Mar 19, 2008
The Rape of a Nation
Today, on the election of Pakistan’s first female National Assembly speaker, came reports that a woman was raped in the Karachi mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan’s founder. The brutal irony, on many levels, is quite obvious.
Karachi, the beloved city of Jinnah the jurist, has suffered from years of endemic crime and lawlessness. Women, whose equality with men Jinnah promoted, face enormous social barriers and even violence.
The crime should serve as a wakeup call to Pakistanis: the fight for women’s rights, despite the gains of female politicians, has a long way to go.
Politicians and political commentators have lauded Fehmida Mirza for her rise to the top of Pakistan’s parliament. They hail her speakership as the birth of a new Pakistan. Now, Dr. Mirza should bring them back to the ground level reality. She should call on them to stand up for victims of violence, like the woman assaulted at Jinnah’s mausoleum (Mazar-e Quaid).
The rape of a woman at Mazar-e Quaid is a matter of shame — not for the victim, but for a nation that has failed to protect its citizenry, particularly women. The shame can be undone if it catalyzes change. And that requires public mobilization.
Why not hold a rally at Mazar-e Quaid, bringing together Karachi civil society, the ulama, the political parties (including the MQM), and others to say enough is enough?
Little is gained from a female speaker of the National Assembly who fails to voice herself on behalf of women’s rights. She is then, just another politician. For Dr. Mirza, here is a test, and an opportunity, to prove otherwise.
An extremely shameful incident for sure. When I read it first, it made me sick to the stomach for the very reasons you mentioned and more.
However, you can not put the weight of this injustice on one woman, who just happens to be in the right place at the right time, among friends. I am not sympathizing with Dr. Mirza, far from it. But the burden of this sick crime must be bore by the society as a whole, for those who committed such an atrocity are only from amongst us.
I agree with you, Asad. The responsibility is not Dr. Mirza’s alone.
But she is in a unique position to make a difference. Her political capital is perhaps at its highest point.
I agree with Mr. Asad to only but a certain extent, because if its not about being at the right place at the right time, then what otherwise? This is where we are going wrong; it “IS” about grabbing opportunities, little by little, and making the correct move, even if it means starting off with one person only.
Right now, Dr.Mirza is at a position whereby she has the power to set presidence for those she has committed to represent, isn’t it? The leaders, who actually have a say, are the ones who need to create a foundation for rest of the masses, only then can we all unite and follow, and build over that foundation.
Anyway, these are all such relative discussions that can never reach a conclusion, at the end of the day its not only the literal raping that’s occurring, the country itself has been raped, all too shamelessly!
It’s too difficult to see the future of Pakistan.
A very thought provoking article. I think the only punishment for rapist is a public execution in the way Islam presented. Unless we start giving them punishment in public, they will repeat this thing. It is high time that we should all start advocating the Islamic system of justice to be implemented.
I think my comments don’t come out as clear as I intended them to be. Yes, we should expect all that and more from our leaders. But, knowing who they are, we have to be realistic. I’ll suggest that you dig up some history of Dr. Mirza, her husband (the proud owner of license plate Zulfi 1) and their relationship with Mr. 10 percent.