Cover-Up of a Gang Rape by the Military?

Re: # 176

It is all one way trafic. MM is the benificiary both ways. No body tells the story of the other side. Even if we believe the one sided story eulogising the MM, she was sexed only in compliance with the decision of the people`s court which represented the decision of the majority. It appears all men in Pakistan have turned `Bharuas` who have started a compaign of pandering to the female sex. Tuf he tum par.

Re: # 176

It is all one way trafic. MM is the benificiary both ways. No body tells the story of the other side. Even if we believe the one sided story eulogising the MM, she was sexed only in compliance with the decision of the people`s court which represented the decision of the majority. It appears all men in Pakistan have turned `Bharuas` who have started a compaign of pandering to the female sex. Tuf he tum par.

Re: # 176

Why be so moralistic about sex which is a purely cultural matter? As the MM`s rape story goes the Mai was raped in compliance with a decision of the peoples court called Punchayat. It was accepted by the majority at least as a normal quick execution of
justice. It was only a mullah of the village, who perhaps out of jealousy that he was not appointed as the executioner by the Punchayat, blew the matter out of proportion. As a result the Mai has gained a lot and is now likely to become a political leader like Phoolan Devi. The moral element if any involved in this case is the exposure of the brutality and mockery of the so called judicial system in the Land of the Pure.

When Rapists Walk Free

When Rapists Walk Free
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

Published: March 5, 2005
One of the gutsiest people on earth is Mukhtaran Bibi. And after this week, she`ll need
that courage just to survive.
Mukhtaran, a tall, slim young woman who never attended school as a child, lives in a poor
and remote village in the Punjab area of Pakistan. As part of a village dispute in 2002,
a tribal council decided to punish her family by sentencing her to be gang-raped. She
begged and cried, but four of her neighbors immediately stripped her and carried out the
sentence. Then her tormenters made her walk home naked while her father tried to


shield her from the eyes of 300 villagers. Mukhtaran was meant to be so shamed that she
would commit suicide. But in a society where women are supposed to be soft and helpless,
she proved indescribably tough, and she found the courage to live. She demanded the
prosecution of her attackers, and six were sent to death row.
She received $8,300 in compensation and used it to start two schools in the village, one
for boys and one for girls, because she feels that education is the best way to change
attitudes like those that led to the attack on her. Illiterate herself, she then enrolled
in her own elementary school.

Nicholas D. Kristof/The New York Times
Mukhtaran Bibi in September 2004.
I visited Mukhtaran in her village in September and wrote a column about her. Readers
responded with an avalanche of mail, including 1,300 donations for Mukhtaran totaling
$133,000.
The money arrived just in time, for Mukhtaran`s schools had run out of funds. She had
sold her family`s cow to keep them open because she believes so passionately in the
redemptive power of education.
Now that cash from readers has put the schools on a sound financial footing again. And
Mercy Corps, a first-rate American aid group already active in Pakistan, has agreed to
assist Mukhtaran in spending the money wisely. The next step will be to start an
ambulance service for the area so sick or injured villagers can get to a hospital.
Down the road, Mukhtaran says, she will try to start her own aid group to battle honor
killings. And even though she lives in a remote village without electricity, she has
galvanized her supporters to launch a Web site: www.mukhtarmai.com. (Although her legal
name is Mukhtaran Bibi, she is known in the Pakistani press by a variant, Mukhtar Mai).
Until two days ago, she was thriving. Then - disaster.
A Pakistani court overturned the death sentences of all six men convicted in the attack
on her and ordered five of them freed. They are her neighbors and will be living
alongside her. Mukhtaran was in the courthouse and collapsed in tears, fearful of the
risk this brings to her family.
``Yes, there is danger,`` she said by telephone afterward. ``We are afraid for our lives,
but we will face whatever fate brings for us.``
Mukhtaran, not the kind of woman to squander money on herself by flying, even when she
has access to $133,000, took an exhausting 12-hour bus ride to Islamabad yesterday to
appeal to the Supreme Court. Mercy Corps will help keep her in a safe location, and those
donations from readers may keep her alive for the time being. But for the long term,
Mukhtaran has always said she wants to stay in her village, whatever the risk, because
that`s where she can make the most difference.
I had planned to be in Pakistan this week to write a follow-up column about Mukhtaran.
But after a month`s wait, the Pakistani government has refused to give me a visa,
presumably out of fear that I would write more about Pakistani nuclear peddling. (Hmm, a
good idea. ...)
Mukhtaran`s life illuminates what will be the central moral challenge of this century,
the brutality that is the lot of so many women and girls in poor countries. For starters,
because of inattention to maternal health, a woman dies in childbirth in the developing
world every minute.
In Pakistan, if a woman reports a rape, four Muslim men must generally act as witnesses
before she can prove her case. Otherwise, she risks being charged with fornication or
adultery - and suffering a public whipping and long imprisonment.
Mukhtaran is a hero. She suffered what in her society was the most extreme shame
imaginable - and emerged as a symbol of virtue. She has taken a sordid story of perennial
poverty, gang rape and judicial brutality and inspired us with her faith in the power of
education - and her hope.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/05/opinion/05kristof.html
E-mail: nicholas@nytimes.com

