Women Strip, Beat Politician Accused of Rape in North East India

On the heels of the terrifying death of a young woman gang-raped  in Delhi, a Congress Party politician in Assam, accused of rape, was surrounded, stripped, and beaten by a crowd of women.  Footage of the attack showed several women ripping of Bikram Singh Brahma's shirt and slapping him.  A group of men later joined to hit him.

The aforementioned brutal death of a 23-year-old student sparked protests across India, a country known for delay of justice for rape victims and overall apathy about sexual abuse.  According to the New York Times, gang rapes have become almost routine in India, a country that some surveys suggest has one of the highest rates of sexual violence in the world.

The widespread Indian mentality toward rape is embodied in the son of India's president Pranab Mukhergee, who said those protesting sexual abuse and rape were "middle-aged and caked in make-up," and also "dented and painted" women.  Even his sister, Sharmishtha, condemned the remarks.

"It is definitely something that we as a family definitely don't agree with," she said.  "It's not just one protests, it's accumulated rage over the way women are being treated, raped, molested...My father is absolutely with me on this."

He later apologized for his comments.

In the aftermath of the attack, India set up a special court for cases involving crimes against women.  Under international and domestic pressure, Indian officials fast-tracked the arrest of five men and one juvenile to be charged with more than 50 pages of accusations including rape, murder, kidnapping, robbery, and assault.  The government seems to have been caught off-guard by the public's anger. It's response to protests with water cannons, tear gas, and beatings was widely condemned.

The men are accused of attacking the victim and a male friend on a bus late at night on December 16, 2012, gang raping her for an hour and impaling her with a metal rod so savagely she sustained irreparable organ damage. Her male companion was also beaten and both were thrown out of the moving bus.  She was flown to Singapore for treatment, but died two weeks later.  

Saudi Olympian's father to sue those who insulted daughter

Props.

The father of 16-year-old Wojdan Shaherkani, a member of the Saudi Olympic team and judo participant, vowed to sue those who insulted his daughter for challenging the Kingdom's conservative traditions that keep women from participating in sports.

"I have sent an urgent letter to the Minister of the Interior Prince Ahmed bin Nayef bin Abdul Aziz with copies of all attacks made on Twitter," said Ali Seraj Shaherkani.

Wojdan was one of two women in the Saudi team this year and a first for women in the Kingdom.  She gained worldwide attention despite lasting 82 seconds on the mat and received a standing ovation as she left.

Wojdan almost did not participate after the IOC ruled she could not compete without wearing a headscarf for "safety" reasons.  After intense negotiations she was allowed to wear special headgear akin to a swimming cap.

Saudi's Twittersphere lit up during the competition.  Some observers criticized her participation, saying she did "not represent the chaste Muslim woman."  Others use racial slurs referring to her Asian background, calling her "Tarsh Bahar," or "Sea Remnants."

Wojdan's supporters quickly took over the offensive Twitter hashtag.

"We are so proud of you Wojdan," said journalist Asma al-Sharif. "It takes a lot of courage to do what you did."

Manal al-Sharif, who blogs at Saudiwoman, said, "For us Saudi women judoka Wojdan Siraj is a champion."

Wojdan and her family's courage is notable. I could not imagine being a sixteen year old and having half of my country attack me and my family, especially in a society like Saudi.  Despite her participation, however, many are ambivalent regarding the impact of her particpation, noting little if anything changed in Saudi.  Conservatives are unmoved in their opposition to women participating in sports, and women are still unable to participate in sports or physical education.

"This is not a step forward for women's rights," said Aziza al-Yousef, a professor and leader in the Saudi women's right-to-drive movement.  "We've been asking for girls to play sports in school for years; here they give Saudi women a spot on the Olympics, but not the right to earn a place on the team.  This doesn't add anything, and it won't change anything."

Judo chop! Saudi reverses, sends women to Olympics

The Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee reversed itself after ruling no women would qualify for the London Olympics this summer on Thursday, announcing two women will compete in the competition. With Saudi's announcement, every participating country's delegation will include women.

Saudi, Qatar, and Brunei were the only holdouts during the last Olympics.

