Fatima Jinnah Women University

Assignment # 01

Gender and Youth Development

Submitted to: Miss Tabinda

Submitted by: Rafia Qayyum
Submission date: 28th October 2010

➢ Rites of passage:

I. Barmitzvah:
When a Jewish boy becomes a man, at the ripe old age of 13 (when, it should be noted, he is allowed to
marry in a synagogue, though presumably not under various national laws) he is invited for the first time to
read from the “ Torah (which is the law of God which was revealed to Moses; comprising the first five
books of the Old Testament) any male member of the congregation is invited to do from time to time. This
does not generally take the form of a special service, but he reads the part of the Torah that is up to be read
that Saturday in fact, the process is pretty much invisible. After the service there can be some actual
reference to the specialness of the day and it is usually followed by a Kiddush which is the ceremonial
blessing and drinking of wine and eating of bread. Then comes a party, which is fun. And there's smoked
salmon..

II.Sati:
Sati is the ancient Hindu practice where a widow throws herself on the funeral pyre of her dead husband.
Although now illegal, the practice still happens throughout India today, with the most famous case being
Roop Kanwar. Sati is said to cleanse the families of the bride's mother, father and husband. Any children
are then orphaned and left to fend for themselves. The practice of sati dates from the time of goddess Sati
who was so distraught after the death of her husband, she burst into flames. It was particularly popular
among the Rajput princely families in Rajasthan. In Hinduism, a woman is regarded as a bird of ill-omen
(kulachani).After the death of her husband, she has to walk barefoot, rarely straying from her residence;
more importantly, she becomes an economic liability. Widowers, however, are free to remarry.

III. A Bizarre Wedding:

In some Hindu communities, it is not unheard of for a sick child to marry a dog. This is not a marriage that
is ever consummated in any way, but rather to ward off the evil eye. The children who are married are
often sick or troubled by ill-fortune. It is believed that by marrying a dog, they will transfer all their
illnesses and bad luck on to the animal. This practice is widely condemned in the Hindu community.

IV. Confession:
First Confession marks the belief that a person becomes morally responsible for his or her actions and
deeds at the age of six or seven and involves a time of reflection, meditation, and prayer about the nature
of sin, free will, and God's forgiveness. During the ceremony the children pray, sing hymns, and have
their first confession with the priest. This used to be seen as a listing off of our sins to await our
punishment, but now is more like a spiritual counseling, where the child can tell the priest what he or
she is worried about and receive guidance.

V. Masai:
The most important religious rite of passage for a Massai male is the one where he goes from boy to
Moran (warrior). The rite starts with the mass circumcision of boys aged from 13 to 16, after which they
are then sent out into the wilderness of East Africa for two years. During this time they have to prove their
manhood, virility and strength but they are allowed no contact with established warriors and have to fend
for themselves. The ultimate proof of success is if a boy can prove that he has killed a lion while in
seclusion. During this time, the boys dress in black robes and are adorned with white markings.

All information is taken from ( https://www.bbc.co.uk/ )

➢ Analysis:
These rites of passage are religious and strictly followed in the people’s lives.
Sati is the most condemned rite in which widow throws herself in her husband’s funeral pyre.It is against
human rights because life is a person’s basic right. A Bizarre Wedding is just a superstitious rite because
illness and bad luck can never transfer to the animal by wedding. Masai is from Masai religion in which
boys are sent to East Africa alone so that they can prove themselves and become a good warrior.
Confession is a ceremony just to tell that now boy is responsible for his action or deeds. Brmitzvah is
Jewish rite. It means 13 years old boy allowed to marry a synagogue.