Rape: It's every where!

There was outcry when news spread of a 23 year old woman who was gang-raped and inflicted with grevious (truly horrific) injuries, but if I could take a moment to draw your attention to the following:

- 11 year old girl gang-raped and inflicted with grevious injuries.  She has undergone 14 major reconstructive surgeries (and will have at least 1 more), and her family is being pressured to drop the case (Jaipur)

- a 6 year old girl was raped (Moga district)

- a 6 year old girl was (allegedly) raped (Sindh, Pakistan)

- the age of a woman raped in Central Park (New York) in September 2012: 73

- 14 men have been accused of repeatedly gang-raping an 11 year old girl in Texas (they said she 'dressed older than her age')

- in the US, 15% of sexual assault and rape victims are under the age of 12

- 48 women were raped per hour in Congo during the war

- 60,000+ women were raped in the 1990s during the Bosnian conflict

- a 12 year old boy was forced to participate in the rape of his mother (in the US)

- in Afghanistan, women are being imprisoned for being raped

- US forces raped several women in rural Afghanistan

- in Morocco, a 16 year old rape victim committed suicide after bring forced to marry her rapist

- an 8 year old, a 14 year old and a 15 year old were forced to marry a 59 year old at the Tony Alamo Christian Ministry in Arkansas

These are just the 'public' and 'not-so-public' ones.  There are thousands upon thousands that are unheard of.  Thousands upon thousands that are suppressed in order to protect 'honour' and 'family', and other 'reasons'.

Churches, temples, madrassas, schools...homes.

In some cases, when the victims speak out they're branded as liars or prostitutes.  Others (or their families) are 'convinced' to quieten up.  Others die.  Others disappear.

A few get the push their case needs, a few have the attention given to them.  A few may be able to get justice.

The rest?  With bandaged wounds and suppressed trauma, they 'live'...

All

Across

The

World

Rape, clothes and the disturbing mindset (of men) that seems to be encouraged...

When I read comments like ‘if she’s dressed in a short skirt she’s asking for attention’, I just think (excuse the profanity) ‘bullshit’.  The ‘excuses’ and ‘justifications’ made by certain people over why some men behave they way they do, and do the things they do, are, frankly, ridiculous.

In my (uneducated) opinion, it all, basically, comes down to ‘power play’.  Just as there are men who do not want women to be educated because they know that those women will be better than them, that those women will achieve the goals they have set themselves, and those same men will be ‘weak’ (and looked ‘down on’ in comparison), and so will  do whatever they can to ‘dissuade’ women from having access to education that is rightfully theirs, so, too, there are men who, either through experiencing rejection or fearing it, use manipulation, force, coercion and so on, in order to ‘have their way’.

Across the world there are rapists – opportunists and ‘escalators’ – and I think one of the approaches we need to take in countering these people requires us to address the general encouraged mindset.  (Note, the following are generalisations)

‘Wooing’ someone has become ‘aggressively pursuing’ – music videos, song lyrics, and movies have encouraged this and although, for the most part, it hasn’t been ‘direct’, the associative imagery is there.

‘Taking advantage’ of a drunk person is ‘okay’ so long as the person being taken advantage of isn’t absolutely paralytic when the initial advances are made – over the years we have had the repeated excuse of ‘I didn’t think she was that drunk’, coupled with ‘I thought she was just teasing and pretending to be hard-to-get’, and similar claims.

‘Women like to have attention given to them, and that’s why they dress ‘provocatively’/smile at you/touch your arm when they laugh etc’’.  Sure, touching someone is a strong indicator of being comfortable with that person, but being comfortable with a person doesn’t mean ‘I want you, I need you, oh baby, oh baby’.  Similarly, smiling at someone isn’t a ‘come-on’, and when nuns and women wearing burqas and niqabs are being raped there is no way you can say they were ‘dressed provocatively’.