Addendum to my earlier post:

March is considered to be the Women`s History Month and is celebrated with performances, lectures and special events highlighting the successes and progress women have made so far. It`s ironic that women in Pakistan are still decades behind the rest of the world. And, the most crucial factor is the prevalent environment and the $hitty culture that contribute to the social menace. The month of March should be a month mourning for the women in Pakistan.

Re: # 173

What do you expect from the worshippers of the `Black Stone` (just by the way) and that too at the public expense? They are only ritualistic stuntbaz, `Inshallah, Mashallah`. It is Jahilia par-excellence, enlightened only with regard to their self interest.

Please read this also.

``Piety at public expense

The practice of flaunting their fake piety at the public expense by the latest three successive PMs reminds one of Quaide Aazam who never used his religion as a political stunt though his opponents often raised propaganda about his ignorance of religious rituals like namaz, etc. As regards Hajj and Umra, neither Allama Iqbal nor the Quaid ever performed this ritual. They both achieved their place in the political struggle for the emancipation of Indian Muslims on the basis of their sincerity of purpose and honesty of character. How much the Quaid was scrupulous in this respect I quote one instance. In 1945 (if I rightly recollect) during his visit to Peshawar a delegation of mullahs belonging to Muslim League met the Quaid and requested him to offer his Jumma prayer at Masjid Mahabat Khan to show the people that he knows how to offer Namaz so as to negate the propaganda of the Congressite mullahs against him on this account. The Quid was very displeased at this suggestion and said to the delegation, ``Do you want to make my religion a political stunt? I had intended to offer Namaz at that very mosque today but I would do so now at Landikotal whereto I am proceeding today.`` This was quite in keeping with the Seeratunabi. Our Prophet (PBUH) had also initiated his `Dahwah` on the basis of his character of truthfulness and honesty and not on any ritualistic stuntbazi``.

The following should tell everyone the Pakistani Government`s stance on any legislation supporting women`s rights. Keep on dreaming!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4311055.stm

#171 by ZahraJ

Democracy? Yes, I would always prefer democracy over any form of dictatorship but I would never be a silent spectator under a democracy either.


A post under Beena Sarwar`s article:

#45 by Charlie on February 22, 2005 4:05pm PT
Captain Hammad is a nephew of the wife of a key Corps Commander posted north of Rawalpindi who is also related to General Musharraf’s military staff, a Major General.
What is the value of ``Bloody civilians`` in front of a ``high profile army officer``.

All documents are going to be fake? Poor Doctor is going to possess bad character.

Dr Shazia says she can`t sleep. then why General should sleep in presidentail palace. The palace he captured without reasons. this way, he took the responsibility of providing justice to all people of the country. Musharraf is a culprit. Every night, Dr Shazia is sleepless and he sleeps, he becomes worse culprit.

Then PPL officials, Police and Army men. how cheap. Every body is negatively involved in the case. Civil servants (PPL) are playing dirty games of changing statements. Police is dirty as always. talking of them make me feel stink. And Army: May lord destroy such an army who knows raping its people whom it is supoosed to protect. Who knows bombing its people in Wana and Baluchistan and who doesn`t learn from its sins in east Pakistan.

These pakistanis think, west is against them without reasons. fools. It is not possible in dirty, sinful, destined to hell west that in such a case, offenders escape the punishment. In land of the pure, it is a daily routine.

MMA are silent. Their islam goes to hell when there is a need to talk against powerful offenders. Q league are political prostitutes. And PPP, why will they talk. It is not important to get the power. While Mullahs are good at protecting their sisters being raped in Kashmir, What happens to them when their sisters are raped on their own side of the border.

People Talk of Karo Kari. And yes, he is the father in law of Shazia. Such father in laws should be karo karied.

I really appreciate Shazia`s husband that he is still with her and facing the difficulty with her. Seems that education brings positive changes in attitudes.

Realy, there is no solution let to make the system work. Where there is no justice, I mean speedy justice, there is no hope of survival of the society.