The two ladies are Wodjan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahkhani, who will participate in the judo competition, and Sarah Attar, who will run in the 800m.

Sarah Attar, practicing. 

"A big inspiration for participating in the Olympic Games is being one of the first women for Saudi Arabia to be going, said 17-year-old Attar.  "It's such a huge honor and I hope that it can really make some big strides for women over there to get more involved in sport."

Prince Nawaf bin Faisal told al-Jazirah the girls will be dressed modestly, accompanied by a male guardian, and will not mix with men during the Olympics.  

Qatar announces woman to carry flag in opening ceremony, smiles smugly at Saudis

In the first Olympics in which a woman from Qatar will participate, the Qatari Olympic Committee announced air rifle shooter Bahiya al-Hamad will carry the country's flag in the opening ceremony in London.

Bahiya al-Hamad is awesome. 

Al-Hamad is one of four women to qualify for participation in the Olympics from Qatar; her compatriots include swimmer Nada Mohammed Wafa Arakji, sprinter Noor al-Maliki, and table tennis player Aya Majdi.

The announcement comes the day Saudi faced intense international pressure for its all-male delegation to the Olympics. The Kingdom announced it would allow any women who qualified to participate, but not one woman from the entire Kingdom qualified.  Discriminatory policies undoubtedly contributed to this.

Another PR coup for Qatar at the expense of its larger, more conservative neighbor.  It is difficult not to compare the treatment of women between the two Wahhabi countries. 

Saudi, IOC in talks over KSA's all-male Olympic team

The International Olympic Committee is in talks with Saudi over its all-male delegation to the Olympics  despite an announcement that the Gulf state would support "qualified" woman participants.

Members of the Jedda Kings United all-female team practice in Jedda (AP)

The only catch? Not one Saudi woman qualified.

HRW called on the IOC to bar Saudi's participation in the Olympics "because of its clear violation of the Olympic Charter."  The Charter states all games must "encourage and support the promotion of women in sport at all levels and in all structures with a view to implementing the principle of equality of men and women."

Saudi does that so well.

HRW Director of Global Initiatives Minky Worden got it right when she said, "It's not that the Saudis couldn't find women athletes, it's that their discriminatory policies have so far prevented them from emerging...The bottom line is that Saudi Arabia broke its promise, is breaking the rules, and should absolutely not be allowed to participate in the London 2012 Games while excluding women from its team."

The IOC banned Taliban-led Afghanistan from participating in the 2000 games for excluding women. 

In defense of Egyptian men

Egyptian men have a bad reputation.  Horror stories abound of women being subjected to harassment, from catcalls to rape.

But the focus on how terrible Egyptian men supposedly are belies a fundamental disconnect about not only Egyptian men but Western men as well.  It ignores the fact that sexism, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and sexual assault are endemic in Western societies.  Yes, there are plenty of douches in Egypt. There were days I wanted to punch the next guy who called me a mozah. But I know and have interacted with way more good, decent, respectful Egyptian men than disrespectful ones. 

First, a short introduction for those who may not know me to contextualize my reaction.  I’m a twenty-something white American who travels pretty extensively throughout the Middle East.  I do not consider myself ugly and, thanks to my love of running and lifting, am pretty fit.  I don’t dress super fancy or skimpy.  I’m not sure how else to say this, but not even the abaya I had to wear while in Saudi hid the fact my theme song could be, “Baby’s Got Back.”

In short? I’m a pretty good target for sexual harassment. But I’ve had many more problems with sexual harassment and discrimination at home than in Egypt.   

Late one night last summer in Cairo, my two American guy friends and I took the metro home.  The platform was packed, and the metro was even more so. I’m pretty good at pushing my way into small spaces, and after I got on the train I turned around just in time to see the doors close—with my friends being left on the platform. Crap, I thought.  I looked around—it was 2am or something and I was in a metro car full of men.  Alone.  And something amazing happened. Almost instantaneously, there was a bubble around me.  Perhaps it was the post-revolutionary euphoria, but every man around me was conscious to not even touch me, despite the fact we were pressed in like sardines.  One guy even offered me gum.