…but that’s what some people have and do claim…that wearing a burqa is the lady’s way of saying ‘come and find out what’s underneath’…that it’s a ‘cock-tease’…and an invitation…

So if a woman wearing a bikini and sarong is ‘asking for it’, and a woman wearing a burqa is ‘asking for it’, and a woman wearing jeans is ‘asking for it’, and a woman wearing a baggy tracksuit is ‘asking for it’…what the heck are women supposed to wear that will make it clear that ‘no, I do not want you to try and have your way with me!  I’m not interested!  Leave me alone!’?!

I’m not going to deny that there have been instances of a woman consenting, regretting it, and then claiming rape.  It has happened.  But those instances are few and far between.  The guys at the receiving end of such claims are rightfully confused, but when there’s resistance to advances (and, yes, women usually are aware enough to say ‘no’ or try to dissuade things from progressing beyond the kissing and ‘petting’ stage) or no resistance because she’s physically unable to because she’s either unconscious or close to being so, there is no basis for confusion or misunderstanding.

None.

At all.

…and when it’s a child…well, just be glad I (and many others) will never get our hands on you because, frankly, you’d wish you were dead or that I/we would kill you.

I’m keeping this post relatively tame, but in light of the demonic behaviour of ‘those’ rapists in India, the rape of a 6 year-old in Pakistan, the revelations that so many vulnerable people were exploited in the UK…and so on…I really want to rant and rave (impotent as such ranting and raving may be).

Words aren’t enough – the women and children of this world must be protected!

Another rant

Okay, so the Hep vaccination was used as a cover to locate and target OBL, but when you KNOW, tangibly and irrefutably, that the number of those with polio has gone up, on what frigging basis are you risking the lives of children because 'it might be a way for those against us to spy on us'?!

Let them spy on you!

Of course, some will say something along the lines of 'it's not us, it's the West trying to make us look bad', but that's just excusing the situation.  Turn it around on its head.  Give the workers the protection they need.

No, I'm not referring to the Pakistani government/army giving protection; I'm suggesting the Taliban and other gangs give the protection.

I know, a shocking suggestion.

Embrace the fact that those being directly affected by polio are a part of the potential Pakistan holds.  Recognise that they need nurturing and protecting, not used as shields or 'collateral damage'.

If it's not 'you' (Taliban) conducting the attacks, then step up and protect those you were supposed to be protecting.  Stop being the self-serving hypocrites you currently are.

If it is 'you' (Taliban) doing this, then wake up to the fact that you (according to your beliefs) will be brought before your Lord to account for what you did, what you encouraged, and what you allowed to do.  Ponder the consequences your actions and inaction holds.

Stop tearing things down, blowing things up and preventing the enhancement of life, and help build!  Nurture, learn and develop.

Power of Fear

Fear is a powerful motivator.

Often it is only considered in an immediate situation – ‘fight or flight’ – but it’s the prolonged and lasting fear that can affect long-term responses and initiate lasting change.

On an individual level, we have people buying and carrying ‘panic alarms’ in response to an assault in the local area; we have a heightened awareness of ‘strangers’ in response to the abduction of a child; people install security systems in their homes in response to a home-invasion…and so on.

Then there are the wider responses, the community responses – some of which are extensions to the ones outlined above.  These responses sometimes have an extra ‘energy source’: outrage.  The combination of fear and outrage is powerful on an emotional level, but it needs to be directed in a useful way, otherwise it becomes overwhelming, emotionally draining and oppressive and, eventually, impotent.

The danger is the impotency – when people strive to change things for the better and it all comes tumbling down when ‘the system’ blocks them.  Some, like Susana Trimarco (who has survived two murder attempts, her house being burnt down, and countless death threats over the last 10 years as she tried to find her missing daughter) have this ‘well of determination’, the drive to keep going.  An amazing woman whose efforts have led to the rescue of dozens of women who were being sexually exploited, and hundreds more after establishing her foundation…but received a blow recently when the judges in a recent hearing said that ‘we could not establish what really happened…but it was not a case of people trafficking’.

