Mukhtaran Mai vs. the Rest of Pakistan

#230 by ntsyed on June 20, 2005 2:40am PT


Just like an NRA official is very unlikely to be prosecuted for gun-running in the USA, even if there was credible evidence available. He may be prosecuted after he has been removed from the institution to protect the institution. AIPAC-Pentagon fiasco is a recent and ample proof.


you understanding of US politics is probably as superficial as your understanding of the arabic babble you repeat endlessly....only difference is that you`re pounding away at a keyboard instead of rocking your head back and forth....

Re: # 224

miriamk,

Please don`t tell me you`re quitting on me. Whatever happened to `this dear sis is not going to give up a good fight` pledge?

Anyway, we`ll discuss it some time after fortnight from Wed. 22 May, when I return from my business trip and family visit back home.

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Re: #225

Dear Mr. abbaszaidi,

Welcome!

``Even when the accused are in custody, a strong case cannot be made against them due to lack of evidence.``

Whitout a rape crisis facility and the modern forensics technology nearby, what sort of evidence is required in such a case beyond (a) hundreds of eye-witnesses of the panchayat`s proceedings, its verdict, and swift delivery of punishment, (b) confessions of the accused, to make a `strong case`?

I speak for myself when I say the GoP decision-makers don`t want these people hanged, just like the NGOs and their proponents on Chowk. For the latter, apparently the culprits have just as many rights as the unborn baby MM could have conceived as a result of that atrocity. The culprits may not be feudal landlords per se, but they provide critical support to these lords, and the lords in turn allow the govt officials to get away with whatever they can. Executing such rapists would undermine the feudal landlords and their panchayats, and erode their support and the fear they instill in the villagers with such atrocities. Just like an NRA official is very unlikely to be prosecuted for gun-running in the USA, even if there was credible evidence available. He may be prosecuted after he has been removed from the institution to protect the institution. AIPAC-Pentagon fiasco is a recent and ample proof. Not to forget, every feudal family has some very influential army brass in the family. So there`s a risk of fracturing the army as well if an attempt is made to dismantle the feudal system.

Simply put It`s a beast called `20th and 21st century secular/democratic politics`, which most of our westernized-Pakistani elites are head-over-heels in love with.

Tomorrow insha-Allah when Islam becomes the dominent force again, this group will become instant exegetes of Quran and Sunnah as well as most ardent proponents of Islamization of the entire world. History is rife with this phenomenon, although a serious study, as opposed to hearsay, is required to discern that.

:-)~~

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AOA echo,

lol...chill out brother! We don`t need to remind them that for every step forward they take four steps backwards.

You`re wrong about the Pakistani villagers though; they never get the opportunity to learn to read ANY lingo. Thus, they deserve respect and education, not pity.

take care & m`asSalaam everyone.
ntsyed :-)~~

Re: # 228

Echo: salam

The column you sent:

A lot of cutting sarcasm and appeals to the traditional inertia of pakistan poeple but no point in the column. Seems like such people are only busy trying to understand what is going on.

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naeem sadiq

You title is MM vs rest of Pakistan but the factual position is that the whole world is supporting the raped against the rapists. I wonder why it had been made a gender issue vs human rights. See here what I could gather so far from the media.

Mukhtaran Mai is again fearing for her life, forgetting her rape for a while, as according to a news report the people accused of raping her and their friends (12 in all) are going to be released by the order of the High Court. The men who were sent to jail under a preventive black law (16 MPO) only to please Mai at the orders issued by the PM when she had met him along with Ms Kishmala, MNA. As a result of these Nadir Shaahi orders the men suffered three months in jail without any charge when the court held their detention as unjustified being not in the public interest but only to allay the imaginary fears of an individual (Mai, the Great). I wonder what she is up to now as she is stated to have started complaining against the police guard posted at her house, which she alleges has virtually put her under house arrest. It is in fact the Police-walas who know better how to deal with such women who can put any man to shame.

