Police Gang Rapes a woman – Front Line – 30th July 2011

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Part 3

Part 4

Sexual Harassment in Universities – Front Line with Kamran Shahid

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Part 2

Part 3

Your rape culture is not my religion

by Sana Saleem

That reporting a rape is an arduous ordeal is a truth that resounds globally. When braving for police investigations, enumerating the ordeal in court and damaging stereotypical media representations become a norm then the argument for a pellucid approach becomes preemptory.

In 2006, a much-heated debate on the Hudood Laws revealed the anatomy of rape, conflicting legalities involving misinterpretations of Shariah Laws and the deeply engrained distorted public perceptions. For those who followed the debate, there should be no qualms in admitting that it made the inherent flaws in interpretations of the law and the systematic distortion of a society sensitive to violence and abuse evident.
The women protection bill implemented later that year made it possible for a woman to convict on the basis of forensic and medical evidence. Aimed at encouraging women to report the crime, which was deterred due to the farcical ‘four witness’ rule enforced by the Hudood ordinance, the act has been strongly opposed by Jamaat-i-Islami, whose activists and leaders continue to lobby against the act.

Munawar Hassan

In a recent interview to a local news channel, Munawar Hassan of Jamaat-i-Islaami had the following to say:

Anchor: Why did you vehemently oppose the women protection act?
Munawar Hasan: Women protection act was not aimed at protecting women instead it is meant to promote vulgarity and obscenity in the society.
Anchor: What is the basis of your allegations?
Munawar Hasan: On the basis of which we opposed the act.
Anchor: The fundamental purpose of the women protection act was (is) to provide women with the right to file cases on the basis of circumstantial and forensic evidence, making convictions of rape easier. Where is the obscenity in that?
Munawar Hasan: This bill has been part of law for years, how has that affected the rights of women in Pakistan? What is the one issue that can be pointed out as a success of this law?
Anchor: One blaringly obvious problem with the Hudood law was the need to present four witnesses in order to convict a rapist, failure to do so resulted in the arrest of the woman on charges of confession to adultery, that was the main issue.
Munawar Hasan: What is the problem in that?
Anchor: The problem is this sir, that according to the 2003 national commission status of women report 80 per cent women were forced to languish in jails because of inability to produce witnesses of their rape.
Munawar Hasan: The objective of Islam is to discourage such acts, no one can be shameless enough to commit such an act in the presence of four people. Making it impossible to prove such acts, therefore the whole idea is to discourage bringing such acts into public light. Discouraging it to the extent that the act is never quoted. If such a crime occurs and since there are no witnesses than both men and women are suppose to keep it under wraps and not discuss it in public.
Anchor:Sir, are you suggesting that a woman should stay silent after she is raped? That she should not report the crime?
Munawar Hasan: I am saying she should keep quiet if she has no witnesses. If she has witnesses then she should present them.
Anchor: What kind of an argument is that? A woman is raped and she has to look for witnesses to prove the crime?
Munawar Hasan: Argue with the Quran and not me.
Anchor: I am not questioning the Quran, I am questioning your argument.

As it becomes evident, Munawar Hasan makes up for the lack of substance in his argument by accusing the anchor of speaking against the word of God, he then goes thus far as asking the anchor to read the ‘kalima’ and declare his faith. The anchor concludes the argument by suggesting that Islamic laws pertaining to rape should be respected but in the presence of facilities such as forensic study we should not refrain from conviction.

This for me, defeats the purpose of the entire debate. Firstly because the interpretation of the Shariah law as per Munawar Hasan is neither derived directly from the Quran nor is it widely accepted. The Hudood ordinance is based on interpretations of certain scholars; it is neither a unanimously accepted interpretation nor is it logical.

Rape is a crime and criminals tend to prefer committing the crime without leaving evidence or witnesses. The idea of having four witnesses present at the time of rape is irrational and absurd. Can anyone in their right mind imagine witnessing rape and not doing anything to stop or even report it? If not by law then by conscience, would they not feel complacent? Rape is much more than forceful sex. It is a power game; it is a way to overpower the victim both physically and psychologically and derive pleasure out of it. To discourage rape victims from reporting rape is serving the predatory nature of the rapist.

