Dehradun, May 5 -- It is worrisome that tens of thousands of people turned out at a rally held by the fundamentalist organisation, 'Hefazat-e-Islam', in Dhaka, to protest against granting equal rights to women. It was claimed that the concept is against the Shariat. That this should happen in a country that has even had women prime ministers indicates the inherent misogyny that continues to exist not only in that country, but also in other parts of the sub-continent. Liberal and modern values lose their hold when even moderately less secular forces rise to political power. And, in the case of a nation like Pakistan, for the most powerful person - the Chief of Army Staff - to come out openly in support of a fundamentalist value system, shows...