In another part of the world, known for the deaths of people through bombs and shootings on an almost daily basis, at least 9 girls were killed while collecting firewood.  A landmine went off.  Although organisations such as The Halo Trust and MAG are hard at work, there is still so much more to do.  According to researchers at Manchester University, ‘there are at least 110 million active landmines in place across the world’ and ‘it is estimated it would take $30bn (£19bn) and more than 1,000 years to clear them using current technologies’.  Despite the dangers and oppression where they lived, those girls were determined to work for the general betterment of all in their region; they had dreams and aspirations – may their determination inspire others and spark new dreams.

Across the border we have another country known for its numerous car bombings and suicide bombings, with a recent bombing killing at least 17 and injuring at least 70.  The people there are also determined to make things better…they’re just trying to figure out how.

In the US, now, after repeatedly being put on the backburner, the bid to bring in stronger gun control has a renewed momentum.  After the tragedy on Friday, and the theft of the lives of 20 children and 6 adults, people are once more seeking change.

And, once more, being countered.

I hope the fear and outrage can be married with (dogged) determination and progress is made in making things safer (in the US) overall – whether it be compulsory psych analysis, increase in waiting time, registration and tracking…

I hope the determination and efforts of countless others across the world striving to bring about a safer world continues, and continues to succeed...even if it's one small unnoticed step at a time...

Living Under Drones (Pakistan and her civilians)

Living Under Drones: Death, Injury and Trauma to Civilians from US Drone Practices in Pakistan

(The site ( livingunderdrones.org ) keeps hanging at the moment but you can find articles on sites such as the UK’s Guardian, The Telegraph and Daily Mail, the LA Times, CNN etc)

‘In the United States, the dominant narrative about the use of drones in Pakistan is of a surgically precise and effective tool that makes the US safer by enabling 'targeted killings' of terrorists, with minimal downsides or collateral impacts.

‘This narrative is false.’

The report says that the US government rarely acknowledges civilian casualties, though there is significant evidence that civilians are being injured and killed.
The report highlights the impact of drone attacks on civilians in Pakistan's tribal regions. Citing ‘extensive interviews with the local population’ (more than 130 interviews), the authors say:

• children are being taken out of school out of fear of a drone-strike or to compensate for income lost from a dead or wounded relative [which means the knock-on effect is an increase in child labour and a decrease in child education]
• there is ‘significant evidence’ of the practice of ‘double-tap’ strikes in which rescuers arriving at the scene are targeted in follow-up attacks (which is a key terrorist approach [the US government has previously said it’s a ‘hallmark’ of Hamas, but, well, it seems to be ‘okay’ if the US is doing it…hypocrisy much?)]
• the ‘double-tap’ strikes are estimated to kill an average of 49 civilians for every one ‘known terrorist’
• drones flying overhead have led to "substantial levels of fear and stress... in the civilian communities" [in other words, they are terrified and the drones are an act of terrorism]
• as well as injury or death, the attacks cause property damage, severe economic hardship and emotional trauma for the injured and their families
• people are afraid to attend gatherings such as funerals for fear of attack

No doubt there are those who justify all this, with ‘excuses’ such as ‘well, they’re the ones harbouring the terrorists’ and so forth.  Sure, the neighbours and family of the Aurora shooter knew what he was going to do, the neighbours and family of Timothy McVeigh knew he was going to put together and use a truck bomb?

Problem is, that’s exactly the kind of double-standard which feeds the animosity and frustration.  It’s fodder for those who want to incite others to acts of violence, they use it as form of justification.

I can understand the use of precision strikes (the general idea is a good one) and if they were working (and effective) in getting to the higher levels of terrorist organisations without killing civilians then, frankly, more people would be rooting for them.  Take, for example, the incident last year when there was a tribal gathering who were wholly aware that there was to be a drone attack (they had been notified in advance) and could hear the drones overhead, but considered themselves safe because they weren’t the target.  42 people were killed.  That is not a ‘precision strike’.