Similarly, the callously flaunted idea that women use rape as a tool for popularity, fame, and money or simply to attack Islamic principles is devoid of logic. For all we know, taking a rapist to court in Pakistan can put you behind bars, after dealing with the severe moral policing of course.

The arguments and logic provided by Munawar Hasan form a vivid example of rape culture. To elaborate rape culture, it is prevalent practices by which despite the rampant increase in sexual violence, rape (and other forms of violence) is condoned, considered a norm or worse considered tolerable. The most powerful tool to propagate such a culture is through moral policing the victim and by reinforcing the ‘she was asking for it’ mindset. To validate and rationalize rape and (or) sexual violence need a wide variety of beliefs that stem from an inherent misogynistic approach towards the social fabric.

Inconsistent application of law and moral policing the rape victim makes for a steady case for rape culture. Munawar Hasan isn’t the only practitioner and preacher of this culture, if we look at the way the accuser in
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Managing Director of IMF, is being treated, one can be sure that rape culture is a globally adopted phenomena for which religion, moral, ethics or culture are mere ploys.

This is made much easier when done at the behest of religion and morals. The four witness rule as clear by all available translations and interpretations of the Quran is to be sought in case a woman is accused of fornication. The impossibility of four people witnessing the act was meant to make it tougher for the society to slander a woman. It is indeed heart wrenching to witness it being used to encourage violence against women and cultivate a culture of silence and shame.

I am not going to refrain from commenting on the interpretations simply because the Quran is meant and believed to be a book for guidance for all-alike — not just the scholars. Islam doesn’t preach a method of dependency, in fact the tone carried throughout the Quran addresses individuals directly, the entire concept is a spiritual and personal connection with God. Scholars are pursued to elaborate on various methods of law, but leaving them to impose their interpretations on us is faulty and damaging and works against the very principle of Islam. A faith that is threatened by introspection and one that is scared of evolution is fickle and convoluted.

Munawar Hasan is no ordinary politician; he is the Ameer of one of the oldest religious political party. For him to advocate the culture of silence and shame in the name of religion is a mockery of our beliefs. When we choose to allow scholars to use rhetoric to avoid questions we inadvertently become complacent If we choose to hold back our questions and remain silent in the face of such rhetoric we must brace ourselves to accept full liability of injustice to the victims of rape, all 2,903 of them.

The War Against Pakistani Women – Discussionspk.com

By Saad Khan

Terrorism and Afghan insurgency have so overshadowed other issues in Pakistan that it sometimes feels like we — common Pakistanis — have no other issues. Take, for example, women rights. Here I am not insinuating feminism or related issues. We are still stuck at basics in this country.

Let’s start with rape. It has kind of been institutionalized in the tribal and feudal culture of Pakistan. In the southern province of Sindh, specifically the rural areas, which remain the main political base of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party,Karo-Kari is a centuries old custom where women accused of adultery are regularly put to death, often through beheading. Men are also accused but often remain unscathed and unhurt. They are not even accused if they are from the powerful feudal families, can save their lives by paying off a handsome amount if they are not-so-powerful, and flee if they are poorest of the poor.

In Punjab, there is no Karo-Kari but honor killings are very much the norm. In urban centers of Punjab, another kind of violence is common: throwing acid on girls to disfigure them for life and thus making them destitute and vulnerable to all kinds of exploitation. In rural areas, stove burnings are more of a fad. There could be many reasons behind the accidental stove explosion, be it the lack of any good dowry brought in by the bride, inability to produce a male heir or simply revenge. Tribal councils in southern parts of Punjab regularly endorse gang rapes of women if their male family members have committed any crime. These rapes go ahead even if there are false accusations. The accused, of course, come from the lower classes and the accusers from the rich landowning classes.

