2012 ends for better or worse

What have we earned what have we lost during 2012?

To make a list of problems in Pakistan, one needs an encyclopaedia. As wishes and prayers start pouring in for the new calendar, I have only images and flashes of what transpired this year - Pictures of Vijanti, Rinkle and countless others like them; video of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi beheading Shia men in Quetta; images of Shia men killed in Parachinar, Chilas, Mastung, Quetta, Karachi, of limbs scattered around bomb blast sites, desecrated graves of Ahmedi Muslims in Lahore, burned and looted churches and temples in the name of religion, mass migration of Hindus from Sindh; Shahzeb Khan, who gave the urbanites a chance to unite; and of Bashir Bilour.

We have everything to offer, from terrorism to sexual harassment; feudalism to malnourished children; corruption to religious extremism; and yellow journalism to public vigilantism. Everything one needs to qualify!

Among all this, there is one big happy family. Yes! Hard to believe, but true. It is the most prosperous family we have had for decades. They've lost some members over the years. But still they stand tall. For them the new year will bring many exciting things.... Like letting go of terrorists, getting new cars, pampering spoilt brats. Do not ask them to reassure that the court would punish terrorists like Malik Ishaq from Lashker-e-Jhangvi, and rapists/rape-supporters (yes we have those too) like Sharjeel Memon and not let them free for lack of evidence. Not that we would have peace and not be counting dead bodies and relating bomb-blasts. 

Who cares if Rinkle, Vijanti, Kasturi, Asha, Koshalia, Hakeema and countless others get justice next year in this land of pure. It is still a Happy New Year!

Note: If there will be no rapes, no target killings, no bomb-blasts, no deaths due to hunger and lack of shelter, wish me a new year. Otherwise it’s an extension of the misery we live in, nothing good about prolonging misery, I support euthanasia.

Pakistanis struggle understanding sexual violence!

As the Delhi rape victim dies in Singapore, Pakistanis continue to struggle with understanding that sexual violence is one of the major tools of oppression against women in general and minorities in particular. Especially some of the pseudo-liberals, for whom accepting the ruling elite as a culprit is too much of a big deal.

In the Sindh province particularly two dargahs/shrines are famous for forced conversions of young Hindu girls. Bharchundi Sharif, in Mirpur Mathelo, Ghotki District, Taluka Daharki and Pir Sarhandi, Umerkot District, Taluka Samaro. The 'gaddi nasheen' (or keeper of the seat) of both these shrines are supported and backed by Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

In case the reader is suffering from amnesia, the following are recorded cases of rape and forced conversions. There probably are hundreds which never came into the limelight. The girls were abducted, married off to Muslim men after forcefully converting to Islam. Their ages are anywhere from 13 to 18 years.

January 4, 2005: 18-year-old Marvi and 16-year-old Hemi from Kunri village in Umerkot District

March 3, 2005: 14-year-old Raji from Aslam Town Jhuddo, Mirpurkhas

September 2005: 17-year-old Kochlia, kidnapped and gangraped in Jacobabad

December 22, 2005: 13-year-old Mashu from Jhaluree, 20 km from Mirpur Khas

December 30, 2005: Qosheela's abducted from Ghotki

January 24, 2010: 14-year-old Kasturi Kohli from Mokrio village, Nagarparkar, who was gang raped by

Sharjeel Memon's goons. Yet another PPP leader. 

September 11, 2011: 29-year-old Dr Lata Kumari, Jacobabad

February 24, 2012: 17-year-old Rinkle Kumari's is a high profile case, where her abductor, turned husband Naveed Shah is given support and provided immunity from the law by Mian Abdul Haq aka Mian Mithu, PPP MNA from Ghotki.

March 3, 2012: Asha Kumari from Jacobabad

The recent case of two minor-girls, age six and 14, who were raped in a PPP constituency, Umerkot is not a rare occurrence. Sexual violence is often used as a system to harass, intimidate and force conversion to Islam in Pakistan. There are countless cases in Sindh where children belonging to the oppressed Hindu minority have been sexually assaulted, raped and then refused justice. And in order to further humiliate them and their community, if they are of marriageable age, and unluckily survive the brutality, they are married off to the criminals who perpetrated the crime.

December 4, 2012: A 6 year-old minor, daughter of Munwar Meghwar, a labourer from Ghulam Nabi Shah, Umerkot District was abducted from the street in front of her house and sexually assaulted. The child stayed at the Mirpurkhas Civil Hospital till December 11, from where she was later shifted to Karachi for better treatment.

