Anti-Women violence down

ISLAMABAD — Mukhtar Mai, a gang rape victim, believes that violence and discrimination against women in the Muslim world are on the down swing, denying any link between the tradition-motivated practices and the Muslim faith.

"For the last four years, I have been associated with women and organizations dealing with such issues, and I have observed that such incidents are on the decline," Mai told IslamOnline.net in a recent interview.

"The only difference is media. Earlier, these incidents, which were much higher in numbers, had gone unreported."

Mai, 36, was gang raped in 2002 on the orders of the council of tribal elders from her Meerwala village in Pakistan's southern Punjab province.

The tribal elders ordered the gang rape as a punishment after her younger brother allegedly had had illicit relations with a woman from a rival tribe.

Mai, who is currently running two schools for girls and one for boys in her district, contends that incidents of rape and other kind of violence in Pakistan, and other Muslim countries for that matter, are declining ostensibly.

"I don’t agree with those who argue that women are under the thumb in Muslim countries," Mai told IslamOnline.net in a recent interview in Doha.

"If there are excesses with women, then it is everywhere in the world. Only Muslim countries cannot be blamed for that."

Islam

Mai was motivated by her nightmarish experience to help others.

"I was meant to be so shamed that I would commit suicide, but instead I found the courage to overcome the disgrace and refused to remain silent," she said defiantly.

At one point she contemplated suicide, but her belief in Allah helped her and granted her courage to raise and fight for other women.

"Several (rape) victims have left the country, and I could have done the same. But I thought they didn’t have enough faith in their religion.

"I didn’t leave my country because it would have tarnished the image of my religion. I want to tell the world that I was not victimized on the basis of any religious tent but on the basis of so-called tribal traditions," Mai stressed.

"I have opted to fight for both myself and the women facing injustice and discrimination in the name of tribal traditions and customs, which have nothing to do with Islam."

Mai believes that unless the Islamic laws are implemented, excesses with women can never be wiped out.

"Islam, in fact, gives more rights to women. It’s just the wrong interpretation of Muslims themselves which creates the problems," she insisted.

"This is a very simple religion. What we need is only to implement and follow its tenets.

"If we implement its laws in our societies, violence and discrimination against women will automatically be eliminated. And even if such incidents happen after that, there will be prompt justice," said Mai.

"I am a Muslim and I trust in Allah. And I want to tell Muslims that just follow your religion, your problems will automatically bee resolved."

IslamOnline.net