Sex and Pakistan vs. Rape and The World Media

Fantastic. Read the whole article in one go. At first I was like, yuck another of those feminist types writing ponderous prose on men and their phalluses. But I have to admit, it was a good read.

BTW, a lot of things you wrote about Pakistan are true in India as well. I figure the only difference is that things are changing faster here than there. And at least there`s no state-sponsored idiocy.

Dear Saima Shah,

Seeing you breaking your silence after two years initially gave me a feeling of dread. Oh my god I said... not Saima Shah commenting on Pakistan, given that despite being one of the most remarkable writers one has come across, I have always thought of you as being too over awed by Indians unnecessarily ... and too self critical of Pakistan. I am ready ofcourse to review that view now that I have read this piece.

You are right. Pakistan is a society in transition.. we are changing... the society is becoming increasingly conscious that indeed rape is a crime. This is the direct result of increased sexual freedoms for women...

Second you`ve done an excellent job explaining the social and pyschological dimensions of rape ... especially vis a vis the sexuality of a female.. the idea of ... pardon my french...
``fcking someone`` versus ``getting fcked``... though an Italian American put it in those exact terms and not some Pakistani.


I`d like to quote the excellent distinction that you have drawn:

``1. Women’s reproductive functions are not considered unclean. Whereas, in a primitive society, women are banned from prayer and public areas during menstruation.
2. Women mingle in public places without escort, whereas in a primitive society women are valuable property at best.
3. Women choose their own mate, whereas in a more primitive society they accept their mates.
4. Women’s clothing is more a matter of personal choice rather than high social pressure. Clothing is a complex issue, however in such a society women generally do not face intense public or family pressure in making choices.
5. A wife can choose whether or not to have sex with her husband or what kind of sex.
6. Female children are celebrated. ``


These issues cut across deep into the psyche of the religious conservative and Islamist mindset... (on a divergent note: I still believe what I wrote to you in a private email two months ago assuming that you are the chowk editor vis a vis nationalism and women`s rights) ...

I do intend to carry this thought forward in coming days.. but now I have something urgent to attend to...

To be continued...

Excellent article Saima.

In the words of great Eqbal Ahmad as he said in one of his interviews: The New York Times would report Iranian missile`s ability of 800 miles and hitting Israel and Saudi Arabia and would never report that Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq and Turkey also fall within the range of 800 miles. Why? Because Saudi Arabia has the ``strategic future assets`` called oil and Israel has the ``strategic future position`` in the tumultuous Middle East. Now apply the same principal to Pakistan or any other country in the Developing World and it will all make sense.

Given Pakistan`s sensitive political fault line: giving the bad name to the dog is essential to create the sensationalism that is the hallmark of the various media.

Fantastically written and sadly, so true.

Especially liked the part at the end about the world not deciding what Pakistan is all about. Very perceptive indeed.

Bina.

Quote

`` On a less serious note, perhaps Pakistan needs a newsworthy female foreign diplomat. Are there any takers? But, please. No white dupatta.



Ok.... Benazir is a forgone SAGA....

What about Neelofar Bhaktiar..... Ok OK.... she does not have the STAR Value neither is she a Foreign Diplomat...

But what about Dr Maliha Lodhi......

#2 by Mantolives on September 23, 2005 3:31am PT


we are changing... the society is becoming increasingly conscious that indeed rape is a crime. This is the direct result of increased sexual freedoms for women...


Surely you`re not suggesting that all this is happening because Pakistan is sprinting towards more freedom for women..

#3 by mubakr on September 23, 2005 3:41am PT


In the words of great Eqbal Ahmad as he said in one of his interviews: The New York Times would report Iranian missile`s ability of 800 miles and hitting Israel and Saudi Arabia and would never report that Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq and Turkey also fall within the range of 800 miles. Why?


Why? common sense... what are the chances of Iran firing the missile at Pakiland or India?