Now coming to the damage this NGO sponsored crusade against Mai`s rape has done to the moral values in general of the society! It has indeed glamorized the rape, a shameful and condemnable crime, into an honorable and profitable business. Even Altaf Hussain of MQM now complains why a rape case of a Sindhi girl has not been given due attention by the government as that of the Punjaban Mai. So the people who once used to hide the rape cases as a shameful stigma are now vying with each other to get their rape publicized with a hope of reward. One wonders why the ritualistic PM gave special attention to the Mai‘s rape, which was in any case allegedly executed at the behest of a Punchayat (Peoples` Court) when the rape cases are galore in the country, which no body bothers to report even. The fact is rapes are being committed in the trains even. A senior police officer is on record who had stated in a TV discussion on the subject that almost all dacoities are accompanied by rape also but the victims who value their honor don`t complain about that crime for obvious reasons. They say that even the film star, Shabnam, was actually gang raped a few years back but she complained about it only as a case of dacoity. And in fact even Mukhtaran Mai did not take up the crusade herself. It was all a suo moto start up by a court, which was later blown up out of proportion by the NGOs apparently with some ulterior motives. It is intriguing indeed as to why to this day we have hardly come across any reaction from the accused party who are stated to be belonging to the dominant tribe of the village. Even the Human Rights organizations remained silent upon unjustified detention of a dozen men of the accused party whereas they are raising such a hue and cry against the restrictions, which according to them have been imposed on the movement of the Mai. So it has virtually become a one sided affair so far as media is concerned and, excuse me, with only feministic comments at that.

By the way, what those NGOs, Ms Kishmala and the woman rights groups, etc., etc., are doing when the Mai is fearing for her life now despite the police guard posted at her house? In fact the whole affair smacks of a comic tragedy or may be tragic comedy which in any case is providing ample material both for the media and the HR organizations to keep them busy.

Trying to assist dost-mitter here:

Muslims are allowed to have infidel women as their property and have sex with them regardless of their (or anyone`s) consent. Obviously, a lost war doesn`t change the minds of those women and the act will be a rape of more enormous proportions. Poeple denying this common sense thesis are free to keeping buying tickets for heaven.

abbaszaidi:

Do you think that america evolved through a dictatorship and it has only recently acquired the technology of democracy from Microsoft?

Religion is no doubt a positive force considering the circumstances which lead it`s birth. But now, it is being compared with the standards of modren civilized man`s own which it cannot compete. This is why there are people criticizing religion because relatively speaking, it has become a slightly evil being. Plus, once of of it`s trance, one can easily figure out that in essense, it is a fraud. Why not protest against a generations old fraud?

This will be my first ever post on chowk. Lets see how it goes.

Dont you all think the Govt of Pakistan wants the people hanged, and that too, quickly so this episode can end ? The culprits are not high ranking feudal landlords that they need to be protected. I talked to a person recently working for the government and he mentioned exactly this.

The main problem right now is of evidence. 2 courts have already been unable to find them guilty beyond reasonable doubt. Had they been in America and the same evidence was available as now (with a weakly written First Information Report (FIR)), a similar outcome could have been expected. We should also focus more on how the judicial system needs major revamping in Pakistan. Even when the accused are in custody, a strong case cannot be made against them due to lack of evidence.

I do not support, in any way, what measures the GoP used with teh Exit Control List and ``house arrest.`` Both these have back fired majorly and cause immense international shame.

On a slightly different note; we should also consider continuous bashing of institutions and pointing at Musharraf for all the flaws with the country. Yes he is ruling as a dictator and that needs to be changed long term, but look at our Senate.

I was reading a report on dawn.com day before yesterday that some people people were removed from the Pakistani Senate for causing disturbance and banned by teh speaker for 2 weeks. The next whole day the Senate was busy arguing about why the people were removed and if it was in the Speaker`s power to do so.

Democracy is a messed up state of government. Even in the west.. look around... is democracy really at work ? If it is, can you indivudally become the Mayor of any city? Do you know the amount of money required to even run for mayor or house of representatives? Just look at how the House of Reps Committees sit and discuss and discuss and argue and argue on small issues for months without end. America can afford the financial burden of an inefficient group like this and also stand up to kids killing school mates because NRA continues paying for stuff. I dont think Pakistan can.

Why have an uneducated Senate and Lower house; in a country where the majority of the population does not vote, and is illiterate, and due to the feudal system the idea of elections itself is so flawed... why not consider one man at the center in control of it all, able to take decisions without answering to anyone, a temporary blessing. A blessing till we become a slightly developed nation where democracy can work? A similar situation in India, where the hung parliaments and oh-so-slow and inefficient state legislatures have shown how the third world is especially not ready for a ``democratic setup.``

I have strayed a little from the main topic so I shall end here. Look forward to interacts on this.