The General certainly has an enlightened view of rape:
Mr Musharraf told the Washington Post that Pakistan should not be singled out on rape issues as other countries had the same problems.
“You must understand the environment in Pakistan … This has become a money-making concern. A lot of people say if you want to go abroad and get a visa for Canada or citizenship and be a millionaire, get yourself raped,” the Post quoted Mr Musharraf as saying.
I am sorry to point out that the reason people associate Pakistan with rape is not because rape is more popular in Karachi. It’s because of cases like this:
Mai, a 30-year-old woman who lives in the remote hamlet of Meerwala, was brutally and publicly gang-raped in June 2002 by four volunteers on the orders of a village court, or jirga. Mai’s then 12-year-old brother Abdul Shakoor (pictured behind her) had been seen walking with a girl from the more influential Mastoi tribe; they demanded Mai’s rape to avenge their “honor.” Mai’s family sat helplessly while she was dragged into a room, even as she screamed and pleaded for mercy. To further humiliate her, and make an example of those who would defy the power of local strongmen, she was paraded naked before hundreds of onlookers. Her father covered her with a shawl and walked her home.
TimeMukhtaran’s attackers, and the Mastoi of the so-called panchayat that conspired in her rape, were sentenced to death by the Dera Ghazi Khan anti-terrorist court…
…On 3 March 2005 five of the six men sentenced to death were acquitted on appeal by the Lahore High Court, the highest court of the Punjab province. link
Ms. Mai’s case is being appealed and she may still prevail. However, the plight of women in Pakistan is horrible. Ms. Mai is a courageous woman, but most women don’t even try to seek justice because of death threats, shame, and the fact the courts are as likely to acquit as they are to convict. Musharraf’s comment shows an astounding level of insensitivity.
Musharraf isa brutal and duplicitous dictator foer whom the very concepts of human rights and human dignity are impossible to grasp.
It’s tragically fitting that such an abominable creature is a “close ally” of the Bush regime.
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~ Cross-posted from A cup of coffee in Baghdad ~
Spread Freedom and Democracy – unless you are a woman!
Afghanistan stays backward, risk of being stoned to death.
Iraq constitution will be primarily based on Sharia family law. Therefore the freedom gained under Saddam’s rule be be turned back for the veil and burka, no alcohol, films and theaters.
Musharraf told the Washington Post that rape in Pakistan was a “money-making concern” with some seeing it as a ticket out of the impoverished South Asian country.
“It was shocking to read that General Musharraf had publicly aired his low opinion of women,” opposition MP Sherry Rehman said.
In the southern port city of Karachi, nearly 100 women demonstrated outside the local press club and demanded an apology. “He must withdraw his remarks if he really thinks he is a liberal and a moderate,” Women Action Forum activist Nuzhat Shireen said at the protest.
Musharraf made the comments after being asked about the high-profile case of Mukhtaran Mai, who was gang-raped on the orders of a tribal council in 2002 as punishment for her brother’s alleged love affair with a woman from another tribe. Her treatment by the Pakistani government, which tried to bar her from addressing US rights groups about her ordeal, earned the conservative Islamic country international wrath.
“You must understand the environment in Pakistan,” Musharraf told the Post. “This has become a money-making concern. A lot of people say if you want to go abroad and get a visa for Canada or citizenship and be a millionaire, get yourself raped,” he said.
For penitence – a nice contract to Lockheed
Canada’s Answer to Musharraf …
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Pakistan is under fire for what human rights groups say is rampant violence against women.
Martin said he had raised the matter with Musharraf during a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations. “I stated unequivocally that comments such as that are not acceptable and that violence against women is also a blight that besmirches all humanity,” Martin told a news conference at the United Nations.
Pakistani womens rights activists hold a protest rally in Karachi, Pakistan to condemn their President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's remarks to a US newspaper that some women viewed being raped as a way to acquire a foreign visa, Friday, Sept 16, 2005. AP Shakil Adil“And the statement that was made — we did not appreciate (it) and we felt we had to deal with this… (Musharraf) took the position that that was not a statement he had made,” Martin said. The news conference was televised live in Canada.
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Bush makes a mockery of “freedom”, “democracy” and “human rights” every time he utters those words in connection with Iraq and Afghanistan, and with our stalwart allies in Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and (Kyrgistan?).
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Uzbek troops open fire on demonstrators, many flee to Kyrgystan.
May 13, 2005 – UZBEK RIOTS or another “Orange Revolt”?
Uzbek troops shoot and kill 1,000 civilians, border with Kyrgystan closed.
Straw at odds with US over brutality of terror war ally
Dictator Karimov throws U.S. out of Uzbek military base.
U.S. Evicted From Air Base In Uzbekistan
China and Russia sign new oil deal with Uzbekistan.
China, Uzbekistan sign $600m oil agreement
President Hu Jintao and visiting UzbekistaniPresident Islam Karimov review the honor of
guard in Beijing - May 25, 2005.
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Uzbekistan, yes! I had a mental block and couldn’t think of the name. Thank you.
Oui, you posted something about this story a couple days ago, and I meant to comment. It is truly, truly awful.
I fear such men who can only feel mighty by trying to make a woman feel small.