This is not to say there is no problem with sexual harassment in Egyptian society—there undoubtedly is.  But it’s not a problem unique to Egypt, and Westerners should think twice about their own societies before passing judgment on a huge swath of Egypt’s population. What is more, I would be hard pressed to name one society—ONE—not grappling with some form of sexual harassment or discrimination.   

I’m on this listserv called Cairo Scholars where khwagas (Arabic slang for foreigners) send out questions—where can I get soya products? Where can I get fish (the fish market?!?!), where can I get a clown (!!!), or apartment vacancies.  This morning, controversy broke out when one dude sent out and email to the thousands of subscribers, highlighting an article about sexual harassment and saying, “Another fine example of the way women, and western women, are seen and treated in Egyptian culture.” A few weeks ago, there was a similarly condescending conversation on Mona el-Tahawy’s article, “Why Do They Hate Us?” The highlights of that conversation: “I wonder if Egyptians are ever going to do something about this?” and “I have been wondering myself what Egyptians are doing in their daily lives” (Ask).

How can people have such a lack of understanding about Egypt—the society in which they ostensibly live? And get off your high horse. We’ve got our issues too. 

In one particularly cringe-worthy moment, I was at a cousin’s wedding, chatting with some distant family member about what I did.  He asked me if I was a nurse or a teacher; I said no, I worked on Capitol Hill.  Oh, where did I go and what did I study to get into that kind of work? English? Ugh. He asked me if I was a typist or secretary, I said no, I am working on an investigation into offshore money laundering and another on corrupt African dictatorships. 

After undergrad I worked for a few years for the United States Congress and if there is any institution with a sexual harassment and discrimination problem, it’s Congress.  I cannot even list the amount of times I was dismissed of being some starry-eyed, “cute” girl with a silly dream of saving the world. Nor can I list the amount of meetings I attended in which my counterpart did not look me in the face. 

It didn’t matter that I graduated from a good school, was successful, was all business and had no problem with kicking butt and taking names.  Some people were so blinded by my appearance and their own preconceptions they refused to give me real credit for my work.

A few Thanksgivings ago, I had made dinner and my family enjoyed the fruits of my labor, we all stood up to clean—except the men. They went into the other room to watch football. So I followed them, told them that I cooked so they clean. My dad looked at me incredulously, but I was serious. And they went into the kitchen and cleaned.

How many times have I been walking down the street or running—RUNNING—on the treadmill and told, “Honey, why aren’t you smiling?” Who just walks around by themselves smiling like an idiot? Who runs on a treadmill smiling?

Not to mention the number of times I’ve been on the treadmill in front of a mirror and see guys behind me, just standing there staring.

One day I was waiting for a taxi to take me to the airport in Italy and some man kept on walking after me and saying gross stuff in the deserted streets at 4am.  I had to flag down a garbage man to stay with me until the cab arrived.

And yes. Domestic violence happens. 

I admit these instances are different from those highlighted in the press regarding Egyptian men, but understanding the limitations and weaknesses in our own society is important before we go passing judgment on others. 

Nothing disgusts me more than Westerners—especially men—patting themselves on the back for how they treat women or making lofty declarations about how men in other societies treat women. He who has never sexually harassed, throw the first stone.    I think we would find there would be very few stones thrown. 

One Saudi girl thought to compete in Olympics not eligible

Saudi Grand Mufti Abd al-Aziz al-Shaikh: “Women should be housewives. There is no need for them to engage in sports.”

File this under "I told you so."

The one Saudi girl thought to be able to compete in the 2012 Olympics failed to qualify and will not actually be able to compete.

So they'll allow their women to compete in the Olympics. But none will be able to.

It was a nice announcement, much applauded in the West.  The real impact on the ground? Zilch.

Via AFP:

Dalma Rushdi Malhas, tipped to become a pioneering woman competitor for Saudi Arabia at the London Olympics, has in fact failed to qualify and won't compete, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) said Monday.