December 23, 2012: 14-year-old schedule caste (Bheel) Hindu girl from Chachro (FIR no 61/12 u/s 354 Pakistan Penal Code. Complainant Bheel against three accused)

This is only the tip of the ice-berg. Rape and forced conversions both are interlinked in case of women who are of marriageable age. As per the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) around 20 to 25 Hindu girls are being forcibly converted to Islam every month in the southern Sindh province on average. How many are being raped and disposed off due to lack of usability in marriage is another topic. The role in all this of the feudal-rulers is absolutely obscured intentionally by the ruling elite and their henchmen in media and judiciary. While the common public continues to perpetuate rape culture and apologia in the name of religion, there is a dire need to spread awareness and bring these issues out in the open.

Please raise your voice against sexual violence. Join a protest in your city for the cause, or if you cannot, at least take out 2 minutes of your time and sign an online petition. Remember change cannot be brought by merely talking about it. 

Petition for the 6-year-old child - http://www.causes.com/actions/1714231?recruiter_id=180300099&utm_campaign=invite&utm_medium=wall&utm_source=fb


Petition demanding Government of Pakistan and HRCP to atop Child Abuse and Abuse of Power in Sindh Province, Pakistan - http://www.change.org/petitions/government-of-pakistan-human-rights-commission-of-pakistan-stop-child-abuse-and-abuse-of-power-in-sindh-province-pakistan

Umerkot rape cases: Where's the outrage Pakistanis?

While the Indian public is up and about regarding the Delhi rape case, Pakistanis are busy questioning the 'authenticity' and 'intent' of people who are bringing the Umerkot rape case in the public eye. In Pakistan rapists getting support from the ruling elite and their liberal mouthpieces, is a very common occurrence. Rather this is one of the feudal legacies of our country, to rape and watch. And while we are talking of legacies, let’s not forget another, oppressing minorities. 

The recent rape cases from Umerkot, a Pakistan People’s Party constituency, are the perfect examples of both our feudal legacies, sexual violence against minor-Hindu-girls. It is one of the worst weapons to silence and oppress people, be those women, children or religious and ethnic minorities. In Umerkot, a 6-year-old girl-child was raped by a Pakistan Muslim League (Functional) worker and a 14-year-old minor raped by influential men from the ruling PPP. (Read more details here)

Interestingly, the issue is hardly getting much attention since there is too much important stuff going on. First being the death anniversary of Benazir and second, continuing the Bhutto dynasty politics via Bilawal Zardari. Among all this are certain pseudo-liberals, for whom talking about the rape case is a method to malign the PPP.

Perhaps for them the case of Shahzeb Khan is also just to malign feudalism? After all, the feudal Bhuttos are the saviours of Pakistan. And with feudalism comes the ‘responsibility’ to oppress people, and help the ones who oppress (yes the oppressors and not the oppressed are protected where feudal-politicians-with military support run so-called-democracies). What do you plan now? Twist the story and claim it was a love match? (Rinkle Kumari) Or go the Sharjeel Memon way? Or simply make the lives of the families of victims hell, so they actually end up self immolating themselves. While you sit in your drawing room and spew shit on social media? Being in office does not make PPP exempt from criticism. The ruling PPP seems to enjoy perpetuating, supporting and even breeding rape culture.

And last but not the least. A question for all the 'staunch' patriotic anti-Indian Pakistani-Muslims and 'liberals', where is the outrage that you pretended at the Delhi rape case? Or is the rape by Indians more of a rape compared to rape by ‘Muslim / Pakistani men’? 

Did you see the smile?

Smiling,
Shining bright and radiant,
Glistening,
Like dew drops in the morning,
Do you notice?
The sheen,
Fragility and brittleness?
Nay,
Its fear,
Yes, for what makes one smile in pain?
Make a brave face appear,
Don't show the truth,
Fake it,
For who cares for real?

Honorary Guy Syndrome!

I used to identify myself as one of the guys. Or let’s say I suffered from the ‘honorary guy syndrome’. My failure to fit in with the girls around me without makeup and relevant information about latest accessories pushed me to hang out more with the boys around me. Reminds me of an incidence at school when a friend of mine asked how I had no makeup on, and how it made me less feminine. It resulted in a feeling of inadequacy and a brief complex.

Also, I was tired of listening to comments like; you need to stop being so tom-boyish; stop playing cricket on the streets; start taking interest in cooking and baking; what? You fly kites with the guys? So on and so forth. Not to forget the evilness associated with women, especially from the religious point of view.