When the US tests the NMD, do they get a reaction from the Canuckistani or Mexican foreign office?

Brilliant piece!

Saima and Bina, some feminist colleagues of color and I were discussing the following article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/18/books/review/18egan.html

If you are interested in discussing it in light of this piece, post your comments.

-S

Saima Shah

With due respect, I do not agree with your views on the Western Media.

The Western Media picks up the stories from the Pakistani media.

The Pakistani media is forced to bring up stories (only a fraction of the total) that it considers require Government intervention.

Unfortunately, our judicial system and law enforcing system is so bad that even after the reporting by the media, it acts lamely. And is mostly on the defensive. It seems that only the international media can put it into action.

The poor victim is finally heard by the state system after the international media reports it.

Let us forget about our `image` and call a spade a spade. Whatever vices the West may have, that is their problem - and it is no justification for the low status of woman in our society.

The fact is that woman enjoy an equal status in those societies and they have an effective legal and judicial system. The local `police officer` is good enough to be fair and effective.

nhk

Saima:

An excellent analysis that goes beyond an `event`. Am pretty much with you on most points...however....

1. The `sexual freedoms` are available to only small sections of society. On closer examination, one will notice that another form of status quoism is prevalent here as well. The conspiracy of silence followed by the high society is as damaging and damning as that of the less fortunate. Therefore, the elite can be made into victims of their own freedom. Why do the news media not report these?

2. By asking for a newsworthy female foreign diplomat in the given context of your argument could perhaps be seen as a means of demarcating the gender cleavage further. A female foreign diplomat is always a better alternative, but should not men in power be sensitised as well? The white dupattas AND the black power skirts are sometimes following the same pattern.

3. Does one need to talk about the lack of the West`s moral code vigilantism as applied to the developing world? It is a known fact that they treat their less fortunate population with disdain, much as we do. I do not care about Western `values`, but do we realise that teenage pregnancies, drug abuse, prostitution, divorce rates exist in our societies too and are not talked about much? In fact, I think we know more about their problems in these areas. And we know about them because of the news media. About why our media does not question them -- I suppose we prefer questioning them about their pugnaciousness towards whole societies and countries instead of what happens in their backyard. It must be done, but not at the cost of asking them how they are abusing power in other nations. They were pulled up for Abu Ghraib, were they not?

I think we should be asking our own societies these questions more often.

Anyway, am glad at last we got an indepth piece on the subject.

Regards,
Farzana

PS: The male order, of course, still decides whether it should call someone a ``feminist type`` or not. Such is the manner in which they pigeonhole women even as they claim to applaud them.

dear saima shah,
a well written article. however, pakistan is in the limelight not because of the rapes as they happen all over the world, but because of the treatment of the rape victims and the denial of justice to them. muktaran mai would not have made headlines if she was just another rape victim. she made news because of the circumtances of the rape and the taking away of her passport by pakistani authorities.

a good article - regrouping a lot of facts about womanhood and apple pie and other things. That thse things have to be spelt out is interesting. Shows the degree of backwardness prevalent (maybe it is not the case. If so then this article misdirected).

However, the article is myopic, a suffering common amongst most people from S.Asia. The issue is not that these and other crimes are not present in the west or elsewhere. The issue is one of how the state and the society deals with these issues. The NGO`s and others are not questioning Pakistan`s intentions nor are they commenting on the ``backwardness`` of the society. But are in fact questioning the ``the processes`` associated with the mechanisms of justice for the victims of these crimes. If these two canot be seperated, then really the society doesnot have much hope for progress. This is something which needs to be addressed, and addressed rapidly.

In this I tend to concur with URSTRULy when he questions the ability of the legislature to enact laws, and set up processes (regulations etc). That this is not happening is a sad testament to the state of the State. Good intentions and great culture never really count. What counts are the processes and the end results. That this article has failed to address these issues is sad. Indeed this is the case with most articles on this subject on Chowk.