Vani and Sawara are two of the blackest customs of the Pashtuns, especially those residing in the rural areas adjoining the Punjab province. These customs permit the tribal elders to exchange women and girls to strike peace deals. There is no age limit. A girl of two years is equally good for retribution as an 80 year old grandmother. Add some cattle and property to it and the peace deals are sealed for good. In southern Balochistan, similar peace deals are reached during the tribal councils, known as Jirga.

Perhaps the only ethnic group in Pakistan that remains relatively immune from this mass butchering and trade of women are the Mohajirs who inhabit the urban areas of Sindh and immigrated from India after the partition of India in 1947. There are no such instances of violence against women among them. Maybe the high literacy rate – the highest among all in Pakistan — and because they are exclusively urban dwellers play a role in this regard.

But, the majority of Pakistani women suffer in silence. They are at the mercy of their husbands, fathers, uncles and sons. Yes, there have been instances when sons killed their mothers on suspicions of them having illicit relations.

As for the statistics, violence against women saw an uptick of 13% during 2009. A total of 8,548 incidents were “recorded”, according to a report by a local NGO. The actual cases maybe as high as 20,000 or even more as many women are reluctant to report minor injuries sustained during domestic violence. It is only the massive burns, deaths or bodily fractures that are reported in such estimates.

The infamous Hudood Laws have been modified but not annulled, so there is another endless chapter of suffering still open for the poor women. This is another war, an indigenous battle, but unfortunately no one, except for a few brave women, are tackling this issue. When will the broader civil society, and more importantly, the government do something about it? We don’t know the answer to this question. It is at the lowest rung of the priority list. Education enlightens minds and quells violence. Pakistan spends just around 1% of its GDP on education and a hefty percentage on defense. We are truly a country of contradictions.

Pakistan: First Female Cartoonist

By Faisal Kapadia

In Pakistan, we often make the mistake of thinking that the phenomenon of women breaking stereotypes and conquering uncharted terrain is a recent one. However, a conversation with a path-breaking woman such as Nigar Nazar serves as a reminder that the current generation has only had the courage to step out of their comfort zones because of the courage demonstrated by women like her in the past.

Nigar is Pakistan’s first female cartoonist. She started her illustrious career with a bold decision – in 1967, she switched out of a pre-med degree to study fine arts. As a result, she was drawing comics when no teachers or coursework in this artistic format were available. The situation was so dire at the time that when Nigar came to work at the Karachi Arts Council, she found little to occupy her. It was then that Ali Imam, then director of the council, made her draw one cartoon a day to keep her busy. She has never looked back from that experience.

With a fondness in her voice, Nigar narrates how she got her first break, drawing cartoons for the Sun newspaper. Her character, Gogi, an urban Pakistani woman struggling with her frailties in the context of gender-discriminate social norms was such a hit that soon the Morning News, Dawn, The Mirror, and the Daily News began featuring her work.

After publishing countless cartoons for various publications and nine comic books and receiving many national and international accolades, Nigar still inspires many budding artists who feel limited by their choices in an environment that does not support creativity. For that reason, the Dawn Blog decided to catch up with Nigar to learn how she became a legend in the field of sequential art.

Q. Why did you take up cartoon drawing at a time when the practice was rare?

A. As a young child and teenager, I was an avid comic book reader and read imported comic books. I thought that it would be nice if we had comics in our own setting, and when that didn’t happen, I decided I would do it myself.

Q. Did you model Gogi on any person in particular?

A. Gogi is my brainchild, the voice of womenfolk in Pakistan (when it comes to women’s issues). She is the central character of my comics, and through her I depict the lighter side of everyday life. As my mouthpiece, I preferred to have my main character be a female. As for the name; Gogi just sounds like a cute name that rolls off the tongue.

Q. Given your diverse portfolio and experience, which do you think was your best and most well received effort?

A. Being in charge of the children/youth page at The Muslim was very gratifying. I had all the freedom to devise the page in the daily that use to come out of Islamabad. The editor decided I would have ample space, up to five columns, for the Gogi comics. Simultaneously, I started The Muslim Kids Club, which generated a large membership in a very short time.

