While this is something that happened in Pakistan, how often have we heard of such occurrences happening in India too. An interesting news item in The Dawn, one of Pakistans more known newspapers caught my eye this morning. The writer of this article, apparently a woman herself, goes on to suggest that Pakistani women who Adam tease men are inviting for trouble in the form of sexual harassment.
The other thing that bothered me is that a newspaper of the size and readership of The Dawn is publishing such misdirected socially parasitic views as this. Maybe The Dawn is as bad as that great Indian sleaze tabloid but even such publications are driven by the pure motive of money and thus they print what sells. The fact that The Dawn is printing this means that people don't mind reading this, they find nothing wrong in such views else it would not have been printed.
In India too from time to time we see such views expressed. One remembers the controversy that erupted not too long ago when Shiv Sena's Mr Thackarey tried to connect the rape of a student in Mumbai by a policeman to women wearing skimpy clothes a few years back (maybe not in as many words or as directly but still..). After all politicians cater to the market too and push an agenda that sells. Thankfully, the furore that ensued made sure that expression of such sentiments (at least in public and by people of standing) is not easily forgiven and forgotten in India.
Not only are the boys and men to blame here but from what I have been witnessing nowadays in universities, colleges and public places, etc. I have reached the conclusion that girls are the main cause for this growing menace.So whats new you may ask? Well, for one I have usually found such sentiments expressed by chauvinist men who try to justify sexual harassment and rape by saying 'She asked for it'. While this justification is deplorable in itself, you can never justify rape no matter what the circumstances, the fact that a lady is saying this is something which I have not seen before.
The other thing that bothered me is that a newspaper of the size and readership of The Dawn is publishing such misdirected socially parasitic views as this. Maybe The Dawn is as bad as that great Indian sleaze tabloid but even such publications are driven by the pure motive of money and thus they print what sells. The fact that The Dawn is printing this means that people don't mind reading this, they find nothing wrong in such views else it would not have been printed.
In India too from time to time we see such views expressed. One remembers the controversy that erupted not too long ago when Shiv Sena's Mr Thackarey tried to connect the rape of a student in Mumbai by a policeman to women wearing skimpy clothes a few years back (maybe not in as many words or as directly but still..). After all politicians cater to the market too and push an agenda that sells. Thankfully, the furore that ensued made sure that expression of such sentiments (at least in public and by people of standing) is not easily forgiven and forgotten in India.
2 comments:
I think you are referring to the wrong link in The Dawn or may be the article has been moved?
Anyway, in some ways Indian parents' ways of bringing up a girl child is motivated by the fact (in our society) that a scantily-dressed girl invites more trouble than well-dressed (or well-covered!) girl. In an open (literally!) society where every girl is skimpily clothed, there will be lesser instances of blaming a girl for being a rape victim. In the west there is no way a girl will be blamed unnecessarily. Only asian or middle-eastern countries face such problem where a girl easily invites trouble if she doesnt cover herself fully.
On a funny note, the solution to the problem is to let all girls wear skimpy clothes all the time. Men will eventually get bored and stop raping girls ;)
Stupid Dawn, they moved it to an archived link and I updated it now. Yeah, now that would be a fun thing - all women wearing skimpy clothes ;-)
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