Grave Injustice For Pakistani Woman

[tinybear]

Rape Victim Asks Gov't to Lift Travel Ban

By KHALID TANVEER

MULTAN, Pakistan (AP) - A Pakistani woman who was gang-raped on orders from a village council asked the government on Saturday to lift restrictions on her movement, a day after a court ordered the release of a dozen men detained in her high-profile case.

Mukhtar Mai, 36, said she had suddenly been included without explanation on a government list of people who cannot leave Pakistan.

``Now, police deployed at my home for my protection are not allowing me to go anywhere,'' Mai told The Associated Press by phone from Meerwala village, about 350 miles southwest of Islamabad where she lives with her family.

``I demand that all restrictions on my movement be lifted so that I could travel to Islamabad to meet with my lawyer,'' she said.

Government officials were not immediately available for comment.

Mai, who was raped to punish her family after her brother allegedly had an illicit affair with a woman from another family, made her comments a day after a court in the eastern city of Lahore ordered the release of 12 men who were detained in March in connection with her rape.

A total of 14 men were detained in June 2002 after Mai came forward and told of her ordeal. In August 2002, six suspects were sentenced to death and the other eight acquitted.

But in March of this year, another court overturned the convictions of five men, and reduced the death sentence of the sixth to life in prison, sparking an outcry from domestic and international human rights groups. The man who had his sentence reduced to life in prison will remain jailed despite the latest ruling.

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/ns/news/...94.htm&sc=1104

Do you believe that in this day and age something like this can happen? I think I've finally found something even worse than Indonesian justice. What do you think?

[tinybear]

Nobody cares for the poor woman, I notice. :(

[Matt W]

Tb, not everyone is on the internet 24/7 like you are. 'Specially not on a weekend.

[tinybear]

What's the big deal about weekends? America has flexible working days and hours.

[Agent007]

Despite Pakistan being an inherently Muslim nation-state, it at least must recognize that women have some human rights and are not simple livestock. Some atheists may disagree, claiming that women are simply evolutionary necessities; however, I believe that they are equally significant to men. They may need distinct accomodations, however, because they are physically different, but they should never be abused. Even general Muslim society prohibits the abuse of a well-behaving women; bad women--and men, for that matter, are punished, though. Ultimately, I have deep sympathy for that women.

[tinybear]

Read the article. It was her brother who had an illicit affair with a woman of another family and she gets gang-raped for her brother's sins. Muslim society punishes women and lets the men get away scot-free.

[Agent007]

I did read the article. This case is apparently an extreme case, because in Muslim society--one that follows Muslim religious code--men who sexually misbehave are punished as severely as women who do so. Perhaps this article and others about the same issue are written because they is extreme cases. Do not misunderstand, because I have sympathy for this women and others who are treated in the same way.

[tinybear]

Oh, OK. :)

There's another case though where a Muslim woman commits adultery with a Muslim man. She is stoned to death while he is only given some lashes.

[mindclear]

While the case in Pakistan has shocked Muslims and non-Muslims alike there was another barbaric case in the European country Belgium that went virtually unreported corresponding to the former case. A 37-year-old man was found guilty of having sex with his daughter, aged 11, and then forcing her into prostitution. He was convicted of abusing the girl along with 19 other men in the rural town of Saint Ode, who included the family doctor, a lumberjack, a car repairman and the local shopkeeper. The Belgian judge, more lenient than his Pakistani counterparts, sentenced the guilty to sentences ranging between six months and five years, with some sentences being partially suspended.

Do you believe that in this day and age something like this can happen? I think I've finally found a case even worse than pre enlightenment. What do you think?

[tinybear]

Yeah, but this crime (abhorrent though it was) wasn't purportedly justified by religious law, was it? It's when the most serious crimes are supposedly justified by so-called religious law that makes your blood boil!

[tinybear]

And the brave woman fights back!

A rape victim defies traditional code



By Owais Tohid, Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor Mon Jun 27, 4:00 AM ET

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN - When Mukhtaran Mai, a simple, uneducated peasant of a small village, was gang raped on the orders of a local council, her life was supposed to be over. In Pakistan's tribal and feudal culture, rape victims are usually ostracized. But Ms. Mai refused to back down, dedicating her life to social work and to changing attitudes about women.

The fate of 32-year-old Mai changed when she was allegedly raped by several men on the orders of a self-styled community justice council, known as a punchayat, in the Punjab village of Meerwala. The councils consist of tribal elders and influential feudal lords.