I am sorry. I am realy frustrated and I don`t know what I am typing makes any sense or no.

#170 Aziz Narejo:

Does democracy has anything to do with fair and just rights for both sexes and to provide strong laws protecting the women, in particular ? I am not sure if it matters in the Pakistani System. If a judge can be kicked out overnight by a democratic government then I do not think that you should have much hope in a democratic system in Pakistan.

On second thoughts, the law may even penalize the crooks. But if the culture will kill that woman then there is a double issue. Well, you cannot paint the culture with a different stroke overnight. The husband of that woman may be fine, but what if a ``ghayoor`` male in the family decides to kill her considering her a stigma ? Of course, her life will not stay the same. There is no safety for her. She cannot have a male by her side 24x7 to protect her. This is where these islamic nations with ridiculous laws are becoming a menace for the rest of the world.

That`s why I was not only rebuking the legal system in Pakistan but sharing my angst over the prevalent cultural backwardness. Charlie wrote a very heartfelt post under Beena Sarwar`s article on those lines. Please take a look at it as well.

Ideally, if a strong action is taken on this case then that should set an example for all the men in the Islamic Republic to know their boundaries. I am not sure if that culture is cut out to make men know their boundaries. In my opinion, some of it is due to the religious teachings imparted to the locals telling them that men are superior to women. They can get away with many things. Of course, culture plays a significant role in this bad equation as well. I am not sure which culprit contributed first and which one followed.

#169 by ZahraJ
``Pakistan can never get rid of its gender related inequities.``
``...the Pakistani Nation will never be enlightened enough to take effective measures around the issue under discussion. A few articles here and there, a few letters to the current ambassador, a few hot-headed posts/speeches and that`s it.``

It is true. The situation is bleak. It may however come as a surprise to many that there are still some people who haven`t lost all the hope and are engaged in a struggle to have democracy, justice and fair play in the country.

Especially heartening are the events like the Baloch women`s rally in Sui, Balochistan the other day calling for justice in the rape case. It is said to be first of its kind in Balochistan. Then there are the examples of the struggle by the HRCP and the lawyers.

All may not have been lost - at least not yet. There must be some hope. I think the civilian society shouldn`t give up. It can`t afford to do that.

Please read the following quote. It gives us a little food for thought:

First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.

By Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1945

Aziz Narejo,

Pakistan can never get rid of its gender related inequities. The international communities will keep on slapping the local authorities and the locals will continue acting like the true hypocrite slaves they are. This episode will not be the last one of its kind. No measure will ever take place to introduce a definitive law taking care of this issue. You cannot have a law in a 3rd world muslim country to protect women!

These countries are and have been more concerned on catering to the needs of some horny men than providing basic rights to their women. They are so damn insecure. What a pathetic equation! Most of the bigoted and fluffy remarks on this board were to pacify some narrowminded muslim men and their distorted egos.

Sorry, Mr. Narejo, the Pakistani Nation will never be enlightened enough to take effective measures around the issue under discussion. A few articles here and there, a few letters to the current ambassador, a few hot-headed posts/speeches and that`s it. The true measure of effective change kicks in when you institute a law to take care of an issue and you enforce that.

An example of a true measure would be, Megan`s Law in the US. Unless something of that nature is not enforced in the Pakistani Social System, the locals will keep on reporting crimes and violation against women - FIRs will not be lodged and even if they were lodged they will keep on getting disappeared. Men will roam around scot-free looking for another ``condom-entertainment``. Oh, lest I forget... at the end of each accident, the violation will emphasize that it took place in the Islamic Republic.

With due respect, please avoid the following statements:

“Rape of a woman is rape of a mother, a sister, a daughter, ......rape of humanity.”

“No shame, no fear of God, this act must be condemned.”

The above will never ever prompt the slave mentality to enforce a law. These are outdated emotional items. In the current day and age, it should be equal rights for both men and women. If men like to have entertainment in its awkward form then women ought to be entitled to the same. If men mistreat women then women should be entitled to do the same. If there are laws to protect and hide the sins of men then there should be laws defending women as well. All this hudood shudood stuff should be shot and buried alive. Utter rubbihs! This is not a rosy picture. Is it? Do you think that Pakistan is ready to take that leap? I am not sure it will ever. My apologies for sharing the dark truth.

I wish you the best in your mission to bring justice to the victim. As I said earlier, life is too short to be violated by external elements. Every human being has to have the right to cherish and live a life that provides them with basic and equal rights, decent opportunities, security and bliss. Rest are additions in the grand scheme of things.

Regards.