Hadith 1:28
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: The Prophet said: "I was shown the Hell-fire and that the majority of its dwellers were women who were ungrateful." It was asked, "Do they disbelieve in Allah?" (or are they ungrateful to Allah?) He replied, "They are ungrateful to their husbands and are ungrateful for the favors and the good (charitable deeds) done to them. If you have always been good (benevolent) to one of them and then she sees something in you (not of her liking), she will say, 'I have never received any good from you."

As a teenager, it seemed that being a woman was a curse and everything associated with it meant I would be treated badly. Moreover, the guys I hung out with treated me better when I was not all ‘girly’ as they said. I would be privy to all their indiscretions, dirty street language, newest trends in ‘poondi’, crank calling, and name calling girls. Sigh!

There are things I am ashamed of. Times when the guys talked mean about the ‘girly girls’ and I never stopped them. Or they would indulge in ogling and instead of admonishing them I would be a part of the group, even agreeing that if ‘they’ dressed or acted a certain way, it was to get attention from the guys. It was a perfect case of women being ‘they’ for me.

Statements like, bad driver, duh! Of course, a woman; cranky like a typical woman; my boss is so mean, if only there was a man in her place; or telling some guy who is very emotional, fussy, or loves gossip, stop being a woman all came out without a thought. I’m sure others can add up thousands of such comments we hear in our daily lives. I guess I had a bad case of HGS!

It would probably have continued if I had not met with men who actually did not treat me like one of them, and wanted me to be the woman our patriarchal society dictates. These men wanted me to, be their pet, look pretty, learn to cook, be docile, have less opinions or in some cases no opinions and still understand the male psyche of using women like tissue papers, because hey, this is what women are made for. Remember, women dressed pretty and acted a certain way for the entertainment of the men.

This shift in my circumstances, from considering women as the other, to being a ‘woman’ myself played a huge role in my understanding of how our society literally forces us into a mould. And how great a role men play in maintaining the status quo. Now, when I hear some young women go on and on about how they are not girls because they don’t wear makeup, or don’t wear high heels, or don’t watch dramas or indulge in gossip etc etc, I let them know that they are not alone!

Feminazis make you look sex-ist!

The rape apologists rear their head again. They show their ignorance and bias towards feminists, who think outside the male definition of what constitutes feminism by using American Republican, anti-abortionist nut Rush Limbaugh's vocabulary. How unimaginative and lazy. Yes, feminazi, you got it right bitch. If your feminism makes you question the status quo, and you call a sexist a sexist, you are a feminazi. Wanting to exterminate the bulls of the human species. Calling some holy men misogynists. Considering men who give rape threats future rapists, you are an uptight, ugly, fat cunt. Possibly even a lesbian. Man hating, crazy cat lady. Here's the cliche response from an average callous, religio-fascist excuse for a human being.

For this person, making jokes about rape, threatening women on the internet with rape, talking in a sexually derogatory manner are all good fun. His morals and ethics remain pure and undoubtedly chaste, since all he did was laughingly ask a woman why she is being so uptight about someone who asked her to spread her legs. I guess he often jokes like that at home too. After all, in his minuscule brain his aim is spreading laughter, and if what he is saying and doing is perfectly harmless humour, he practices what he preaches.

Here's the masterpiece by the very il-literally inclined Tayyab Tanvir, the Mango People fame guy. Enjoy the touch of his genius. ;)

Strawman galore. The man talks in innuendoes, starts asking for sexual favours. Women responds with a no. Man starts getting more sleazy and loud. Women screams no, stop it. Man goes, come on let me f*** you. This is how the logic works here. 

1- This man is sexist.

Response: You are not a feminist, but a man-hater.

2- This man supports men who gave me rape threats. This is how rape culture works. He is sexist.

Response: You are close minded because I only joke about rape and that is why support these men because they were joking too. 

3- This man supports rape threats.

Response: Fuck you stupid bitch. Come on, give me a BJ.

4- This man is harassing me sexually and is a future rapist.

Response: You are frustrated and ugly, and think every man is out there to rape you. FEMINAZI!

We have not yet even talked about how one becomes a feminazi by merely not supporting the heteronormative discourse of sexuality and gender. Probably on some other post. Here's a few more of the delusional jokers aka 'sexists'. Who chose to visit the petition page demanding PTA to unblock youtube. Wonder if they would continue upholding humour over morals if someone jokes about their religion. Ah well!

For the post on the group of intellectuals, follow https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=445339138863178&set=a.247177028679391.59192.247122628684831&type=3&theater

Sammich joke suckerpunch!

