Pakistan: Village court orders rape victim to be killed or sold as slave because of adultery charges
The whole idea in Islam of women covering their hair and, among some Muslims, their faces as well, is that women are the sources of male temptation. Men can’t be expected to control themselves, so it is the woman’s responsibility to cover herself so as to make sure that no temptation occurs. If a man is tempted and acts upon his temptation, it is the woman’s fault and responsibility. The Qur’an says: “O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.” (33:59) The implication there is that if women do not cover themselves adequately with their outer garments, they may be abused, and that such abuse would be justified.
This is why rape victims in Pakistan and other Muslim countries are often imprisoned or punished in other ways.
“Panchayat in Rajanpur orders rape survivor to be killed or sold off,” by Owais Qarni, Express Tribune, May 27, 2017:
MULTAN: Four men were booked in Rajanpur on Saturday for their involvement in a Panchayat (unofficial village court) declaring a teenage girl, who was allegedly raped by a relative, a ‘Kari’.The 19-year-old girl was ordered to be either killed or sold off on charges of adultery levelled against her, the area’s police said.Fazilpur police SHO Husnain Shah told The Express Tribune that the girl approached the police following the order.In her statement, the girl claimed that she and her family were asleep at their home on Friday night when Khaleel Ahmed sneaked inside and raped her at gunpoint.She added that as he was armed, she could not call out for help.The next day when the family learnt of the incident, they approached the Panchayat.Four men, including Muhammad Shafee, the father of the alleged rapist, forced the Panchayat to pronounce Shumaila a Kari on Thursday. The girl’s father was forced to accept the decision.The girl, however, managed to escape and sought refuge at the home of Ghulam Abbas, her uncle….
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