Sexual slavery is thriving in our midst. Whether it is a church father abusing a minor male, or a family selling their daughter into prostitution, or a terrorist group like ISIS or Boko Haram kidnapping girls for use as sex slaves, the pattern of exploitation is similar.
Though the laws of civilized societies no longer sanction such deviations, and the modern cultured mind no longer accepts such actions, our religious texts still contain innumerable examples of deviant male sexuality. This makes it easy for criminal elements to convince themselves and their followers that their crimes against women and children are divinely approved.
In our religious books there is regular sanction for rape, abduction, stoning to death for adultery, and indiscriminate murder. The Bible tells us again and again that a virgin woman is an asset in her father’s hands, while a non-virgin is a liability. Wives, slaves and children are the property of the dominant male and he can dispense with them as he pleases. Abraham’s preparation for the human sacrifice of his son Isaac is acclaimed as the highest form of devotion to the Almighty.
In the Mahabharata, King Yayati offers his beautiful daughter Madhavi to the sage Galava to be prostituted to various kings in exchange for 800 horses of a rare breed. The Quran says it is okay for a man to beat his wife if she is disobedient.
How do we reconcile such acts and norms with the laws of modern nations and with our cherished belief in human rights? Are these the lessons we want to teach our children?
Isn’t it time we edited out some of the unacceptable portions from our religious texts?
Then there are the bigger questions. Why is it that a mob bent upon killing a man, is suddenly diverted from their goal when women are offered to them for rape and abuse?
Does rape give the same thrill as murder? Lot’s daughters, the Bible tells us, were offered to a mob to quell their murderous intent. When the violent mob came after Lot’s male guests he coolly offered his two virgin daughters. And his guests were saved! For this act of nobility he was amply rewarded by an all-knowing God. Lot and his family were spared when the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were razed to the ground, ostensibly for the incurable ‘immorality’ of the townspeople. Lot’s wife was conveniently turned into a pillar of salt (like Ahalya in the Ramayana). Thereafter Lot could merrily commit incest with his daughters without facing any inconvenient questions. If this isn’t convoluted morality, what is?
It isn’t Cain’s murder of his brother Abel that condemns humanity to eternal sorrow – it’s Eve’s tasting of the apple of knowledge. The core message is: Don’t question authority, don’t seek knowledge, don’t think for yourself, just do as you are told – and you’re free to kill and enslave people, destroy cities and rape women.
In the Mahabharata (sometimes called the fifth Veda), Krishna abducted and married Rukmini, Arjuna abducted Subhadra, and Abhimanyu abducted Balarama’s daughter, Vatsala. Poor Balarama could do nothing to prevent the abduction of his sister and daughter, because in both instances his brother Krishna was an accomplice. Bhishma abducted Amba, Ambika and Ambalika on behalf of his sickly half-brother Vichitravirya, who was incapable of doing it himself. When Vichitravirya died, the poor widows Ambika and Ambalika were forced to have sex with the ugly and repulsive sage Vyasa, merely to beget children for the continuation of the Kuru clan.
Parasurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu, and the legendary creator of the state of Kerala, beheaded his mother Renuka at the behest of his father Jamadagni. What was her crime? Well, she just had a few lustful, perhaps adulterous thoughts! Shouldn’t the punishment be proportionate to the offence? No, that’s a modern legal precept unrelated to the Hindu belief system.
Sparta was one of the constantly warring city states of ancient Greece. Spartan mothers would tell their sons before sending them off to the battlefield, “Come back with shield in hand or (dead) upon it.” Most warrior clans everywhere in the world have such hoary traditions. There is no religious text that does not mention, sanction and glorify bloodletting. The Greek Iliad, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are essentially battle legends.
This begs the question: Is war-making inherent in human nature? Is violence embedded in our DNA? If it’s indeed in our DNA does it permeate all our chromosomes or only the Y chromosome? Down the ages war has been a male prerogative, and there isn’t much historical or archaeological evidence of women going to war. That’s why the Y chromosome is a suspect! (We already have evidence that the rare XYY combination has a preponderance of criminal traits.)
In the animal kingdom males sometimes fight for mates and meals, but in our own species what exactly is the link between sexuality, violence and competitiveness? Why do some men enjoy forcing themselves on unwilling women? Why do some men beat their wives? Isn’t it possible to derive pleasure without attacking your partner?
I don’t have the answers. I’m just asking the questions.
