Mukhtaran Mai is a name familiar to most Pakistanis. In 2002, she was raped by 4 men from a rival tribe as per the decision of local elders in a tribal jirga. The story of the jirga decision is a fascinating tale itself in how our judicial and extra-judicial systems sometimes work in rural Pakistan.
While many women quietly suffer an ill fate at the hands of such tribal decisions, and sometimes committ suicide from the ‘shame’, Mukhtaran Mai fought back. Her prepetrators of the crime were tried in the anti-terrorism courts and death sentences were handed down to the guilty. Since then, the judicial process has taken the case back and forth and most recently the Supreme Court has decided in her favor.
Mukhtaran Mai has become a symbol of resistance and hope for women in Pakistan, and all over the muslim world. In addition to fighting the case in courts, she has become a movement for bringing education to her village, and attention to the broader issue of women’s rights in Pakistan. She buillt the first two schools in her local village of Meerwala, in Southern Punjab and now campaigns internationally.
But now one can read a weekly blog by Mukhataran Mai, her own own internet diary about her life, her village, and the work she is doing internationally to promote women’s causes. Her blog is in urdu and is hosted by the BBC Urdu service. Since Mukhataran cannot read or write, she tells her stories to a local BBC journalist, who types it up as a web diary.
About her blog, she says:
“Mostly I talk about incidents which are cruel and painful. I try to discuss only the most serious things in my blog: the poor treatment of women, sometimes leading to killing,” she says.
“I sometimes talk about my childhood memories – events that take place at my schools; or perhaps just about the household chores.”
“I don’t think that the people in our village know what it’s all about and what I am writing. But I’ve received a few e-mails from other places – people who have reading my blog on line and who encourage me to continue.”
Mukhataran Mai’s presence on the web, in the form of a blog, is a wonderful reminder of how digital access can open doors for a better communication between people lwho otherwise may never meet each other. Mukhataran’s audience is global, and while most support her cause, not all people agree with the path she has chosen; some may not even sympathize with her. But at least a healthy discussion is happening where a village woman can be a party to share her thoughts and opinions. Even about the naysayers, she says:
“It’s their kindness that they read the material. I am grateful to them. They encourage me to continue in my work in the village, and for women everywhere in Pakistan.”
Bilal, I was reading everyone else had to say and was getting really annoyed with the debate and finding it increasingly off the point until I reached your post. I think you have hit the nail squarely on the head – we really need to set our house in order before we can other to paint a pretty picture of our country.
I am having difficulty understanding the complexity of how Pakistanis see the modernization of Pakistan. On one hand people want 7-star hotels inspite of the widespread poverty, because in their eyes it somehow allows Pakistan to look “modernized” and ready to enter the 21s century blodly.
On the other hand, people object when a rape victim is provided a support system to stand up for her rights and for the rights of women like her who are oppressed every day, and every night. We may disagree with th etactics used by Asma Jahangir, Hina Jillani and other likes them, but have they ever sided with the oppressor? How many others are there who have consistently taken a stand to protect the under privileged?
At this important juncture in history, the question that should be impotant for us Pakistanis should not be how one kind of media (or another) projects Pakistan, but how Pakistan really is! We cannot paint a nice picture of Pakistan by turning our attention to countering what CNN, Fox, Sky News may have to say about us. Why can’t we just focus on cleaning up our own house and letting news organizations report with whatever bias they may have. Do we really think we can convince a biased western media to change how they report on us? Heck we can’t even change our own media’s biases in Pakistan? I would really rather focus on improving the lives of our own women and children.
The statistics given in my earlier comment refer to the media projection debate. It does not mean that we have to sympathize more with the western rape victims and ignore what so ever is happening in South Asian countries. I said repeatedly that rape should be condemned no matter where it happens but the kind of media projection should be impartial across the board.
“What bothers me about this whole debate is how some people, as a response to violence against women in pakistan, trot out statistics about crime aginst women in Western countries.”
Again, you, too, seem to be misinterpreting the argument being made here on purpose. No one is saying that the situation for Pakistani women is in any way good. Law enforcement in Pakistan is little more than a joke when it comes to implementing any law, be it heinous crime or not.
But those of us who’re living in the West know what news channels say about Pakistan. Most of the time they paint ALL Pakistanis as terrorists or terrorist-sympathizers and when they’re not doing that they are mentioning how it is such a dangerous place that women are raped all over the place and all the time.
What bothers me about this whole debate is how some people, as a response to violence against women in pakistan, trot out statistics about crime aginst women in Western countries. I do not think anyone disputes that crime against women occur all over the world. However, in Western countries, at least there is a system, however imperfect, that seeks justice for the woman. Unforunately in Pakistan, after the crime, the woman is victimised all over again by the police, society and finally the justice system. That is the crux of the matter.
As far as Asma and Hina are concerned, I do not know them personally, but as a Pakistan woman, am forever indebted to them for being in the forefront, along with many others, in resisting the oppression of the mard-e-momin zia-ul-Haq.