 "There have been some reports in the media, but regretfully the Saudi Arabian rider Dalma Rushdi Malhas has not attained the minimum eligibility standards and consequently will not be competing at the London 2012 Olympic Games," FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos said in a statement out of Lausanne.

UPDATED: NYT has an article entitled "Saudi End to Olympics Women Ban Will Have No Practical Effect."

“They’re only doing it so they don’t get banned from the Olympics,” wrote Barry Petchesky at the Deadspin sports site. “This is progress, but it is not much progress.”

“It is only right that the Saudi government should play by the Olympic rules,” said Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch. “But an eleventh hour change of course to avoid a ban does not alter the dismal and unequal conditions for women and girls in Saudi Arabia.”

Saudis to allow women to compete in the 2012 Olympics

Saudi faced strong criticism for holding to their refusal to allow women to participate in the 2012 Olympics.  The country is dominated by a strain of Islam that looks down on women doing any kind of physical activity.

I found it incredibly ridiculous, not to say unhealthy.  Qatar was a stark comparison.  The smaller Gulf nation is also Wahhabi, but allows for many more freedoms all around.  Women do not have to wear an abaya, I was able to use the hotel gym (even run along the corniche), could have driven if I so chose.  We visited Aspire Sports complex, where I saw young and probably young teenaged girls wearing short spandex outfits practicing gymnastics... cartwheels, flips, you name it.  In front of men.  That would be unimaginable in Saudi.

Seen at Aspire: So, Saudi. What was that you said about me not being able to drive?!

The Saudi Embassy in London announced on Sunday that women from the country will be allowed to compete in the Olympics for the first time ever.  According to the embassy, Saudi's Olympics Committee will "oversee participation of women athletes who can qualify."

Definitely a positive step that Saudi women will now be allowed to participate in the Olympics.  The decision apparently came after "secret meetings" between the king, (former) crown prince, foreign minister, leading religious cleric, the grand mufti, and others.

Two reservations:

1. Why did the Saudi Embassy in London make the announcement and not the country's Olympic Committee? Scared of the backlash?

2. So... you're allowing women to participate but don't allow them to practice? How can women get the training they need to be successful? The rich can always find ways around it. But the Saudis seemed to have taken the tenth step before the first, second, and third that would have allowed women to really participate.

In short, it's good for headlines.  The West certainly noticed.  But apparently there's only one girl who will be able to qualify, showjumper Dalma Rushdi Malhas.  But the announcement seems geared more toward convincing the world Saudi is reforming than actually reforming.

Zawahiri's wife praises women for role in uprisings, predicts an "Islamic Spring"

Al-Qaeda’s media arm, al-Fajr, released a letter from leader Ayman al-Zawahiri’s wife, Umayma, praising women across the region for their leading role in the recent uprisings, as both mothers and caretakers of revolutionaries and as participants and victims of violence. 

Cover of Umayma's letter

“Much of what happened was something we had wished, pleaded, and called for, for decades, but unfortunately, only few had responded,” she wrote.  “But today, the balance has tipped—with the grace of God—and things have changed.”

Umayma wrote she wished he participated in the uprisings and singled out Egyptian women’s courage in the face of regime-sponsored violence.

She noted the political gains made by Islamists, including in Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco, and said the Arab Spring would turn into an “Islamic Spring” and lead to the “liberation of Jerusalem.”

“We will have a new Islamic state based on shariah arbitration, and we will free Palestine and build a state of succession to the prophecy,” she said. 

She asked women to continue wearing the veil at school and work.  “The veil is the identity of the Muslim woman,” she said.  “The West wants to tear off this identity so that the Muslim woman would be without her identity, and then everything else would be trivialized.”

The letter’s authenticity could not be independently verified.

Al-Qaeda’s influence has been largely marginalized after the uprisings that began in late 2010 and resulted in the overthrow of various autocratic governments across the region.  The uprisings, while violent at times, were characterized by nonviolent protests, wide popular support, and the demands that political freedom and social justice be realized. 

In a year, the uprisings were able to do what al-Qaeda had been attempting for decades—the overthrow of “tyrant criminals,” according to Umayma—while rejecting the group’s violent tactics and extremist ideology.  The letter is the latest in a series of attempts by al-Qaeda to capitalize on the uprisings.

