September 14, 2005 ☼ Foreign Affairs
This is an archived blog post from The Acorn.
He personally instructed Pakistan’s government machinery to bully Mukhtaran Mai and prevent her from traveling abroad. He has ranted against the NGOs who have taken up the cause of Pakistan’s rape victims, to the point of branding them terrorists. And now, even as he claimed Pakistan’s record on women’s rights is comparable to that of developed countries, he took potshots at rape victims.
“You must understand the environment in Pakistan,” Musharraf added. “This has become a moneymaking concern. A lot of people say if you want to go abroad and get a visa for Canada or citizenship and be a millionaire, get yourself raped.” [Washington Post]
So who should be shivering in fear after this? Rapists or their victims? The significance of making such crass statements is obviously lost on image-obsessed dictators. Mr Kristof, where are you?
Related Link: Raven over at Reality Cafe writes that if were not for the international attention recent rape victims received, Musharraf would probably claimed ‘they were asking for it’. Coincidentally, today’s edition of Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper carries an op-ed on the state of women’s rights.
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