken up by the priest is Deut 22:5,
that says “A woman shall not wear a man’s garment.....”The misguided priest,
accuses a girl for wearing ‘Jeans’, which is according to him a man’s garb.
Where in the Bible is it mentioned that Jeans or pants are men’s garments? In Kerala men wear
‘Mundu’.The women folk too wore’’ Mundus ‘and ‘Chattas’ before the sari gained
popularity. Why then didn’t any priest accuse them for wearing men’s garments?
Another verse,
Deut 24:5 says “When a man shall marry, he shall not be liable for any other
public duty. He shall be free at home to be happy with his wife.” I doubt if this same priest who has upheld
the previous verse, would obey this command by letting his male employee go
free for a year, soon after his marriage.
With the
advent of the churidar, the long skirts and blouses that were worn by the
teenagers of Kerala in the 70s, took a backseat. The tight fitting blouses and long skirts
were considered by the society then as meek and demure, while the churidar worn
without a shawl, which is less offensive, is now frowned upon. Double
standards?
The sari,
the most accepted attire of the Indian “nari”.... the Indian woman, is in no
way less vulgar than the Jeans. In fact it can be more alluring and invite the
lurid male gaze to the curves just ‘half hidden from the eye’! But of course
when worn properly both the sari and the jeans can make a person look
respectable.
Are our men
and boys such weaklings as the priest says that they should lose all self
control when they encounter a girl in jeans at a place of worship? Shouldn’t we
be shifting our focus to “men empowerment” then?
It is
blatant misinterpretation, when the priest says that when a man sins, a woman
is responsible and should be punished. In Mathew 18:28, Jesus says “ Whoever
causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better
for him to have a millstone around his neck and drowned in the sea.” Jesus was
talking of little children, mind you, not adults. In Mathew5; 28, it is said that “Anyone who
looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery in his
heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out..... “For out of the
heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery.......... It is obvious that the
unrepentant sinner is to be punished not the cause of the sin!
It is sheer
absurdity to blame the women for the waywardness of men. The misogynist priest
should be held accountable for voicing his thoughts on impulse. It is like
saying that the one who sold the gun should be held responsible for the murder,
not the one who pulled the trigger to commit the crime.
In a
nationwide survey, it was noted that the burden of morality and social order
lay with women. It’s high time we taught our boys to respect all women, young
or old and forge healthy relationships.
Gender sensitisation should be introduced in schools.
Women are not mere objects; there’s a mind in
that body and both command respect. Modernity is not just a lifestyle, it’s an
outlook. Often men consider independent women who dress in western style as
women of low moral character. This mindset should change if we want our
daughters to dream big and fly. How can the daughters of India become Tennis
stars and Swimming champs, if we hold them back for their apparel?
Of course at
educational institutions, work place and places of worship, one should dress by
the norm. To my daughters and female counterparts, I’d just say...... wear
those tights if you want to show off your slim legs. Avoid it, if it makes you
look fat and ugly. And if you are not sure? Ask!
Wear what you love to wear only if you are
sure it suits you. If not, be prepared to bear more misogynist comments. Make
wise choices when it comes to your personal attire. After all, it’s a mad bad
world out there where a man can get away with rape after blaming a female’s
clothes.
No matter if you are thirty, thirteen or just three.
