Today, 6 March 2021, Dr. Pallavi Pathak, Akke Draijer de-Jong, QLSc., and Dr. Ari Kamayanti started the International Guest Lectures series 3 today, which will still commence to men’s perspectives tomorrow. Dennik, a Peneleh Activist, was the moderator as well as MC for this session.
Pallavi sparked the discussion about the role and position of women in Hindu. Women are sacred representation of Goddess (Durga) hence they are adorned and celebrated. She explained that the decline in women position in society was pretty much iniated by cultural intervention (such as castes).
Akke talked about women in Roman Catholics churches perspectives. She delineated that “sin of Eve” is still now carried by most women. This should change. She stressed the point that God has created Men and Women in His (God’s) Image which accentuates the equal importance between the two.
Ari started by describing the “gender and sex fuss” as a result of growing capitalism. Traditional or vernacular gender has been replaced by genderless society in order to place everyone as labours for economic growth. Only by turning back to religions (not the misconceptions of religions), will we be able to achieve harmonious divine civilization.
The lecture was alive and warm. Prof. Evangelos Afendras chimed in with his view as religious sceptic. This view, however was responded by Akke, who believes that “Our Father in heaven” teaches us to be kind and gentle to others. Ari also commented that religions can not be blamed for the injustice that exist on earth. This was caused by people (in the name of religion), takes religion to their own advantage and interest to gain power or wealth for their own sake. Islam is rahmatan lil alamiin (blessing for all), and it was by design that Islam is now seen as a threat causing Islamophobia. The attack is not just on Islam, but also all religions, to transform them to SCIENCE-BASED religion instead of GOD-BASED religions.
The lecture was closed with a quiz and the participants who got the right answers were rewarded free e-books of the newest publication of Penerbit Peneleh.
You may check out the lecture recording on YOUTUBE. Be sure to join us again tomorrow for the second session of (Wo)Men and Religion.