I can’t even begin to grasp this: Her brother walks with a girl and his sister gets gang raped for the “honor” of the girl’s family? Why didn’t they gang rape the brother? Or just beat the shit out of him? I mean, how are the dots connected in this saga? Why was she punished for his “crime”? This makes no sense at all to me. None. What is wrong with these people?!
This story does not promote a global, one-world feeling, to say the least. Makes me feel like whole swathes of the planet need to be laid waste by the wrath of Mother Earth. Not a good feeling.
I had written a diary on this yesterday … then I deleted it b/c, well, I don’t know. It was too depressing. I’m glad you made note of it Boo, and Oui as well.
I read three stories this past week that were related, and they fit with the theme of marginalization in SallyCat’s diary. Of treatment that would be considered questionable, of something close to a lower class. And all three concern women. They stood out because of the content, and because I had been exposed to all three of them within such a short time period (one week).
Equality? Woman of the world? We’re not even close.
The first story, Women hail menstruation ruling. I wondered if they were referring to the book by Anita Diamant The Red Tent, but no. It was real.
Women sent to cow huts and verbally abused because they experience a natural biological function that is necessary to human survival. They are removed from the community. Shamed. Because they are woman. Discrimination is traditional.
The second story, which I’m sure many have heard about, was the ruling that Ontario would not allow Sharia Law arbitration in Family Law matters (Female MPPs spearheaded ban on sharia),
And this is the point of view from a woman who is partial to Sharia Law (Debate stirs hatred, sharia activists say),
Different but equal.
This is happening right now, today, in my province. In Canada.
Different but equal.
And finally, the third story really was too much: Canada’s Martin blasts rape comments by Musharraf.
One of the first diaries I wrote here at BT was about that brave woman, Mukhtar Mai (Positive news re Pakistan honour rape case).
This is what her president said this week,
Oh yes, women of the world. If you’d like to immigrant to Canada, just “get yourself raped.” Crass. Disgusting. Especially considering his complicity in the matter: he locked Mai up and wouldn’t allow her to leave the country when she was invited to the US to talk about her story. And this was big news here in Canada … they carried the press conference w/ Martin live.
These are ‘right now’ examples of marginalization of women in our world.
And when I read them I can’t help but think about the men and women who think that we don’t need to fight for women’s rights anymore.
We’re not even close.
I rather suspect that the only thing the general will learn from this outcry is, next time, to keep his mouth shut.
He doesn’t give a good goddamm shit- he is our big ally -remember? This is called realpolitik in Kissenger’s words
So our bestest friend in the middle east is a dictator who oppresses women? WHO KNEW? Well ,I did.GODDAMMIT
gang rapes and get very little punishment – 11 thugs received 12 month punishment! (ouch)
As if it was not enough to kill Theo Van Gogh, the filmmaker!
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Mukhtaran and her family went to the Jatoi police station on 30 June to file charges.
This news fact indicates the power of local “culture” and this rape not advocated by Islam.
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Traditional Islamic law, which is still very much in force in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran, Sudan, most (if not all) of post-Taliban Afghanistan, and elsewhere, completely disregards the testimony of women in cases of a sexual nature. Aside from physical evidence, the only way to establish rape is by the testimony of four male witnesses (who, by the way, must be Muslims in good standing) who actually saw the act itself. Without these witnesses and a confession from the accused rapist, the victim will stand condemned by her very accusation: she wasn’t raped, so she must be guilty of zina.
There was a
book by Toni Morrison which detailed the horrible mutilations that happen in Africa, Unbelievable pictures. Just awful.
What can I say– if m
en ‘own women’ then this is the way it will be.
Welcome to ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
I am perfectly ready to thwart that shit right now.
Nope- sorry- Islam is not anywhere as brutal as Christianity– in practice—in concept – — well that is up to the enforcers isn’t it?
Christianity does not advocate rape. It has never done it. It does not do it.
On the contrary, if you follow the Koran or the hadith or Muhammad’s biography, then its clear that
Islam advocates rape.
on the basis of either tact or social consciousness.
You can be assured that most folks in Occupied Pakistan, across the political divide, dislike Musharaf even more than you, and would like nothing better than to see both Mush and the US removed.
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Dr Umer Ayub demanded the members of the jirga be arrested, and the alleged rapists of the doctor be hanged at Minar-e-Pakistan to deter such crimes.
Amnesty International ::
Washington DC, March 21, 2005 — With the recent flight of Dr. Shazia Khalid highlighting the lack of justice for rape victims in Pakistan, the World Sindhi Institute (WSI) announced today it would host a briefing on the case in London, entitled “Waiting for Justice: Women’s Rights in Pakistan”.
“It’s a shame that in the 21st century we still must witness a gross negligence by Pakistani officials to prosecute the criminals and to protect the victims in cases such as these”, said Kadir Bux Jatoi, Director of WSI’s European office. “The Dr. Shazia Khalid case has once again highlighted the government’s unwillingness to investigate cases of Violence Against Women.”
Dr. Shazia’s Story: In Her Own Words
Columns by Nicholas D. Kristof
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This is what happens when religion — any religion that is the opiate of the masses — rejects and makes monstrous the simple biological desires of both men and women.
The resulting perversion creates Muslim men who make up the most INSANE reasons to rape women, and — here — the likes of Jimmy Swaggart and the thousands of other pervert Christian ministers, etc.