Sexual Harassment in Karachi: Whose Fault?

almost eveeything i was going to say has already been said.......except for......the article was sensitively written and the personal experiences of the author is what i can relate to........1 million %........thanx!

thank you for your article - very intresting.

as a gori, i was cautious about my first visit to pakistan (staying with family in mirpur, near Islamabad). and i never once felt threatened (felt some letcherous stares, though).
But i will freely admit that i felt restricted - unable to even do for a walk round the village

(although it was shocking when i went to the toilet on my second day and my friend was sent to see if i was lost!)

If my other plan falls through, I may be visiting Karachi alone as i have an aquaitance who has offered to show me around. would i be crazy to do it??

Sattar2 #110: You are correct that it is everyone`s responsibility to create an enabling environment. However, that never happens. If it did, the world would be a very peaceful place. It is the oppressed who have always had to kick and fight to create an enabling environment, for themselves.

In the USA, the reason Pakistanis and others have had it pretty good is because of the battles fought by the Jewish and Black minorities to get civil rights for everyone. Those rights weren`t given to them. Do keep in mind that Blacks were second rate citizens uptil almost 1970 - hundreds of years after arriving in USA. Hindus were occupied by foreign powers for 1000 years. Until they finally got independence, on their own.

It would be interesting to do a study on how Pakistanis are faring in UK, USA, and Canada. I think USA and Canadian Pakistanis are from similar backgrounds. While, as a whole, those in UK are from a different background.

I have not lived in UK, so I don`t know how they are doing. But I have a relatively good understanding of the differences in Canada and US. And they are quite significant. The Pakistani community in Canada is very confident, even aggressive. It considers itself Canadian, unilike the one in the USA, which is still on the fringes.

The Canadian community is now fully into politics. I never participated in an election campaign in the USA, but have arleady heavily participated in one, here. Pakistani women and girls here, confidently wear shalwar kameez, hijab etc. without any fear. And the mainstream politicians are now starting to cater to the Pakistani community, to some extent.

If you look at the Punjabi community (Pakistani Punjabis combined with Sikhs), the influence is even more.

In the USA, there is absolutely nothing like that. Pakistanis are even scared, now, to some extent. I have seen maybe one or two on the major TV channels. And that too, in an Uncle Tomish manner. Here in Canada, they are a dime a dozen. Every week there are Pakistanis on talk shows, aggressively pushing their agenda. Canadian federal ministers appear on Pakistani talk shows. etc. etc.

Why such a difference? I don`t know. One reason has to be, as you said, the space that Canada allows to everyone. In this, Canada has to be unique. The second could be that the pro-Israeli lobby does not enjoy nearly the same influence in Canada, as it does in the USA. It tried very very hard to get Canada into the Iraq war, and into a subsequent conflict with Muslims in general, but did not succeed. I think America`s involvements in the Middle East have made it tougher for certain minorities in the USA, now. Canada has stayed away from that.

A third reason could be the rapid rise of South Asians in Toronto and Arabs in Montreal. In twelve years, 19% of the minority population of Montreal will be Arab. In twelve years, there will be about 2 million South Asians in Canada, in a total population of plus/minus 35 million. That would be the equivalent of around 18 million South Asians in the USA. One million of them will be living in Toronto. So one out of every eight or so Torontonians will be South Asian, statistically.

Another reason is that the minorities in Canada aren`t fighting it out with each other (other than the pro-Israeli lobby) to influence Canadian policy on issues overseas, since Canada has very little influence. While those in USA are doing so.

But, I think, in all of this, the main reasons have been the minorities, themselves, taking advantage of the situations.

Romair,

I am viewing the example of expat Pakistanis very differently than you …

If Pakistanis settled in Canada are better organized than their counterparts in the USA, it’s probably due to differences in their respective socio-political landscapes. This suggests that macro conditions to a great extent dictate how a community interacts with other elements of the society, and whether a people “excel” or “merely exist”. Giving most of the credit to Canadian-Pakistanis … and not to these conditions … is incorrect in my view.

In other words, did Pakistanis settled in Canada encounter severe discrimination and overcame big hurdles to rise to leadership? If yes, then what’s holding them back in USA? Pakistanis are the same … whether settled in Canada, in USA, or in the UK.

Furthermore, if some women are not interested in bettering women’s condition, it should not be held against women at large. Some women care, some do not, and that’s life. Given a chance, they will surely do better. Creating conditions conducive to such changes is everyone’s responsibility … more so of the privileged than the oppressed.

#107-108:

looks like a turf fight

the point it highlights is once again women are being made a scapegoat and they have no recourse to justice

a point that sajal and other women have made many times and they are fleeced by obfuscation

the query remains:

where is justice for the abused women?

Orphan christain girls attacked in their hostel. Administrator`s stripped naked.

