Mukhtaran Mai vs. the Rest of Pakistan

I was getting annoyed by umpteenth article about Mukhtiar Mai and her ordeal. Now, I think the more articles and media exposure she gets, the better it is.

One should realize there will never be any justice for her in the system. However, the constant challenge to the PakiSatani authority will take the poison out of these snakes` fangs. The fangs will remain. With time, hopefully, they will be defanged too.

There is an article on Mukhtaran Mai at The New York Times (June 14, 2005) also which I`m cutting and pasting in the following for the chowk readers. Nicholas Kristoff has supported Mukhtaran`s cause consistently.

Mohammad Gill


Op-Ed Columnist
Raped, Kidnapped and Silenced
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By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Published: June 14, 2005
No wonder the Pakistan government can`t catch Osama bin Laden. It is too busy harassing, detaining - and now kidnapping - a gang-rape victim for daring to protest and for planning a visit to the United States.

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Nicholas D. Kristof/The New York Times
Mukhtaran Bibi in September 2004.



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Last fall I wrote about Mukhtaran Bibi, a woman who was sentenced by a tribal council in Pakistan to be gang-raped because of an infraction supposedly committed by her brother. Four men raped Ms. Mukhtaran, then village leaders forced her to walk home nearly naked in front of a jeering crowd of 300.

Ms. Mukhtaran was supposed to have committed suicide. Instead, with the backing of a local Islamic leader, she fought back and testified against her persecutors. Six were convicted.

Then Ms. Mukhtaran, who believed that the best way to overcome such abuses was through better education, used her compensation money to start two schools in her village, one for boys and the other for girls. She went out of her way to enroll the children of her attackers in the schools, showing that she bore no grudges.

Readers of my column sent in more than $133,000 for her. Mercy Corps, a U.S. aid organization, has helped her administer the money, and she has expanded the schools, started a shelter for abused women and bought a van that is used as an ambulance for the area. She has also emerged as a ferocious spokeswoman against honor killings, rapes and acid attacks on women. (If you want to help her, please don`t send checks to me but to Mercy Corps, with ``Mukhtaran Bibi`` in the memo line: 3015 S.W. First, Portland, Ore. 97201.)

A group of Pakistani-Americans invited Ms. Mukhtaran to visit the U.S. starting this Saturday (see www.4anaa.org). Then a few days ago, the Pakistani government went berserk.

On Thursday, the authorities put Ms. Mukhtaran under house arrest - to stop her from speaking out. In phone conversations in the last few days, she said that when she tried to step outside, police pointed their guns at her. To silence her, the police cut off her land line.

After she had been detained, a court ordered her attackers released, putting her life in jeopardy. That happened on a Friday afternoon, when the courts do not normally operate, and apparently was a warning to Ms. Mukhtaran to shut up. Instead, Ms. Mukhtaran continued her protests by cellphone. But at dawn yesterday the police bustled her off, and there`s been no word from her since. Her cellphone doesn`t answer.

Asma Jahangir, a Pakistani lawyer who is head of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, said she had learned that Ms. Mukhtaran was taken to Islamabad, furiously berated and told that President Pervez Musharraf was very angry with her. She was led sobbing to detention at a secret location. She is barred from contacting anyone, including her lawyer.

``She`s in their custody, in illegal custody,`` Ms. Jahangir said. ``They have gone completely crazy.``

Even if Ms. Mukhtaran were released, airports have been alerted to bar her from leaving the country. According to Dawn, a Karachi newspaper, the government took this step, ``fearing that she might malign Pakistan`s image.``

Excuse me, but Ms. Mukhtaran, a symbol of courage and altruism, is the best hope for Pakistan`s image. The threat to Pakistan`s image comes from President Musharraf for all this thuggish behavior.

I`ve been sympathetic to Mr. Musharraf till now, despite his nuclear negligence, partly because he`s cooperated in the war on terrorism and partly because he has done a good job nurturing Pakistan`s economic growth, which in the long run is probably the best way to fight fundamentalism. So even when Mr. Musharraf denied me visas all this year, to block me from visiting Ms. Mukhtaran again and writing a follow-up column, I bit my tongue.

But now President Musharraf has gone nuts.

``This is all because they think they have the support of the U.S. and can get away with murder,`` Ms. Jahangir said. Indeed, on Friday, just as all this was happening, President Bush received Pakistan`s foreign minister in the White House and praised President Musharraf`s ``bold leadership.``

So, Mr. Bush, how about asking Mr. Musharraf to focus on finding Osama, instead of kidnapping rape victims who speak out? And invite Ms. Mukhtaran to the Oval Office - to show that Americans stand not only with generals who seize power, but also with ordinary people of extraordinary courage.