Other than writing and drawing competitions, I mobilised club members to do welfare work for orphanages and young patients during their summer vacations. I even took five club members on a 10-day tour of Turkey when they won a certain essay competition. Today, the MKC members are brilliant professionals teaching at Harvard and UC Berkeley, making outstanding films and documentaries, and participating as thinking citizens. I believe that community activities, creative writing, and humour through cartoons produce well-rounded personalities.

Q. Do you feel that Pakistani arts flourished more in the 1970s?

A. In the case of comic art, yes. That said, the overall world position of comic art has soared to great heights with comics being turned into animated films, puppets, and muppets. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Pakistan.

Q. Are there many comic art students today?

A. I am not aware of students in this art genre. I teach at the Fatima Jinnah University, but this genre has to be taught separately from the course prescribed by the university.

Q. Any tips for a budding cartoonist?

A. My tip for any aspiring comic artist is to perfect your ability to draw the human figure. On that foundation you can exaggerate and draw cartoon characters. Draftsmanship is half the game; the other half is the humour which comes from within.

Q. You were recently in China for cartoon-related endeavours…

A. I am founding member of the Asian Youth Association for Animators and Cartoonists, and I was invited to be on the jury for an international cartoon competition for which professionals from all over the world came together in Quiyong last September. Interestingly, I was the only woman cartoonist there (which I hope dispels the popular misconceptions about Pakistani women). I felt proud to be the first foreign speaker on the inaugural day as I presented my work on a huge screen before an audience of senior government officials, art professionals, university students, and international diplomats and delegates.

This July, I have been invited to judge animated cartoons and to speak on the subject as well. Gogi Studios has created a successful animated CD for early learning called  the “Cartoon Qaida.” I intend to speak about the power of cartoons in learning.

Q. What is your latest project?

A. Gogi Studios created five comic books on life skills last year. We call them ‘awareness comics.’ Our sponsor wanted us to pursue a concept that encourages under-privileged children to avoid becoming school drop-outs and motivates more children to go to school.

Once the books were completed, we decided to hold outreach programs in which children are entertained with cartoons, animations, stories, and engaged in learning how to draw.

At the end of the show, the Gogi muppet appears and distributes schoolbags filled with the awareness comics, and three other fun books that I have authored. Stationery and an exercise book and a sketch pad are also included. Our first outreach program catered to 310 students from marginalised sections of society, and their response left me and my volunteers overwhelmed.

Q. What message would you like to give to your fans?

A. You make a living with what you get, you get a life with what you give.

Source: http://deadpanthoughts.com/2010/04/a-reason-to-smile/

Women status in Pakistan in the eye of British woman

Pakistan honours winning women athletes

Hamid clinched gold in the 100-metre sprint in the SAF Games

ISLAMABAD — President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday appointed gold-winning Pakistan women athletes Naseem Hamid and Sara Nasir sports ambassadors to honour their extraordinary success.

The 22-year-old Hamid became South Asia’s fastest woman by winning the 100-metre in the South Asian Federation Games (SAF) in Dhaka, while Nasir returned with a gold medal in Karate.

“President Zardari has appointed Naseem and Sara as ‘ambassadors of sports’ in recognition of their successes at the SAF Games and gave them one million rupees (11,777 dollars) each,” Sports Minister Ijaz Jakhrani told reporters.

Zardari received the athletes in Islamabad and praised their hard work which brought laurels to the country, said the minister.

Hamid told reporters: “I am overwhelmed by the president’s encouragement and it’s a matter of great happiness for me that he promised to send us for training abroad for future competitions.”

On Sunday, Hamid clocked 11.81 seconds to clinch gold in the 100-metre sprint in the SAF Games, becoming Pakistan’s first female athlete to win the race in the competition’s 26-year history.

Hamid, who comes from an impoverished slum in Pakistan’s biggest city of Karachi, has already been given a hero’s return and numerous cash prizes.