1. Ghazala Shafique, the administrator of the hostel reported that under police supervision, at the behest of one self-appointed Bishop Sadiq Daniel, George Bhattei, Zafar Iqbal, and ..(name not clear) 30/40 persons lay seige to the hostel.

2. They barged in and assaulted her and other girls.

3. later on she was stripped naked and paraded around.

She reported at a press conference in the presence of her husband Qadri shafiq kaNwal, Bishop Eijaz Naik and HR organisations.

4. When she called 15 ( emergency police #) the police & SHO of women police ( another Ghazala) provided protection to the assailants and continued their assaults even upon those who responded to help.

Police refused to register an FIR.

The victims have appealed the Federal, Provincial governments and Federal Justice department for intervention and propper action against Bishop George--who moves in very influential circles.

---

...Bishop George--who moves in very influential circles.....
Hmmmm!

So it is simply a matter of who owns the buffalo.

Hmmmmmmmmmm!

(and how much time we spent on intellectualising and maligning you-know-who)

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

The news that never happened: At least not for the English-medium papers. Jang reported it hidden inside.

Not the way such news get reported when `moderation` and `enlightenment` ( nudge nudge wink wink) seeks fatwaas to be declared Halaal.

Summary in english will follow this post.

It is always the fault of the men!!!.Why waste time arguing archaic religious edicts regarding societal rules , or regulating how men and women should behave in public?.Acc. to women it is always the fault of men.It is so much easier to placate women by agreeing with them and continuing to be what we are , MEN.Some of us will go to excess and must be punished.But men are from mars and women are from venus and that`s how nature has evolved.But all this debating and nit-picking will have disastrous consequences for both men and women and will come to naught.Better we debate over Morarji desai or punjabis and the perennial indo-pak issues which some day may even have a resolution.But not the behaviour of men and women.Live and let live.And punish those who cross the line as a deterrant for others, hopefully.

Corina #101:``Romair - using your logic - the fault of poverty in Pakistan`s class stratified society is that the poor havent stood up (are too lazy, timid?) for their rights. It has nothing to do with political or social or economic factors that perpetuate cycles of oppression? Thus the answer would be then for the poor to demand their rights without the rich realizing and acting upon their role in perpetuating cycles of oppression? Please, lets be more critical than that.``

This is not what I am saying. I am not saying the problems of women in Pakistan are self-created. Neither are the problems of the poor. However, the solutions for the problems in both communities will have to come from within their own groups.

And yes, people will only come out of poverty if they are able to demand their rights, on their own. Do you really think the rich will voluntarily hand it to them? Has that ever happened historically? The history of mankind and its social divisions are based on the rich and empowered (be they individuals or nations) exploiting the poor and weak. Not of the rich and empowered, helping the poor and weak.

Everywhere the weak have risen, has been through leadership within their own communities. Do you think the colonists would have left their colonies, had the locals not produced local leaderships?

So, the poor in Pakistan will rise only when they are able to force their way up, through leadership rising from within their own communities. Similary the women will rise, through leadership coming from within their own group. That is not how it should be, ethically speaking. But that is how it works, practically speaking. That is how women got their rights in Western countries. That is how the Blacks got their rights in the USA.

And I think the women in Pakistan (specifically the affluent) would be making a mistake, if they are relying on the men to provide them with their rights. The whole reason the women are oppressed is because men, as a whole, have something to gain from it. This is why the poor are oppressed, by the rich. Why would they give up these privelages voluntarily?

sattar2 #103: You are correct. It is everyone`s problem. Every social problem is everyone`s problem, in theory. However, practically speaking, the leadership intiative to solve a problem has to always comes from the affluent group of the community that is being affected. If that does not happen, then nothing ever changes.

For example, the treatment of ethnic minorities in any country is everyone` problem. However, an ethnic minority will only be able to establish itself, if the leadership comes from within itself. The worse thing they can do is to rely on others to solve their problem. Others will have their own interests to protect.

As an example, take the Pakistani community in the USA and in Canada. There is a big difference between the two. The Canadian Pakistani community is very active politically. It has members elected at every level, from municipal to Federal. There are Pakistani running for mayorships is some of the larger cities. There is an active political structure, in its infancy. Pakistanis are regularly on TV talk shows, pushing their agenda. Due to this, Canadian officials, from PM to ministers are regular attendees at Pakistani functions and TV shows.

However, in the USA, the Pakistani community has taken no such initiative. It is rudderless and leaderless. It is relying on the goodwill of the rest of the society for protecting and pushing its interests. As we are slowly finding out, after 9/11 that can be quite unreliable. Other communities will push their agendas, many of which will be counter to the Pakistani community`s issues.

Similary, in Pakistan. until the affluent amongst the women, do not take leadership positions, in large numbers, nothing will change. I think too many of them are relying on the rest of the society, or on men, to take the initiative. That may happen in small numbers, but historically speaking, in any country, it has never been the cause of change, for any particular community.