How to Help:

For more information about Mukhtaran Bibi, see www.4anaa.org/projects/mukhtaran-mai.htm. That`s on the Web site of the Asian-American Network Against Abuse of Women, run by a group of Pakistani doctors, and it`s also the group that is arranging her visit to the U.S. In addition, see www.mercycorps.org. Mercy Corps is working with Ms. Mukhtaran in administering the funds that Times readers sent for her.

E-mail: nicholas@nytimes.com

This is beyond getting justice for her. Once a woman is gang raped, there is never ever going to be any justice for her. She has now become a symbol in an on going fight for women’s rights/human rights and upholding the law in Pakistan.

The Human rights activists are using her to highlight the ongoing human rights violations in Pakistan. The biggest perpetrator of the human rights violation is the army rule in itself.

To reform the system, it is essential to attack it as much as possible. Mukhtaran provides a great opportunity for the human rights activists to take their case international and embarrass the government. The Pak government knows it, and it would make every effort to stop her from leaving the country. She has the potential to become a huge weapon in the fight for modernism, and liberalism in Pakistani society. Her presence in the US and the media attention would be a devastating blow for Islamist, religious fundamentalists, and the army and they would hate to see her face on American TV.

Asma Jahangir is an old hand in such endeavors. She played the mixed marathon game efficiently and got the maximum media attention out of it. She is now going to get the army and the fundos by the balls. The irony is that fundos brought Mai out first. Genie is out now and they will probably regret doing that for a long time.

The court system in Pakistan is doing what Pakistani law dictates. We got to realize that the court system in the US also throws out cases on minor technicalities and it would not care about the political implementation of court’s decision. Pakistan judicial system has to work within its limitations and Judges know that their reputation is on line and they wouldn’t let rapist go Scot free, if there is any provision in the law to hold them. Judges appear to have not many choices. This late in the game, courts are irrelevant anyway.

The army and the mullas are two sides of the same coin. The army likes the world to think that they are anti mulla. Not so. They support each other`s kanjarpana and haramzadgi. The snakes are filled with poison because they haven`t had a chance to bite anyone for a couple of years. So, they are more poisonous and thus dangerous.

US doesn`t care as long as they or their interests are not threatened. Only local confrontation with the evil will bring results.

Many questions come in the mind of ordinary people after a sad issue which turn into a bitter one when Muktharan name was put under ``Exit Control List``. I remember few months back Ex-banker had a photo session with Muktharan in PM house what he asked her? may be he want a promise from her that she will not leave this country. Any ways she a got a invitation from U.S where humans are regarded as human and then anti-terror General came in when he was packing his back for tour of Australia. May be he is still sticking with the old memory of Dr.Shazia when she was planted to U.K few month earlier by the Pakistani goverment and then lots of drums been beated in Pakistan. I have a question with General how can he forget what happend with 2 U.S citizen (Afzal Brothers) and what happend with Mai. If his son been detained in Houston what he will do?? if any Genaral wife get raped then what action he will take??
General there are lots of If`s and But`s in press, they are just waiting for you to be back from a sound trip.

HP #3 makes an half assed comment: ``Her presence in the US and the media attention would be a devastating blow for Islamist, religious fundamentalists``

Time for some fact check. The fact is:

1. that her rape was not instigated by maulvis
2. that her rape was not performed by maulvis
3. that her rape was not blamed on her by maulvis
4. that she was not denied justice by maulvis
5. that her travel abroad was not banned by maulvis

and finally

6. The fact is that it was indeed a maulvi who counselled her into making her story public.

Facts 1-5 are ample enough reason to hang the current secularist dictatorship and their supporters by the balls.

It is truly sad when seemingly educated folks try to blur the tragedy of a situation by blindly throwing the mud around and in the process diluting the intensity of focus, when clearly its the army and the current dictatorship that is to be blamed for this.

Its time to zero-in on the corrupt army. Nothing else matters as high on the list of urgent issues as this menace of this army elite that has its tentacles spread all over Pakistan`s civilian life.

I sometimes wonder if it is even realistic to hope for justice anymore, when we come across such horrendous and abominable stories….it becomes very difficult to understand the meaning of justice, honor, and freedom. It is all relative to who you are, what you are, and whom you know. I wonder how, in the name of ‘Justice’, a panchayat (council) justifies a gang rape….then the ‘Police’ refuse to acknowledge the crime…then the legal system frees the culprits on technical grounds, when there were hundreds of eye witnesses….and then to top it off…the govt. detains the poor soul and denies her the right to express and move about freely…. A total failure at all levels….

It is very disturbing for me to imagine the insecurity and vulnerability of a poor family in such a setup, where there is total disregard for human dignity. Mukhtaran Mai’s voice is a voice of hope and I pray that this dignified and courageous voice gets all the attention it can get. Pakistan is beautiful because of the likes of Mukhtaran Mai, who in their moments of despair and suffering, find reason to fight for those who have endured such injustices or are still vulnerable. Hats-off to her.

