Islamic laws, gender discrimination and legal injustices: The Zina Hudood Ordinance of Pakistan and its implication for women -AND- Shared oppressions and narrative and cross-cultural communication through autobiography in the Muslim world

The first essay will examine the trend of sexual violence against women that emerged in Pakistan with the introduction of the Idamipation process through the implementation of the Sharia laws since 1979. The paper's main focus will be on rape and the state-legislation that governs it, namely the Zina Hudood Ordinance of 1979 and the Law ofEvidence of 1984, and how the gender-discriminatory nature of these laws in the name of religion serves to subjugate women. The second essay d evaluate the importance of M u s h women's autobiographical writings as a medlum for resistance and cross-cultural communication in the M u s h world through shared histories of gender-oppression. The essay will explore the writing of a Pakistani feudal wife, Tehmina Durrani through an analysis of her autobiography, My Feudal Lord, whch sets out to expose the Palustani feudal male elite and its mistreatment of women.