Al-Zawahiri became al-Qaeda’s leader after Osama bin Laden was killed by United States Special Forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan last May.  The letter was released shortly after al-Qaeda’s second in command, Abu Yahya al-Libi, was reportedly killed in a drone strike in Pakistan in earlier this week.  

Head of Saudi religious police condemns treatment of nail polish girl while government accuses activist of "disrespect"

The head of Saudi's religious police "came out strongly" against the member of the CPVPV who was caught on a girl's cell phone camera ordering her to leave the mall for wearing nail polish. The video became a viral hit on the blogosphere.  The dislikes however, far outweighed the likes- 2,775 likes to 8,400 dislikes. "The world is manufacturing airplanes and we are still telling a woman, 'Leave the mall because you've got nail polish on your fingers,'" local news quoted Sheikh Abdullatif Abdel Aziz al-Sheikh as saying. Both parties, however, we're responsible for the escalation of the situation, according to al-Sheikh, "I was very disappointed by what I have seen.  The matter had been exaggerated and negatively exploited.  The way the member of the commission behaved sad most right, even if the girl had gone too far." The government's response was, to me, the embodiment of the one step forward, two steps back method of opening Saudi society.  This is especially true in light of the fact Saudi officials announced activist Waleed Abu Al-Khair was accused with "disrespecting" the judiciary by contacting foreign NGOs about a petition to release detainees.  It seems like the Saudis are going through the motions, but there remains a thick red line no one is allowed to cross.  This line ensures the perpetuation of the status quo.  How to reform if you can't change the status quo?? PS-It seems the Saudi trip had the opposite of the intended effect. It was to show us the soft side of Saudi in a PR type of way, but seeing the ridiculous and repressive rules, for both men and women, made me even more passionate about my beliefs about the government.

"They just messed with the wrong woman."

I got a lot of flack for being critical of the gender segregation and inequity when I was in Saudi.  I was seeing things through Western eyes, the boys told me.  It's just the way things are.  Some Saudis argued change was happening, and it was just happening slowly.  Partially true, but like most initiatives imposed from the top-down, actual practice differed from the letter of the law.

The Guardian ran an interview with Manal al-Sharif, who gained fame by defying Saudi law and drove while railing against the inequalities and ridiculous rules in the repressive kingdom that make women second-class citizens.

Manal behind the wheel.

Her spin around the streets of Khobar was captured on a friend's phone and posted on YouTube.  Shortly after, she was arrested and jailed for over a week for "incitement to public disorder."

According to the Guardian, she used her infamy to draw attention to the misogyny in Saudi society and press for real change.  She led mass "protest drives," in which she and other women would drive around; filed lawsuits against the Kingdom's traffic laws, and started an advocacy organization called My Right to Dignity.

"I'm a single mother and I'm 33 but it's hard to even rent my own apartment without getting my father to sign a piece of paper saying he gives me permission," she says.  "I went to renew my passport the other day and they told me to come back with my male guardian.  That is life, for a Saudi woman; wherever we go, whatever we achieve, we are the property of a man."

A Saudi woman who is beaten or raped by her husband and goes to the police must bring that husband along to formally "identify" her, she adds.  Saudi women are forbidden from playing competitive sports and are not due to get the vote until 2015.

...

Her life changed, almost overnight, on 9/11, orchestrated by her countryman Osama bin Laden. "The extremists told us it was God's punishment to America," she recalls. But on the news that evening, she was sickened by footage of office workers jumping from the twin towers. "I said to myself, 'something is wrong. There is no religion on earth that can accept such mercilessness, such cruelty.'"

Ms Sharif began questioning literalist aspects of her faith. "I realized it is impossible to live with the rules they give Saudi women," she says. "Just impossible. You trying to do everything by the book but you can never stay pure."

This year, she was fired from her job at Aramco for her activism.  She refuses to give up and refuses to accept the status quo.  Her actions, and the actions of her fellow activists, should give pause to those who argued to me the current "reforms" are enough.