She was punished for no crime of her own. A rival clan went to the punchayat claiming that Mai's teenaged brother allegedly had a sexual relationship with a girl of their clan. Villagers say the boy was merely seen walking with the girl. The punchayat ordered that Mai be raped by the rival clan members to settle the score.

Mai says she shouted and screamed for help while she was dragged in front of hordes of villagers for rape. She walked back to her family house in front of the villagers, shivering, with tears in her eyes. But nobody came forward as a witness in her case.

Initially her parents refused to register a complaint with the police, saying it will bring dishonor to the family and disrepute to the tribe, an attitude no different from traditional practice. But they eventually agreed, due to Mai's commitment to fight.

"I pray to God to get justice as my victory will be the victory of suppressed and oppressed women," says Mai. "God forbid if I lose. Then it will be a defeat for everyone who believes in social justice."

[Farooq-Akbar]

i think we should check the authenticity of any report or article before we start commenting on it.

The rape case of Mukhtar Mai is till in the courts. I think we should wait for the decision of Pakistan's Supreme court's.

I would like to point towards the other side of story as well.

As of now, the rape allegedly took place before complete village but till now police have not been able to find a single witness. On the other hand the village and the village committe state that the alleged rape never occoured.

Muktar Mai belongs to one of the poorest communities in Pakistan. A country where per capita income til 2004 was around $3 - her complete family could not have been earning more than $ 50 per month.

Even than, over the last year she has already travelled to a few countries including Canada and India. She was accompanied by various people on each trip. It is anyones guess how much funds would have been required for these trips.

These funds were provided by few NGO's. These visits are actually fund gathering campaigns by these NGO's.

I do not specifically know about the structure of NGO's dealing with Mukhtar Mai's case but usually the NGO's in Pakistan are a family affair.

Offices are made on personal properties. Immediate family members are accomodated on hefty salaraies. There is no concept of Accountability or proper taxation for these NGO's.

[tinybear]

How do you suggest we check the authenticity of the story?

[Farooq-Akbar]

There are ways for those who really want to.

You started a discussion and i am sure you know about the concept of 'burden of proof'.

[Trotsky]

Farooq my auld mate, tribal committees are notorius for their "justice" system. Look at Nigeria for example, a woman (Safiya Husaini) who was raped and subsequently discovered she was pregnant was sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, after a state court had found the man quilty of rape. Tribal leaders in the Islamic north of Nigeria which taken in under Sharia law....which from my understanding is not Islamic as it "interprets" the Qu'ran rather than following the Qu'ran...held their own "court" and completely dismissed the medical evidence. The womans husband (who subsequently was forced by his family for reasons of honour to divorce her) was apparently being punished by tribal elders for his conduct in buisness dealings. Strange that one!

Same in Saudi....if a man rapes a woman and is found quilty he has two options assuming that she is single...death or he can marry her?!?!?!

Tribal courts (we used to have them in Ireland, probably still do in some parts) are about as fair and balanced as a sermon from Abu Hamza or Eugene Terre'Blanche.

[tinybear]

Quote by: Farooq-Akbar There are ways for those who really want to. You started a discussion and i am sure you know about the concept of 'burden of proof'.

I cited a news report. If you contend that the report is inaccurate, the burden of proof is in you. :)

[Mia]

Quote by: tinybear Read the article. It was her brother who had an illicit affair with a woman of another family and she gets gang-raped for her brother's sins. Muslim society punishes women and lets the men get away scot-free.

Yes, women are keepers of the honor. Twisted to begin with, but this is even more twisted than usual - she didn't even do anything dishonorable.

[Mia]

Quote by: tinybear How do you suggest we check the authenticity of the story?

It's been in every magazine and on every news show - this happened months ago. But this fighting back article you're posting happened before the topic header.

Her fighting back efforts and results were stripped.

It doesn't take away the enormous respect she deserves for standing up to the whole culture and country, but I am saddened that the punishments didn't go through.

I am waiting to hear if she gets to go to her attorney. I admire so much she is still not giving up.

[Mia]

Quote by: Agent007 I did read the article. This case is apparently an extreme case, because in Muslim society--one that follows Muslim religious code--men who sexually misbehave are punished as severely as women who do so. Perhaps this article and others about the same issue are written because they is extreme cases. Do not misunderstand, because I have sympathy for this women and others who are treated in the same way.

Not true. A man can marry his rape victim and get out of punishment in nations using Islamic law.