The tale of a flogged girl

Monday, April 06, 2009

It was most distressing and painful to see two burly men pinning the young girl down in a most cruel, inhuman and  brutal manner as she was lashed by a third man. The most astonishing thing was that there was a throng of the most  chivalrous and proud Pathans around the helpless victim of atrocity watching the spectacle mutely either in approval  or dumbfounded and afraid of uttering a word against it lest they be termed anti-Islamic and themselves meted out the  same treatment.

The intelligentsia unequivocally and vociferously condemned the incident. However, surprisingly though not  unexpectedly, the newly elected ameer of the Jamat-e-Islami — Syed Munnawar Hasan — in spite of the best efforts of a  TV newscaster not only refrained from condemning the incident but also sounded annoyed and irritated. Hypocrisy was  writ large all over his face and it was clear that he could not afford to say anything against those who had carried  out the act.

I think it is time we asked all religious parties and their leaders whether they condemn or approve of such acts? It  is also time that the lawyers, political parties, the PESA (Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Association), human rights  activists and all other right thinking people took out a long march against such atrocious enforcement of so-called  Sharia in Swat and elsewhere in Pakistan. It is also time that the president refused to sign the Swat peace accord.

Col (r) Riaz Jafri

Rawalpindi

*****

There are no words to express my horror, anger and shock at the sight of a 17-year-old girl being held face down by  two black turbaned young non-mehram urchins, while a third one was flogging her. She was being humiliated in this  manner simply for walking with her father-in-law.

The whole world is watching us in despair. Why are Pakistani men degenerating Islam and Pakistan in this fashion? If  this is Sufi Mohammad’s ‘Islamic justice’ then we were better off with him in jail. The ANP government spokesman was  shooting the messenger, blaming Samar Minullah for showing the video, instead of owning up to its failure.

Dr Zarina Khan

Islamabad

*****

Even hyenas will feel ashamed at this horrendous display of barbarism by religious fanatics who have brought  incalculable disgrace to the religion which they ostensibly want to serve. These butchers living in the Stone Age  enjoy the pseudo-intellectual support of many distinguished but misguided religious scholars who are churning out  circuitous interpretations of faith.

In this context, how can one stop the world from declaring Pakistan as the most dangerous place on the face of the  planet?

B A Malik

Islamabad

*****

The haunting screams of the young hapless female humiliated and perhaps maimed for life in Swat is a grim reminder of  what we are morphing into. Can Pakistanis sleep at night after watching this horror movie? Will the girl’s moans and  cries let us rest in peace? Can we face the rest of the world with dignity and honour? What can we do to return her  lost dignity?

Palwasha Khan

MNA PPPP,

Islamabad

*****

After watching the horrible video clip of a girl being whipped openly in Swat, one comes to think is it what Nizam-e- Adl brings to common people. Is it part of Sharia for which the TNSM has been gifted with a princely state? Where are  the so-called, self-imposed guardians of Islam, who leave no stone unturned while denouncing western countries, but  are silent now?

Bilal Habib

Washington DC

*****

The report of the flogging of a girl in Swat has saddened us deeply. What has pained us more is the comment of Ansar  Abbasi on the issue immediately in the aftermath of the TV channel’s report. In response, he read out an ayat of the  Holy Quran in support of flogging. He criticised all those persons who were terming the act barbaric. In essence he  questioned their religious convictions because according to him they were questioning what is written in the Holy  Quran. This comment was made prematurely and was in bad taste. Sadly it is such people in the media and elsewhere who  are doing greater damage to the cause of eliminating extremism by propagating views out of context and not in the true  spirit of Islam.

As a minimum the journalist should have waited for an enquiry report before quoting the Holy Quran in support of the  flogging. The remarks smack of utter disregard for people’s sensitivities and are intellectually confusing and  misleading.

Shams Zaheer Abbas

Lahore

*****

I would like to tell your readers that the flogging incident in Swat is not an isolated one. Young girls are being  picked up from their homes by these thugs and are forced to marry Fazlullah’s men. The whole nation is wondering what  these so-called upholders of Islam are doing and what kind of Sharia they want to impose. This might be Bin Laden’s  Sharia but not the Sharia of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). Was this the peace promised in the deal negotiated between Sufi  Mohammad and the government? The federal government needs to take a concrete action to help the helpless people of  Swat.

Rizwan Asghar Chaudhry

Lahore

*****

We need to stand up to the Taliban. Now is the time for every Pakistani to say no to this kind of cruelty and violence  before it is too late. Whenever such atrocious acts are committed and exposed, we start blaming foreign powers or call  it a conspiracy against Islam — it is neither — the scourge is within us.

Muhammad Farhan

Karachi

*****

Seeing a 17-year-old girl being beaten by the Taliban in Swat was simply sickening and appalling. If this is the face  of Islam, I feel ashamed of being a Muslim. God save us from such people. Now the time has come for all to declare  jihad against these so-called custodians of Islam. We must rout out these fanatics and mentally sick people from our  country. Now they have started affecting the lives of everyone. The nation must unite now to save our moderate country  form the clutches of these senseless and barbaric people.

Hina Anila

Faisalabad

*****

The silence of the crowd watching the flogging was as shocking as the incident itself. The Taliban are perhaps the  most misogynistic group of people on the face of this planet — they burn girls’ schools and now they have carried out  an act like this. This problem has to be confronted and dealt with a firm hand by the government as well as by all  Pakistanis, or else it will become worse. I would like to appreciate the efforts of the media that brought to  attention an issue which went unnoticed by the government.

Maria Kafeel

Rawalpindi

*****

I am sickened by the brutality of the Taliban in Swat. This was just not a punishment; this was the rape of a 17-year  old girl whose only crime was that she went out of her prison-like house without her husband’s consent. Who knows the  conditions in which she left her house? Nobody dares raise their voice against this brutality. After losing their grip  on Afghanistan, the so-called upholders of Islam have Talibanised my province. And what are our dear leaders doing  about this? They are sitting in their luxurious mansions and have turned a deaf ear to our national threats.

When prodded they come out of their holes and on the advice of their lackeys, give out pathetic and spineless  statements. The world is writing us off as a nation whose development is even lesser than some African countries. No  wonder, the nation which is overrun with encroachers has a room for one more encroacher i.e. the Taliban. Shame on  those responsible. Shame on this nation for not standing up to them.

Ashar Hayat Khan Tareen

Peshawar

*****

Up till now I was a supporter of the Taliban — no more. After watching the public flogging of the young girl in Swat  all I can say is that I am ashamed. This is not the Islam of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

Muhammad Naeem Tanoli

Mansehra