Because He Couldn’t Get It Up!

Azra

Timely article. Musharaf has the knack of giving the most stupid statement at a wrong time and at a wrong place.


nhk

Well written...

I can only add that indeed he has brought disgrace to the country to suggest that women get raped in order to obtain Canadian immigration.

Does he not have any shame to even think about such a thing, let alone say it ?

``President Musharraf blatantly made comments suggesting that rape has become a money-making concern in Pakistan. ``

He does not have much to say anything except giving lame excuses. He is very much concerned about protecting his image in front of the whole world. I wish to bake these small minded, egoist, bstard guys, who rape woman, in the oven with 1000 temperature.

Money making concern, huh..did that girl ask SP to rape her because she wants to go to canada or have some immigration. How many other innocent girls have been raping in the pakistan but their parents can not get justice because they are scared. Scared of the people, and society. When people has started complaing and raisin voice about it, our president considered it as a money-making strategy instead of giving justice. Why is that? Why we, women, can not ask for justice. Why we are not considered as human being? Why we have not been giving support. Why we are always being treated like that.

On the other hand, we are called muslims, living in ISLAMIC REPUBLIC of Pakistan. How much we have been practicing Islam, we are just practicing our stupid norms and worshipping our traditions. Bstard Guys!! I want to shoot them all.

Azra,

As a human being I oppose and abhor violence -especially sexual assaults on women. As a Pakistani, I oppose Musharraf, his stupid statements etc and find these acts obviously reprehensible, let me be the one to shoulder the unpopular cause and ask you this... The protest of less than a hundred people that dissipated in New York yesterday... passed out a leaflet and a press release in which it was said that a rape is estimated to occur in Pakistan every two hours. This is an estimate mind you... though I agree with it in entirety... completely reprehensible... but I think one should also consider that in the United States according to FBI reports- a rape case is reported every 5 minutes. Now this the US we are talking about, the mightiest and most powerful country in the world, where women are not treated like women in Pakistan... and even if we make population adjustments for statistics... there is no comparison... logically speaking ... if things are better in the US for example- and a rape is happening every five minutes there- then Pakistan with a population more than half of the US population should have had a woman being raped more often than the US... let alone in estimates.

Pakistan`s society is becoming stronger and people are getting more vocal ... women are speaking up... people are asking for better law and order, roads, improvement and they are getting them,... None of this is thanks to any ``ANAA`` or any other such organisation I am afraid. Expatriates of any kind are always cut off reality... You don`t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out the ultimate impact of ``ANAA`` aside from giving its office bearers some 15 minutes of fame has done NOTHING for Mukhtar Mai or any of the other rape victims... they can`t do anything... except try and win popularity for themselves...

This is callousness of the worst kind... and may I be forgiven for saying this for I have always found Chowk founders and editors to be very decent people... they too have been guilty of similar callousness ... this desire to become the martyr in someone else`s cause especially when your ``martyrdom`` doesn`t do jacksh-t for that cause.

-YLH

Re: # 5
Excellent poem beej. This is exactly how the situation is in Pakistan.

Re: # 5 beej:

can you pen a similar one for the suffering of bharatiya nari:

something like Pradeeps

mat rho, mat rho radhike
sun le ye binati hamari
jo vipida se har jayee
vho nahi hind ki nari
vho nahi hind ki nari
mat rho, mat rho ....

For Whom the Gun Fires
(By Beej)

Woman
Pakistani woman
The purest of the pure
So we make sure

With burqa
We drape you
With gun
We rape you

But
At times
The gun can not fire
It can not even get it up
For it only fires
To loot
And it only rises
To salute!

Re: # 6 manto:

``but may I ask my Indian friends to please put their own house in order first? Despite being the much touted largest democracy- the situation on the ground is pathetically similar to us- the scum of the earth. ``

well said. This is not the time/issue to ridicule others. Situation within india is not so rosy. Even though no appointed/elected official will give as an outrageous statement, the situation of Bharatitya nari is not very different either.

Re: # 6
ed
Hello Yasser:

Phoolan Devi stood up on her two feet, with head high adn gun in her hand with a group of bandits of her own. Took on the Thakurs with guns. Got elected to Parliament, and got married to a Thakur of her choice before she died.

Do you think Pakistani system is ready to allow Mukhtaran Mai to do this?


Hello Farzana:

Head of nation saying this in a press interview which is on tape (interviewer has told BBC news), cannot be compared to Suketu Mehta`s statement. The President can dance around with words instead he should rise above and aplogize to Pakistani women and I am sure he did not mean it, spontaniety brings out the sub-conscious mind set where such feelings, desires and habits reside any way.