You said it navedhaqi, it is foolish from bbegining for us to even think that mai will ever get any justice and that Mushy`s enlightened moderation crap actually has something to do with cases like these.

Malik99,
Be-raather, why get mad at me?

Every time a woman gets up on the podium, demanding for her rights, the mullah brings out Islamic teaching to tell her it is not sanctioned by Islam.
The mullah brigade created the Hudood and Zina laws in Pakistan but I believe in this case, they would rely on good old Anglo-Saxon laws because if this is tried under Zina or Hudood laws, Islam would get a bad name.

Women rights in Pakistan are intricately linked with the Islamic laws mullah fight for vehemently. Whenever anybody talks about women’s right in Pakistan, he/she would come in conflict with the religious laws.

As soon as Mai gets in the US, people would be talking about oppressive Islamic laws in Pakistan in spite of your protests.
Well! it seems that this chapter is closed temporarily but knowing Asma, She is going to come out with another way.

There`s no point in suppressing this woman.The best strategy is to allow her to travel and speak about her ordeal.The positive impression India gets in the international press is due to the openness of our society or the projection of it!!.We do a good job of that and we bare our positives and negatives for all to see or read.This endears us to the common men and women of the world.And, they are the ones that influence buying and selling from products to services.

The biggest mistake pak is doing is trying to suppress reality and spreading the impression that pak is a wonderful place to invest, to sightsee and to do business with.Real people see through the whitewash.Pak will never learn from its`mistakes and that is the greatest tragedy of that country.

I don`t know why every1 linked with media is trying 2 make Mukhtaran Mai a heroine. Wen courts of law havnt found enough evidence to convict the accused wy every1 is pushing tht they should be punished. Meanz we r trying 2 preach tht we dont beleive in law of land? If its so then its not just linked with Mukhtaran Mai. It needs broader changes nd broader perspective 2 discuss. I beleive tht if courts didnt found enough evidence 2 convict the accused it means they r innocent nd media is trying 2 create a hype wrongfully. nd of course politicians are always keen 2 exploit ne such moment.

Re: # 10 How do u know abt the reality? wen al facts nd figures were represented in the court nd court found the accused not guilty wy al of u beleive tht Mukhtaran Mai only is right nd al other r wrong? Definately in such situation syphathies r always with the woman involved but facts are facts.

Re: # 12

You make an excellent point.I don`t know the reality nor am i assuming anything.In fact , i am on Pak`s side on this one.The best strategy would be to let her go wherever and speak.Very soon it will become evident if she`s a fraud or a victim.By letting her travel pak will attain a PR coup.By not , pak will only make things worse for itself.And only play into the hands of the effete individuals who make up 99% of all NGO`s.These people are subversive, elite, intellectual and have no scruples.They will use anything or anybody to attain their nefarious ends.

Re: # 2Thanks Gill........

I think like every successful bureaucrat Mushy has been trying his best to make the right powerpoint presentations but its catchy bullet points and slogans to the US bureaucracy.............he has played his cards very well...............while hiding the dirt under the carpet.....but the truth about his corrupt and dictatorial regime is coming out slowly despite the thuggery he is doing in trying to silence opposition through threats and coercion..............

At last, some sense! If this also turned out an analyeast`s take on some politico-socio-economic issue, I would have to take recourse to drugs! This Mai looks like one of those typical rape cases instigated, sanctioned, carried out and condoned by the parallel governments in the sub-continent, jirga and panchayats. In India, the cases of panchayat passing a proposal to dishonour women, throw a couple who married outside caste to lynch mobs and so on so forth very common. These institutions perpetuate and strnghten the baggage of milleniums and must be disbanded. Having seen their abominable ways first-hand, I can understand their cruelty and the entrencehd nature of politics carried out by elites using these tools.

Re: # 13
Unfortunately both india nd pakistan r surrounded by number of enemies having viscious objective 2 defame nd finally disintegrate both nations. The so called NGO`s r backed by these elements. They r alwayz ready 2 exploit ne issue tht can defame the motherland. How does Mukhtaran Mai belonging 2 illetrate rural background become so enlightened tht now she hav her own site. Definately sumbody is patronizing her, using her for sum personal objective. I condem both of Govt. movez 1st 2 arrest the rape accused even wen they were found not guilty by the court 2ndly 2 detain Mukhtaran Mai nd put her in ECL. But wht ever the reasonz of Govt. may b should we allow a person, like her who is obiviously a puppet in handz of enemies
2 speak against our motherland? Or wht gud wil it do if we allow her? As far as foreign media is concernd they in either case they wil try 2 exploit the situation. But which is the better way? If u r on pak side wht u suggest now?