In the middle of the Covid-19 outbreak, the failure of capitalism in all fields continue to be unmasked. As we experience the worst recession since the great depression, inevitable economic collapse is seen in many countries including the major global economies and unprecedented immoralities such as domestic feuds and the surge in school girl’s pregnancies have been reported.
Alarmingly, the recent reports reveal the increase of teenage pregnancies since the closure of schools three months ago. This unethical act has been the norm in both boarding and day schools for decades. The recently released study in the country, shows about 152,820 school girls across the country were impregnated since the government closed all learning institutions over Corona virus fears. Although the government has dismissed the figures terming them as obnoxious, the fact still remains that sexual acts are among the evils rampant in any democratic society.
Even before the Corona virus pandemic, this indecency is widespread; School girls engaging in sex, urban prostitution, and homosexuality which have become today’s norm. As a result of this egregious behavior, deaths of girls and women are on high rise due to sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS and SYPHILIS. Furthermore, cases of dumping infants are not uncommon in Kenya. Sadly, in a recent campaign to restore the Nairobi River, close to thirty bodies of infants were retrieved from the river.
This perpetual problem has elicited a mere blame game between the teaching staff and the parents. The parents blaming school administration for its reluctance in dealing with some of the teachers found in sexual abuse of school girls. And teachers on their side accuse parents of negligence to raise their children with proper manners. Likewise, it has been argued that the abolishment of corporal punishment in schools has attributed to this social decadence. In 2018, when cases of indiscipline were rampant, a section of MPs led by the Gem MP, Elisha Odhiambo alongside Nyandarua’s women Rep Faith Gitau asked the government to reintroduce this form of punishment in schools to restore discipline.
However, this crisis is related to the dominance of capitalist system and its political doctrine of democracy. Built upon the erroneous economic policies, which are bound to favor the handful elites while leaving many in abject poverty hence compelling them to indulge in commercial sex as means to sustain their livelihoods. In addition, since benefit is solely the progressive criteria of life in a capitalist society, people are made to fight for worldly materialistic benefits by any means. Based upon this corrupt view on life, many of the school girls have indulged in sex. On the other side, democracy- a system marketed in the Muslim world as a prosperous political system that has given human being an absolute authority to legislate laws which are against Allah’s laws has led to the secularization of women via its so-called freedoms. As result of these biased freedoms and values, women walk naked yet considering themselves as dressed! These biased values of life have ruined the social lives of women and girls and are seen as commercial commodities promoting this obscene activities.
Upon this corrupt system, schoolgirl pregnancies along with cases of abortion will keep escalating. To solve this problem, we need to find an alternative system which is none other than Islam. The implementation of Islam in all spheres of life guarantees a high moral standard in the entire society. The profound Islamic ruling on women generally aims at seeing women as honor to be protected at all times and not an object of exploitation. Islam has obliged the guardian /father to take care of his family affairs and incase of his inability the state is entitled to enable him to manage it since it is the state responsibility to create jobs for its citizens. Moreover, Islamic economic system dictates that wealth should be distributed indiscriminately. Islam has commanded girls from the age of puberty to wear Hijab, and outlined guidelines on the relationship between man and woman aiming at protecting the woman’s dignity. It has laid down a penal code (Uqubat) upon which anyone committing fornication and upon conviction by the court is punished severely. However, it is worth mentioning that fully implementation Islam in life is through a state and not an individualistic idea. That state is the Khilafah which Muslims globally should work diligently for its re-establishment through which Islamic society will be able to radically eradicate all social vices.
Shabani Mwalimu
Media Representative
Hizb ut-Tahrir Kenya
29/06/20.