I suspect the truth lies somewhere that there is more machoism and male pride in Pakistani male. I have certainly seen Pakistani females (my friends wives) who are successful professionals, doctors and engineers. They behave so docile and submissive when it comes to dealing with their husband, father and sons. I have a wonderful Pakistani American friend. His daughter is training to be a lawyer and is a close friend with my daughter. My daughter tells me how my friend`s daughter dresses, talks and behaves when she goes out alone or with my daughter. And how she dresses, talks and behaves when is with her family members. She even had a long term relationship with an American boy that none of her family members or their Pakistani American friends kids knew. She only confided about it with my daughter, as she felt safe in sharing it with my daughter. She recently broke up with her boy friend and was suffering in pain that I could see when I met her while she had come to meet my daughter, but was surprised that her parents could not see. So I asked my daughter if evry thing was fine with my Pakistani-American froeind`s daughter. I think this filter that gets put, which hurts and destroys communication between father and daughters among Pakistani Americans and their daughters. It is almost schiczophrenic, completely two different personalities.

I am not implying that such problem does not exist in India, but I know it does not exist among Indo-American friends that I have here, including Muslim Indian friends that I have. One of the Muslim Indian friends is from a very famous Indian family, are openly orthodox shia muslim. Brought up their daughter as very traditional muslim. Even went to India found a groom, a wonderful boy, and got her married while she was 19 or 20. Both parents have studied at Oxford. Their fathers have studied at Oxford. The wife is a very successful high tech entreprenuer. Husband is a successful venture capitalist. This Muslim Indian couple have brought their daughter with the same traditional consistency, in such a way that their daughter behaves consistently, I know it because she is also my daughters friend.

Anil

Anil

I love it how Indians love to exploit all such things and it gets their creative juices flowing... when Pakistan is getting a bad rep... This.. coming from the land of millions of phoolan devis, honour, caste etc.

We have lots of faults... but may I ask my Indian friends to please put their own house in order first? Despite being the much touted largest democracy- the situation on the ground is pathetically similar to us- the scum of the earth.

#6 by Mantolives on September 18, 2005 4:39am PT


This.. coming from the land of millions of phoolan devis,


Here`s where you don`t get it...or maybe you get it and choose to be in denial...

I`m sure India has more rapes per capita than the land of the pure...this is about the number of women who were raped and then put on an exit control list under the personal orders of the military dictator..or women who were raped and then chased out of their country by military intelligence...

Re: # 8

arjun dude

lets not make it a india-pak slugfest.

Womans situation is our own backyard is pathetic, though improving. Wife beating, harassing of bride for dowry, sexual harassments at work place etc. are common. our subcontinent has produced many woman PMs but for a average woman it is still a long ardous way.

hey manto..i`m thinking of starting an online petition to open a canadian consular office in the tribal areas so paki women seeking canadian visas and riches can have a one stop shop..they can get raped and get visas without having to travel much....

maybe the paki army can provide some ``visa facilitation services``... we know they have enough experience in this field..in return, they can get a fixed percentage of the money these women will make once they get their visas and millions... it`s not like they`re busy doing anything else..like fighting to get back Kashmir or something....

Azra:

What Prez Musharraf said is disgusting, and to question him and his role as head of state is incumbent on every citizen of the country, and women everywhere.

Someone should be asking the President: why would anyone go through such torture to end up in Canada? And how does he assume expats in Canada are millionaires?

Facile? Yes. And deliberately so...

For, I wish to draw your attention to the headline of your piece. I do not understand how and why you came up with it. It is striking, but do you realise we are not talking sex here, but rape? The dynamics are different.

It is a known fact that rape is about power and a tool used in war...Suketu Mehta by saying that rape is the beginning of all wars is being even more facile and alarmist.

And I wish you would have examined the politics of the goddess syndrome in most parts of the world. They are designed to keep women in their place -- as mute witnesses as their destinies are written by their so-called devotees.

The attributes of the goddesses you mentioned are full of the frailties that are exploited by patriarchal societies everywhere.

Instead of saluting these, it is time we fought for women to be just women and to have complete rights over their minds, bodies and destinies.
- - -

Yasser:

This is not an Indian vs. Pakistan issue. I would expect you to raise your voice had an Indian leader made a similar comment.

There are some of us who relentlessly pursue the ills that beset our own backyards...and take on those who turn a blind eye....let us not narrow our visions, though...
- - -
#5:

That poem was in poor taste for the language used in this particular context.

I feel sorry for my Pakistani friends.

While it is true that every country has some record, be it big or small, of abuse of women, it is completely astonishing to hear that the President of a country can actually state, in public, that the accusation of rape by the woemn is his country is a money-making racket, and even more so, is a route to escape to Canada ( why Canada. in particular ?).

In any democratic country such a president would be instantly deposed - he would have to leave his chair.

Unfortunately, Pakistan is condemned by its own volition of being ruled by its Army. The President has absolute power. He can say whatever he wants. He can abuse anyone, even 50% of his people (the women of Pakistan), and he will have no problem holding on to his power.

In my limited view, this matches the power, and the idiocy, of Idi Amin. Only difference - the Israelis knocked his teeth in when he stepped over the mark. Will someone do that to dear old Mushy, who has (allegedly) foot in the mouth disease ?

But - has the President been misquoted ? I hear that he claims he has.

What is the truth ?

Hey Farzana..Dr Shazia is in the UK...can we now apply the logic you use the pandits? I mean, come on..it`s the UK...a million times better than being voluntarily relocated to another part of India....