Pakistani family refuses to kill rape victim daughter-draws anger

[sixmile]

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/09/pakistani-family-refuses-to-kill-daughter-who-was-raped-drawing-anger/245691/

'Kainat Soomro is a 17-year-old Pakistani girl who has become a local celebrity of sorts in her battle for justice in the Pakistani courts, a daring move for a woman of any age in this country, let alone a teenager. She is fighting to get justice for a gang rape that she insists happened four years ago in Mehar, a small town in Pakistan.'

snip

'According to the Kainat family's account, the tribal elders declared her kari, (which literally means black female), for losing her virginity outside marriage. In Pakistan, women and men who have illicit relationships or women who lose their virginity before marriage are at risk of paying with their lives.'

snip

'Kainat said that despite the pressures her family refused to kill her. "It is the tradition, but if the family doesn't permit it, then it won't happen. My father, my brother, my mom didn't allow it," she said. And that defiance has left the family fearing for their lives. The family's new home in Karachi has been attacked a number of times.'

more at link

[truebrit71]

1. Remind me again, what fucking century is this?

Just bat-shit crazy...

[msongs]

7. there you go again picking on their religion nt

[sixmile]

8. Deservedly so

That this happens anywhere in the world ought to cause fury in the heart.

[demosincebirth]

15. Depends what country you're in.

[LeftinOH]

18. It's the 15th century, I think (Islamic calendar). But that's no excuse. n/t

[MADem]

2. I'd say those guys merit asylum ANYWHERE that isn't Pakistan. nt

[Hoosier Daddy]

5. Vigorously agree!

:thumbsup:

[hlthe2b]

3. Only a few steps removed from the "death-applauding" teabaggers

whose RW fundamentalist Xian members dearly want to remove all right of autonomy and equality from women.

[Hoosier Daddy]

4. "Kari." Great. Just great.

Misogyny, anti-semitism, now racism. They've scored the trifecta! :puke:

[ProgressiveProfessor]

6. This is a form of the Sharia in action

[FiveGoodMen]

9. Good for the family -- FUCK "the tradition"

Fuck all tradition.

Everywhere.

Doing things that work over and over again makes sense, but the minute you have to defend your actions with the word "tradition", you lose.

Every time.

No exceptions.

Doing something stupid because your ancestors did is unforgivable.

[TeamsterDem]

10. How monstrous and evil. I know it sounds shallow and trite but I honestly wish her the best

From the bottom of my heart. I know it won't really help but I'm not Seal Team 6 and can't get her and her family out of that awful place.

[renate]

11. she was THIRTEEN YEARS OLD when she was gang-raped

" said he tried to get Kainat's alleged rapists arrested, but instead he was rebuffed by the police." So a child is raped by four men and nothing happens to them and she's supposed to be murdered... and that's OKAY with the RELIGIOUS leaders in that f*ckstain of a country?

Why didn't raping a child count as an illicit relationship with those guys?... or is it only consensual sex that's a sin?

:grr:

[burning rain]

12. Under the most conservative interpretation of sharia, you need 4 male witnesses to convict a rapist.

In the nature of things, that's hard to come by.

[demosincebirth]

16. Screw sharia, this is a human being. Women had more rights under Roman Law, 2000 years ago.

[Brickbat]

13. I wish that family strength to keep fighting. THAT is what honor looks like.

[truebrit71]

14. No kidding....standing up to the insanity of "laws" that are outdated by many, many centuries...

...

[Raffi Ella]

17. Knowing that a girl is subject to 'Honor Killing' if she's raped

makes this an even more vicious crime than that of just rape...

those fucking animals. What a sick society, she's a very Lucky Girl to have such an enlightened and loving family.

[backscatter712]

19. Religion. Not Even Once.

Religion causes ordinary people to behave like tweekers.