We want to live in a world of justice, of fair play, and of righteousness.
We exist as individuals in the possession of human rights and the freedom of speech.
We are not wronged until proven guilty, and justice is served to those deserving.
We have a voice, and a system that will hear our tales, and so we speak.
To be taken, and raped, and then forced and threatened into silence - one cannot even begin to fathom the overwhelming trauma being scarred upon the victims of such malicious acts.
Yet, our human counterparts living in middle eastern countries such as Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Israel (just to name a few), have to bear the nightmare of such co-erced sexual subordination in their pained, secret silence, for to speak up about it would only spell imminent torture and the horrible execution of thier "immoral" selves.
Singapore: A rape case here is Singapore does not play out this way. According to the Penal Code 375, a person guilty of "rape", shall be guilty of an offence and is subject to punishment of imprisonment up to 20 years, and shall also be liable to a fine or to caning. The chances of a rape victim voicing out with a report of the act to a receptive society with the laws and means in place to dish out the just desserts upon the guilty perpetrators of this heinous act is definitely higher here in Singapore, as compared to that in the middle eastern countries where the victims are punished as though criminals, while the inflictors of the rape go free.
One same act of viciousness, and two utterly distinguished and separate courses of response in volley. How is it that human communication can be so disparate under such similar cases of sexual violation? We've been taught in class that "our communication and behaviour are based on our perception rather than on reality; it is deceptive. We perceive our surroundings, experience and comunicate differently; and it is influenced by social factors such as that of group culture."
What is the reality?
a) The ongoing fight for equal rights of women and men.
b) Or the suppression of women, nothing more than an added possession of men?
What are our perceptions?
a) Women are to be loved because they are our mothers, and sisters, and aunts, and nieces.
b) Women are the embodiment of family honour, and so have to pay the price of any aroused suspicion and false accusations.
Arabic Group Culture.
I would like to emphasize that the acts of honour killings have nothing to do with Islam or the Koran. I personally feel that there is a distinguishable line between that of religion and the laws pertaining to the acts and circumstances that exists in an arabic society.
Reseach shows that " the root of honour killing is centuries old and dates back to the the Pre-Islamic era called Jahiliyah (Time of Ignorance before Mohammed). " Back in those times, it was an encouraged practice for men to bury their female baby infants alive, as a preventive measure of possible dishounour befalling the family in future. It is apparent that such a culture has transcended through all protests and changes in the ideals and perceptions of women that is seen in countries where they are respected and acknowledged and given the rights equal to that of men. In Pakistan till today, the ancient tribal custom of honour killing is well defined and condoned in society.
The law dictates in such a fashion that there is an impossible burden of proof placed on the women and girls who are raped. It is necessary that a woman present four Muslim male witnessess of unblemished legal records and reputation in order to prove her case. Short of this, the woman falls liable into an accusatory charge of adultery, with an ensuing sentence of jail or a death execution by stoning. Rape is seen as sexual intercourse outside of marriage. The fact that it was non-consensual and forced upon seems to have been conveniently overshadowed and overlooked, lost in the myriad of shame and dishounour that has been cast upon the entire family. There are times when women are faulted with "tempting" a rape upon herself simply by the way she dresses or walks.
We exist as individuals in the possession of human rights and the freedom of speech.
We are not wronged until proven guilty, and justice is served to those deserving.
We have a voice, and a system that will hear our tales, and so we speak.
To be taken, and raped, and then forced and threatened into silence - one cannot even begin to fathom the overwhelming trauma being scarred upon the victims of such malicious acts.
Yet, our human counterparts living in middle eastern countries such as Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Israel (just to name a few), have to bear the nightmare of such co-erced sexual subordination in their pained, secret silence, for to speak up about it would only spell imminent torture and the horrible execution of thier "immoral" selves.
Singapore: A rape case here is Singapore does not play out this way. According to the Penal Code 375, a person guilty of "rape", shall be guilty of an offence and is subject to punishment of imprisonment up to 20 years, and shall also be liable to a fine or to caning. The chances of a rape victim voicing out with a report of the act to a receptive society with the laws and means in place to dish out the just desserts upon the guilty perpetrators of this heinous act is definitely higher here in Singapore, as compared to that in the middle eastern countries where the victims are punished as though criminals, while the inflictors of the rape go free.