Re: # 165
The biggest prostitution dens, brothels etc. in third-world countries, tend to pop-up around US bases in those countries. The ones in places like Phillipines are legendary. I have friends in the US military, who have told me some wild stories. I don`t know the exact history of Mangla, but someone told me when their was a Western presence there (were they living there?), the Jehlum and Kharian area started seeing a rise in prostitution etc........

Romair,
the colony that now is part of Mangla Cantt was constructed by the American company that built the Mangla Dam. As regards prostitution dens, do not be under the impression that they did not exist before the Americans came. Prostitution is the oldest profession in the world and this part of the world was no exception. I would suggest that you study the history of Mughal India and would come accross the some startling facts. Soon after capturing Delhi, Babar sent dancing girls to Kabul to entertain his wives. This was in 1526.

Irfan: In my opinion, you are under Romair Syndrome. In that condition, individuals should stay in solitary confinement than visit a discussion board. By the way, I was being sarcastic towards a situation or a point not towards a person. There is a difference and apparently you were unable to distinguish. I do not see any point to discuss this matter further with you since we are not on the same page and you are intentionally trying to divert the subject from its course. All these are indicators that you are under the diagnosed syndrome.

Dear Chowk Admin: Hi. I need to lodge a formal complaint. Since it relates to a certain interactor on this board therefore I have decided to document it here. I have asked an interactor repeatedly to avoid addressing me, but he has no regard for it. I have tried to ignore him but then he uses the strategy to misquote me intentionally to attract attention. Previously, he was playing with numbers and percentages for his own purposes and to influence the readership. Now, he is associating a wrong statement with my name. If I correct him then he will have full freedom to write his convoluted interacts addressed towards me. This is extremely annoying and the fact that he has no regard for another interactor`s point of view is even worse. I do not want to address or correct him; but I am ticked off that he is using clever tactics to solicit input on his post. Could you please tell the interactor to mend his ways? I will appreciate that. Regards.

yahyajamil #163: ``while you have a point regarding statistics, we cannot deny the fact that the West, especially USA have some good systems where crimes against women are concerned. We have to admit that not only Pakistan, but nearly all third world countries lag far behind in dealing with crimes against women.``

Yes, this is exactly what I have been arguing from my first post. We should copy those aspects of the Western system, which have proven to be a success in the West. One of which is the judicial system related to prosecution of crime. Another is the high literacy rate for women.

However, we should not start copying, willy-nilly, everything the West throws out. Especially in areas, where the West itself knows it has its hands full. This includes statistics on rape, specifically amongst college students...........

I am quite opposed to individuals who think one should just start apeing the West completely. And even more opposed to ideas that suggest that the solution for every problem is for the West to invade every third-world country.........The later just leads to more violence, more rapes etc......

The biggest prostitution dens, brothels etc. in third-world countries, tend to pop-up around US bases in those countries. The ones in places like Phillipines are legendary. I have friends in the US military, who have told me some wild stories. I don`t know the exact history of Mangla, but someone told me when their was a Western presence there (were they living there?), the Jehlum and Kharian area started seeing a rise in prostitution etc........

One cannot, thus, just ape everything. One should pick out the good and leave the bad. I would certainly not want my daughter to have a 25% chance of being raped, while in college. Nor end up pregnant outside marriage etc. (another big problem in the West). I would however like her to have quick access to justice and to higher education, as in the West..........

Re: # 155 (ZahraJ),

My post is long winded? :)

Let me clarify one thing, for me this is absolutely not a men vs women issue, obviously you`re a feminist and I think that`s cute. But, rather than taking a peremptory and dismissive attitude, try and argue a point rationally. If you think my long winded posts are a waste of your time, don`t read or reply to them. Also, why shouldn`t anyone be allowed to be sarcastic towards you? Are you not on a public discussion board? Have you not claimed that you were being sarcastic to other people? Why the double standards? And since I`m the one writing my posts, I`m the only one who can judge whether they are relevant or otherwise before posting them up for your judgment :)

I have no objection to human rights organizations pressuring the government for swift and firm action. They have been doing it and will keep on doing it. Fine by me. But when you talk about a kind of internation council that `oversees` it has connotations of ceding national authority to an outside agency. No sovereign nation (even one under a dictatorship) would or should do that. You say people are looking to foreign bodies for justice, I can make another sweeping statement saying there are many people in Pakistan who would find such foreign intervention unacceptable.

If the international community needs to pressure a nation, it should pressure the USA to submit its troops to the jurisdiction of the ICC. Or the international community should have intervened far quicker in Darfour, sorry for the shock tactic but read http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3426273.stm and then decide where effort should be focused.