If you think otherwise, do provide some examples, that counter this claim.....

Romair (#19),

Harassment of women is not a women’s problem, it is our problem. When women are suppressed, everyone suffers … and whoever takes the initiative towards a just solution, will be a better person for it. First step should be taken by everyone … and not merely by them. It is the collective thought process of a people that makes them excel or fail as a nation.

I noticed it earlier, but did not get around to making this comment. Corina (#87) has correctly highlighted what seems to me the proper way of viewing the issue. Regards.

#99 catfischeblues aned #101 corina

{``Therefore, according to your argument, lets not talk about sexual harassment in order to reinforce women’s reputation as the silent weaker ‘inferior’ sexA``}

I don`t mean to condone sexual harrassment. I just want to introduce a measure of proportionality here. Let`s get the countries to punish rape crimes, violence, and slavery first. Go for the low-hanging fruit - that`s a pretty ugly way of putting it. I mean let`s eradicate the universally-disgusting crimes of rape, mutilation, slaughter, slavery, and abduction. These are so commonplace in the world and the criminals get away with literally murder. While you are emphasizing harrassment, they are laughing at you saying that they are only raping and not harrassing. Please be rational. You will make more progress that way. Once rape is punished as a crime, sexual harrassment itself will diminish and hopefully disappear.

kardesh - Sexual harassment and rape fall on different parts of the spectrum of the assertion of power over women. The frequency of both of these in Pakistan is based o on the manifestation of laws like the Hudood Ordinance which grant women no legal protection in the event of a sexual crime against them. Are women only to speak out after they have been criminally assaulted? Or are women, based on your comment, from the Third World only to speak out after they have been criminally assaulted? Catfischblues articulates it well:

Therefore, according to your argument, lets not talk about sexual harassment in order to reinforce women’s reputation as the silent weaker ‘inferior’ sex, thereby paving the way for the patriarchal order to continue raping and abusing women? Because sexual harassment is something our daughters and women should grow to uncritically accept as a norm in society??? (!)


catfischblues - am not implying that crimes against women are something that are particular to Pakistani society. Am not trying to project Western society as the ideal society of the emancipated woman. Made the `gora country` comment in response to an interactor`s comment on how `we at least respect our women` to emphasize one point: Pakistan has legalized punishing women for reporting rape unlike any other country in the world. This is shameful and particular to Pakistan and we need to realize that.


mohar11 and Romair - using your logic - the fault of poverty in Pakistan`s class stratified society is that the poor havent stood up (are too lazy, timid?) for their rights. It has nothing to do with political or social or economic factors that perpetuate cycles of oppression? Thus the answer would be then for the poor to demand their rights without the rich realizing and acting upon their role in perpetuating cycles of oppression? Please, lets be more critical than that.

Rape is much more than sexual gratification.Its intent is violence,which is perpetrated through sexual means and the impact is psychological and social more than physical.It is ``show of strength`` or ``imprinting the authority``on the victim or the family of the victim.In latter case,the female is actually the scapegoat and hence undergoes double trauma.

Lot of cases of rape and other forms of sexual harrassment are not reported for the fear of ``badnaami`` and often the victim is advised to keep shut even by the close relatives.In most cases there is literally no support from the closest relatives.

If reported,there is hardly any chance in countries like India and Pakistan to get justice and the laws are such that they do not help the victim.Even the justice delivery system is such that it ultimately helps the criminal.

Bribery,nepotism etc......go again in favour of criminals

Often the role of press and electronic media in such cases is not positive.

All these factors plus may be more,reinforce the idiom,``jiski laathi,uski bhains``.

This vicious cycle can only be broken by women`s resolve to fight out and an active movement at social level-they have to take the laathi in their hands and dont look for protection from males.

kardesh,

``And, little Miss Tuffet here is bothered by sexual harrassment in Karachi?``

Therefore, according to your argument, lets not talk about sexual harassment in order to reinforce women’s reputation as the silent weaker ‘inferior’ sex, thereby paving the way for the patriarchal order to continue raping and abusing women? Because sexual harassment is something our daughters and women should grow to uncritically accept as a norm in society??? (!)

Corina Carrumba,
Holy Tamales, Caramba! Mama mia,

The world is coming to and end. Little girls are raped, slaughtered, mutilated, slaughtered, and burned in Gujarat, India. Women were the primary victims in the tsuanmi disasters, girls are being sold in Indonesia, Afghanistan, and NWFP. A woman is gang-raped by Panchiyat edict in Pakistani Punjab. Female infanticide is rampant in India. Women are losing their feeling of life through female circumcision in Africa. And, little Miss Tuffet here is bothered by sexual harrassment in Karachi?

I feel for you. Vaya con Dios y muches frejoles.

Salim Ahmed Chauhan