One same act of viciousness, and two utterly distinguished and separate courses of response in volley. How is it that human communication can be so disparate under such similar cases of sexual violation? We've been taught in class that "our communication and behaviour are based on our perception rather than on reality; it is deceptive. We perceive our surroundings, experience and comunicate differently; and it is influenced by social factors such as that of group culture."
What is the reality?
a) The ongoing fight for equal rights of women and men.
b) Or the suppression of women, nothing more than an added possession of men?
What are our perceptions?
a) Women are to be loved because they are our mothers, and sisters, and aunts, and nieces.
b) Women are the embodiment of family honour, and so have to pay the price of any aroused suspicion and false accusations.
Arabic Group Culture.
I would like to emphasize that the acts of honour killings have nothing to do with Islam or the Koran. I personally feel that there is a distinguishable line between that of religion and the laws pertaining to the acts and circumstances that exists in an arabic society.
Reseach shows that " the root of honour killing is centuries old and dates back to the the Pre-Islamic era called Jahiliyah (Time of Ignorance before Mohammed). " Back in those times, it was an encouraged practice for men to bury their female baby infants alive, as a preventive measure of possible dishounour befalling the family in future. It is apparent that such a culture has transcended through all protests and changes in the ideals and perceptions of women that is seen in countries where they are respected and acknowledged and given the rights equal to that of men. In Pakistan till today, the ancient tribal custom of honour killing is well defined and condoned in society.
The law dictates in such a fashion that there is an impossible burden of proof placed on the women and girls who are raped. It is necessary that a woman present four Muslim male witnessess of unblemished legal records and reputation in order to prove her case. Short of this, the woman falls liable into an accusatory charge of adultery, with an ensuing sentence of jail or a death execution by stoning. Rape is seen as sexual intercourse outside of marriage. The fact that it was non-consensual and forced upon seems to have been conveniently overshadowed and overlooked, lost in the myriad of shame and dishounour that has been cast upon the entire family. There are times when women are faulted with "tempting" a rape upon herself simply by the way she dresses or walks.
The rules that make up the fabric of society determines the communication and voices of the people. Fear of being ostracised and hurt, rape victims have little choice but to shun help, and face the post-trauma alone and without a confidente. When there is little feedback from such victims, the antagonists run free, and there is but little to deter similar abhorrent acts from occuring time and time again. According to the statistics provided by Egypt's Interior Ministry, 20 000 women or girls are raped every year, which implies that an average of 55 rapes occur each day. With the added fear of social disgrace, the actual number might be higher due to victims reluctant to come forth with their scarring experience.
The factors that govern a person's choice to communicate or to keep silent are plentiful. In this instance, we observe how an environment of oppressive culture on women, and the beliefs, preferences and habits that make up a social network, determines the responses to an act of sexual violence. This selection of reponse is a critical aspect of perception, which has been evidently demonstrative of how perpectual errors can influence our communication, or in this instance, the lack there of.
Even then, our class has been told that "silence" itself is a part of communication, just like a silent rest or pause in a piece of orchestral music. What are we to do with this silence? Those of us who can speak. Have we spoken enough. Can we do more..
Stoned to death for marrying a non-muslim.
Iranian lady faced execution by stoning for adultery.
Stoned to death for marrying a non-muslim.
Iranian lady faced execution by stoning for adultery.
More snippets:
Jirgas have in the past sentenced girls and boys as young as seven
Jirgas have in the past sentenced girls and boys as young as seven
and eight years old as karo and kari despite assertions from the
father that the story has been concocted by his relatives to occupy
his land. News 26/06/04.
“A woman was forced to put her legs in boiled oil, by her brother-in-law
and mother-in-law, before amputating her legs, over suspicion of her
loose morals”. Dawn 12/03/04.
“When Ms. Khashkeli was picked up by the jirga’s ‘execution squad’
her father resisted and contended that he had pardoned his daughter.
Nonetheless members of the ‘death squad’ took Ms Khaskeli and her
husband to a nearby spot where they were gunned down.”
Daily Times 23/01/04.