Re: # 11

Thats actually a great point...when rape is accompanied by the revocation of citizen/human rights, mobility, and agency to defend, protect and procure justice for one`s self, the injustice is many layered.

Trafficking in young girls
The ground-breaking law offers protection and an opportunity for permanent residency for victims who testify against those who enslave them.

Calls for similar laws to be introduced in Europe are also being made to coincide with International Women`s Day.

Up to 120,000 women are smuggled into western Europe, mainly from central and eastern Europe, and forced into prostitution.

A report by the Protection Project, based at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland, has documented the rising trends in the sex slave trade.

It says more than 15,000 women are trafficked into the United States every year, many of them young girls from Mexico.

The project also claims that Asian women are sold to brothels in North America for $16,000 each.

Almost 200,000 girls from Nepal, many of them under the age of 14, are working as sex slaves in India.

An estimated 10,000 women from the former Soviet Union have been forced into prostitution in Israel.

The Thai government reports that 60,000 Thai children have been sold into prostitution.

As many as 10,000 children aged between six and 14 are virtually enslaved in brothels in Sri Lanka.

Some 20,000 women and children from Burma have been forced into prostitution in Thailand.

The project also says that of 155 cases of forced prostitution brought before the courts in The Netherlands, only four resulted in convictions of the traffickers.

The Protection Project is compiling a database on laws on trafficking, forced prostitution, slavery and debt bondage in 190 independent states and 63 dependencies.

Kidnap fears in Britain
In Britain, details are surfacing of dozens of teenage girls in the care of social services who may have been kidnapped by organised gangs and forced to work as prostitutes abroad, mainly in Italy.

The girls in question are child asylum seekers from Africa, who enter the care of West Sussex social services after arriving at Gatwick Airport in the south of England.

A West Sussex council spokesman said: ``It is true to say that a certain number of asylum seekers, minors, have gone missing from social services care. We believe they may have been taken by gangs abroad.

``We have always done as much as we can to prevent this happening, but we cannot force people to stay inside all the time.

``We are reducing the numbers who are going missing by working very closely with all the agencies, including the police. We are doing everything in our power to stop this.``

cnn.com

Re: # 13
if I may....with your kind and gracious permission....here the injustice is not many layered (here = rape). If the primary process is not present then the rest are mere extras thrown in to satisfy the egos of the various opinion makers.

In this case the primary process should be that associated with the ability of the law enforcement agencies to treat such cases with due care, deligence and objectivity, and also safe guard the life of the victim. Once this is absent the rest of the stuff is mere decorations on the tree.

No one, I repeat not one article on Chowk has ever addressed these or this issue. It often comes down to an emotional rant about the Pak Govt from oneside, and the NGO/West bythe other side. It almost ressembles a bunch of orangutans/apes beating their chest and crying out ``hai rabbah``

Talk about `Sexual Freedom`???

RAINN RAPE FACTS

- Before you finish reading this, another woman will be raped. -



A National Shame

Recent statistics show that rape is still all too prevalent in America.

Somewhere in America, a woman is raped every 2 minutes, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
In 1996, 307,000 women were the victim of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. [National Crime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 1997.]
Between 1995 and 1996, more than 670,000 women were the victim of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. [National Crime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 1997.]



Silent Victims

One of the most startling aspects of sex crimes is how many go unreported. The most common reasons given by women for not reporting these crimes are the belief that it is a private or personal matter and that they fear reprisal from the assailant.

In 1996, only 31% of rapes and sexual assaults were reported to law enforcement officials - less than one in every three. [National Crime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 1997.]
Approximately 68% of rape victims knew their assailant. [Violence against Women. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1994]
Approximately 28% of victims are raped by husbands or boyfriends, 35% by acquaintances, and 5% by other relatives. [Violence against Women. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1994]

Couldn`t venture to read beyond the first few lines advocationg `sexual freedom.`
Period