When (lower estimates) 140,000 to (higher estimates) 1,200,000 civilians have been killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan over the past decade, and the people on the ground have a constant reminder and a constant fear about it, is it really surprising that there’s animosity towards those who are, with no misinterpretation of the word, terrorising them?

Although a strange analogy, it’s kind of like the US is ‘Kanye West’ and Pakistan et al are keep getting interrupted whenever they ‘voice their protestations’:

Pakistan: Innocent people are being killed in order to -

US: Yo, Pakistan, I think you’re a cool ally now and then and I’mma let you finish, but [insert ‘justification’ here]

It’s not as if the higher-ups in the US don’t know about the civilian loss and the effect it has, overall they just don’t care.

Out of sight, out of mind – not on the homeland so not of much (if any) concern and any retaliatory response is an act of aggression and terrorism against the US…

The good old ‘two rule world’.

(Am I coming across too cynical and ‘bitter’?)

Information and Misinformation

The 'Information Age' has given us almost immediate access to information and MISinformation - the problem now is that many don't seem to bother to distinguish one from the other.  It's almost an 'if it's online and on the first page of the search results then it must be true' situation.

Back in the day, research required a person to actively and decisively sift through a wealth of information.  Nowadays, it's a few keyboard strokes and barely any attempt at verification :(

We can't forget visual misdirection - when 9/11 happened there was 'footage' of 'celebrations' in the Middle East being broadcast by some news stations; the footage turned out to be stuff they had pulled from their archives, but they didn't tell anyone that and, to this day, more than a decade later, many believe the footage to be 'real'.  The seeds were sowed and millions were demonised within moments.

Similarly with the riots in Pakistan – the media showed the chaos (that’s ‘newsworthy’) but no the peace.  Even the Pakistani media didn’t put forward any of the many peaceful protests, so how were those outside of the country to know there were peaceful gathers occurring, too?

Millions demonised again (and I’m a party to that demonisation because, as much as I searched, I couldn’t find anything (initially) which showed the peaceful protests).

Information and Misinformation.

Now, apparently, Iran wants to put together its own ‘internet’ – as dangerous as the MISinformation that is currently out there, online, is…this could be even more so.  Although countries like China have various firewalls etc set up blocking certain sites and information sources, that information can still be accessed…but what could be the position a couple of generations down the line?  What happens when information is restricted?  What happens when half-truths and lies are being touted as ‘truth’? (Hello ‘Dark Ages’, it’s been a while)

‘Knowledge is power’, we know that, but ignorance and false-knowledge is dangerous (we know this, too, but some people are still uber-keen in promoting it however they can :( )

Ramadan outrage

Anger and outrage.

Most likely, that will end up being a common ‘theme’ when I post.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19280339

We’re nearing the end of Ramadan and murders happen.  It makes me wonder if these murderers even took part in the Blessed Month.  Whether they had fasted and helped those they could help.

Perhaps, for them, the fast only resulted in hunger…

There are far too many misguided, ill-educated and misinformed people around, and not just with regards to the Sunni-Shia divide/differences.  The S-S differences, however, shed blood.  Lots of it.

A lot of what we’ve been seeing over the years is through various ‘leaders’ within Muslim communities inciting and encouraging such…animosity.

There’s no need for that.

Yes, we have our differences but at the base level (and on this numerous scholars agree) we’re Muslim.  Are there deviants out there?  Yes.  Are we ‘supposed’ to kill them?  Generally, no.  Why ‘generally’?  Well, if they’re creating mischief in the land, inciting, killing, etc, then the onus is on us to fight back; we, however, are not meant to oppress or transgress.

(I'm going to avoid a rant...for now...)

To Allah (swt) we belong and to Him we return.