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Resonate your identity with Naseeb journals. Express your opinions, share your thoughts, post your writings and connect with like minded people through the power of expression.
Resonate your identity with Naseeb journals. Express your opinions, share your thoughts, post your writings and connect with like minded people through the power of expression.
Help Dr. Shazia
This is a disturbing story. Please be advised.
Some of you might've heard about it. Dr. Shazia, a married woman living in Bulochistan, Pakistan was returning home from work when she was viciously attacked and raped by a Pakistani Army Captain in early January, 2005...in her very own home.
The Army Captain had tied her arms and legs and threatened her to keep quiet or else he'd kill her. The ordeal lasted the whole night and the culprit repeatedly raped her and beat her, meanwhile taking some breaks to watch TV.
In the morning, when Dr. Shazia reported the incident to her fellow residents, they told her to keep quiet and not to tell the police. They then went ahead and sent her to a psychiatric hospital in Karachi and furthermore, made sure her family didn't know about the incident.
But the word did get out, and when her husband's father found out, he sent a band of goons to kill her so that she would not be a stain to the family's honor. Luckily for her, Dr. Shazia was able to escape but when her story made airwaves in Pakistan, Gen. Musharraf made sure to quiet the commotion to relieve the pressure he was feeling from a rape incident/honor killing just a few months earlier. The similarities between these cases are horrifying.
Instead of prosecuting the Pakistani Captain (whom they identified by the condoms that he left behind), the Gov't told Dr. Shazia to leave the country and to "save face". She was extradited to the U.K., where her family was promised a job and a home. Instead, they were ram shacked in an underground joint somewhere in the ghettos of London, where they had no jobs, or food, and no one to turn to for help.
When Dr. Shazia tried to get asylum in Canada (where her relatives were staying) the Canadians denied the request, citing the fact that she already had asylum in the UK. (This I couldn't believe). But what's most disturbing is the fact that her rapist is still free, roaming the streets of Baluchistan...untouched.
I can't even begin to understand how one can justify laws that punish the victims of such crimes and furthermore, give the perpetrators of such acts the upper hand. It is inconceivable trying to understand the logic behind such backward practices.
Bros and sisters, we cannot just keep quiet when incidences like this keep happening. We need to come together and show solidarity in our voice that such ridiculous practices be outlawed and banned from our homeland.
If there is any justice in this world, let it show itself. This isn't just about one woman, it?s about the horrific state of affairs our world is currently in and our need to not only recognize that fact, BUT TO CHANGE IT. Please think of your own family when you read this. It only takes an email (below).
----------------------------------- --------------- ----------------------------------
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
1. You can send an e-mail to Joseph Volpe, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1, Canada (email: [email protected]) and ask for asylum for Dr. Shazia.
2. Readers who want to help Dr. Shazia more directly, or find out more about her case, can contact the Asian American Network Against Abuse of Women, 4anaa.org.
3. NYC HUMAN RIGHT RALLY - Sept 2005
First ever human rights for all in Pakistan rally (word) (pdf) in NYC on September 2005. DR.SHAZIA KHALID will be speaking at the Rally. If you are interested in taking part in or volunteering your time in preparation for the rally, please email: [email protected].
Some of you might've heard about it. Dr. Shazia, a married woman living in Bulochistan, Pakistan was returning home from work when she was viciously attacked and raped by a Pakistani Army Captain in early January, 2005...in her very own home.
The Army Captain had tied her arms and legs and threatened her to keep quiet or else he'd kill her. The ordeal lasted the whole night and the culprit repeatedly raped her and beat her, meanwhile taking some breaks to watch TV.
In the morning, when Dr. Shazia reported the incident to her fellow residents, they told her to keep quiet and not to tell the police. They then went ahead and sent her to a psychiatric hospital in Karachi and furthermore, made sure her family didn't know about the incident.
But the word did get out, and when her husband's father found out, he sent a band of goons to kill her so that she would not be a stain to the family's honor. Luckily for her, Dr. Shazia was able to escape but when her story made airwaves in Pakistan, Gen. Musharraf made sure to quiet the commotion to relieve the pressure he was feeling from a rape incident/honor killing just a few months earlier. The similarities between these cases are horrifying.
Instead of prosecuting the Pakistani Captain (whom they identified by the condoms that he left behind), the Gov't told Dr. Shazia to leave the country and to "save face". She was extradited to the U.K., where her family was promised a job and a home. Instead, they were ram shacked in an underground joint somewhere in the ghettos of London, where they had no jobs, or food, and no one to turn to for help.
When Dr. Shazia tried to get asylum in Canada (where her relatives were staying) the Canadians denied the request, citing the fact that she already had asylum in the UK. (This I couldn't believe). But what's most disturbing is the fact that her rapist is still free, roaming the streets of Baluchistan...untouched.
I can't even begin to understand how one can justify laws that punish the victims of such crimes and furthermore, give the perpetrators of such acts the upper hand. It is inconceivable trying to understand the logic behind such backward practices.
Bros and sisters, we cannot just keep quiet when incidences like this keep happening. We need to come together and show solidarity in our voice that such ridiculous practices be outlawed and banned from our homeland.
If there is any justice in this world, let it show itself. This isn't just about one woman, it?s about the horrific state of affairs our world is currently in and our need to not only recognize that fact, BUT TO CHANGE IT. Please think of your own family when you read this. It only takes an email (below).
----------------------------------- --------------- ----------------------------------
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
1. You can send an e-mail to Joseph Volpe, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1, Canada (email: [email protected]) and ask for asylum for Dr. Shazia.
2. Readers who want to help Dr. Shazia more directly, or find out more about her case, can contact the Asian American Network Against Abuse of Women, 4anaa.org.
3. NYC HUMAN RIGHT RALLY - Sept 2005
First ever human rights for all in Pakistan rally (word) (pdf) in NYC on September 2005. DR.SHAZIA KHALID will be speaking at the Rally. If you are interested in taking part in or volunteering your time in preparation for the rally, please email: [email protected].
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