Here we go again. As if it wasn’t enough to deal with rape threats and rape apologia, the women who dared to question the divine rights of moozlim menz, now have to deal with their ad hominem and strawman arguments. Sprinkled with stupid sammich jokes, these mentally depraved men are hollering out to their partners in crime.

By the way, occasionally, their fake accounts with some stolen pictures of an adolescent girl might appear out of nowhere to lend support too. Trying to legitimize their claims by making it look like, ohhh… look whiminz are supporting us. Doesn’t work! Even if you bring in some doormat, that swoons at your lack of intelligence, and considers you a macho genius, it’s thin ice you are walking on.

Statistical data in Pakistan is highly unreliable. Women here often do not report rape due to the biased hudood laws, social stigma and family pressure. Luckily, US has a slightly better system when it comes to supporting women, therefore, more women ‘report’ rape, although the numbers might still not be accurate. Moreover, looking at the reactions to a mere blog, the way the literate men are shouting women down, calling names, recounting rape jokes, no wonder a lot of women are afraid to even mention getting raped.

Death threat? An interesting fact here is that none of the lousy, intellectually decapitated individuals attack other men. It clearly reveals their psychology, where they are incapable, or perhaps totally clueless as to having any intellectual debate with fellow specimens of their own sex. Their sole power lies in giving rape threats and in some cases death threats, as well as character assassination. Also, even if they argue with a man, they cannot argue with him on the same level. The man has to be ‘otherized’ to be dealt with. He cannot be argued with on the same level as menz. He has to be referred to as a woman in order to make him eligible for their intelligent diatribes.

More proof of the mental calibre and friction between the very few brain cells that have somehow survived. Enjoy the enlightening posts, very beautifully said and delivered I say.

There were also references to bestiality by the moozlem men, cause, hey, they didn’t learn how to have a civilized conversation with a woman who works for animal rescue. How educated of them, and decent... and er.. Moozlem. Why give trouble to your brain cells? Just give threats and mission accomplished.

Make me sammich whim-in!

Stop being a feminazi bitch and make me a sammich you whim-in! Well if that wasn't enough get ready for rape threats if you dare to question and challenge child sexual abuse, paedophilia  rape threats, rape apologia, violence against women etc. 

This is not the opinion of some person stuck between home, food and shelter problems. But the privileged bunch. Attending private universities like COMSATS. Though the Ahmedi girl's rustication incident does not leave much hope for us when it comes to the said institute. Typical response from the lot for whom feminist women are man-hating-uptight-cunts. Their only desire is make me a sammich and spread your legs. These poor ‘layndi dogs’ are clueless how to interact respectfully with the wimminz. 

Now if you think this was the worse, wait till you see the number of likes this future rapist received.

Not to forget the condescending menz for whom, oh this is so not 1856 where you talk about 'feminism and girl power'. 

And just when you think that this is the end of it. Up come the ones who enjoy certain celebrity status and make statements like, “The only reason they're sending you offensive comments is because you've made it too obvious that you'll get pissed off. These people are just messing around with you for the luls. That's why I was messing around with you because your first impression was a Male-hating-delusional-feminazi. Trust me you've never seen real sexists, go to Comics by Arslan and you'll be surprised," by Tayyab Tanvir of the Mango People fame. 

Great! So basically 'The Man Tayyab' is stating, 'My sexism is nothing compared to another guy. So it proves I am not a sexist or a rape apologist'. Since when did rape threats become mere ‘offensive comments’? 

Another brilliant comment by another brilliant dick, err man?

Wimminz are not supposed to question menz for menz know bestest. If not, then menz want BJs without PJs, for their dick, err.. brain is the most important organ in their body pliss. Even if they use it to force others.

Morose

A land,
Fertile with graves,
Where they stand,
Cloaked figures,
Swords, spades or shovels?
What are those?
Digging the earth,
Bodies of the past,
Stacking them,
Those dead piles of dirt,
From which no plant grows,
No life flows,
Eternally dull,
And null shall they be,
Infertile never meeting star dust!

Standing in the rain

Standing in the rain,
Sins washing away,
Trickling, drifting in the water,
I watch them,
Going farther,
Colourful they are,
Much more than a rainbow,
Drenched and cold outside,
But burning hot within,
I watch them,
Pass me by,
Staring they are,
Remorse in their eyes,
Myriad heads in a crowd,
Things in my mind,
I watch them,
Clouds clearing away,
Chasing each other,
Till the sun is out,
Shining bright in my face!