Because that's just an excuse.  And a load of crap. 

The forgotten victims of Pakistan's feud with the United States.

Zahra Haider, the widow of one of the men killed by CIA contractor Raymond Davis in January of 2011 was killed by her father today.  Her husband, Faizan, was killed when Davis opened fire in downtown Lahore.  Davis claimed he acted in self defense and invoked diplomatic immunity, sparking an intense backlash that plunged United States-Pakistani ties into crisis.

Everyone knows this story.  But what happened to the families the men killed by Davis left behind? How would society view them? How would they cope?

The fate of the two wives speaks volumes.  Zahra and her mother, Nabeela, were killed by Zahra's father.  Family sources allege Zahra's father was upset Zahra secretly remarried according to her wishes.  He had been pushing her to marry Faizan's brother.  Nabeela supported her daughter.

Zahra (I think--Google is an inexact science).
Photo: The National News [Pakistan]

Shumaila Kanwal, the wife of Davis' other victim, Faheem Ahmed, took her own life ten days after the incident by swallowing rat poison.  He was distressed at the prospect her husband's killer would go free.

The nurse and unidentified relatives of Shumaila Kanwal stand beside her at a hospital in Faisalabad.
Photo: AP

After Kanwal was found, she was taken to a hospital.

"The killer is being treated as a guest at the police station.  I need justice and blood for the blood of my husband," she told reporters who gathered at the hospital.

"I want blood for blood.  The way my husband was shot, his killer should be shot in the same fashion.  I do not expect any justice from this government.  That is why I want to kill myself."

The fate of the two women speaks to the issues facing Pakistan today, especially the spread of violence throughout the country, violence against women in particular, male-dominated social norms, and a convoluted and complicated relationship with the United States.  Zahra bravely followed her heart and her mother, equally bravely, defied her husband to ensure her daughter's happiness.  I will preface this by saying I don't know the intricacies of Pakistani society, but I am of the impression it can be male-dominated.  Arranged marriages--in and of itself not necessarily a bad thing--are prevalent.  What daddy says, goes.

Nabeela
Photo: The Express Tribune

Shumaila, distraught with her government's illegitimacy, lack of justice, and cozy ties with the United States chose to end her own life rather than live in the wake of the incident. She perhaps knew what would follow: Davis would be let off after intense United States pressure and she would lose control of her life and narrative.

I don't want this to be a woe-is-women story.  Instead, I wanted to highlight the overlooked repercussions of these incidents.  We may have moved on, but there are many who are left behind.

UPDATE: Reports say Zahra and Nabeela's deaths were fueled by a dispute over Faizan's blood money. 

Moroccan girl commits suicide after being forced to marry her rapist

Al Arabiya reported this morning that a 16-year-old Moroccan girl killed herself after a judge ordered her to marry her rapist.

The girl, Amina, was forced to marry a 26 year old as a way of "resolving" the damage the attack did to her honor and that of her family.  Moroccan law also exempts rapists from punishment if he agrees to marry his victim.

Her new husband's family was reportedly unfriendly towards the young girl.  In the end, she took rat poisoning, ending her life.

The story is widely reported in Morocco and has angered activists online, some using the Twitter hashtag #RIPAmina, who demand action against the judge who issued the ruling.  Unfortunately, the story has gotten no coverage in the West, especially in comparison to the coverage of the story a few months back about the Afghan girl who was forced to marry her rapist.  In that case, Hamid Karzai ended up intervening.  After media coverage died down, however, she too married her rapist.

Forcing a girl to marry her rapist disgusts me.  I can't even describe how reading those stories made me feel. The psychological trauma of the attack ends up becoming the girls' life, trapped forever with a man who has no respect or feelings for her.

I hope Moroccan activists don't let Amina's story fade and maintain pressure on the powers-that-be to change this situation.  

Where's Bassima?

Almost like Where's Waldo. Doing research for my thesis, I came across this photo of the new-ish Moroccan government with only one female minister, Bassima Hakkaoui.

She was given the Ministry of Solidarity, Women, Family, and Social Development. Fluffy.