A very brave woman indeed.

'My life is in danger': Fears of Pakistani woman gang-raped on orders of village elders as 13 out of 14 men are cleared



Punishment attack ordered because her 12-year-old brother was judged to have offended a clan's honour

Mukhtaran Mai's courage in defying centuries-old rural customs of repressing women has made her a role model for many women in Pakistan

Mukhtaran Mai's courage in defying centuries-old rural customs of repressing women has made her a role model for many women in Pakistan

A Pakistani victim of a village council-sanctioned gang rape, who became a symbol of the country's oppressed women, says her life is in danger after the Supreme Court acquitted 13 men accused of the crime.

Mukhtaran Mai was attacked on the orders of a village council nine years ago as a punishment because her brother - who was 12 at the time - was judged to have offended the honour of a powerful clan by allegedly having an affair with one of its women.

Mai was an illiterate villager at the time but she defied taboos and shot to global fame by speaking out about her ordeal and taking her attackers to court.

Mai had accused 14 men of being involved in raping her and in 2002, a court sentenced six of them to death while acquitting the others citing a lack of evidence.

But in an appeal, the Lahore High Court not only upheld the eight acquittals but also overturned five of the six convictions. The death penalty for the sixth man, Abdul Khaliq, was commuted to life in prison.

Mai appealed to the Supreme Court in 2005 but it rejected her appeal on Thursday, said Gohar Ali Shah, a lawyer for Mai.

'I'm disappointed. Why was I made to wait for five years if this decision was to be given?' a sobbing Mai told Reuters by telephone from her village in the eastern province of Punjab shortly after the court announced the decision.

'The accused can kill me and my family when they return home,' she added.

The Lahore High Court upheld eight acquittals and overturned five of the six convictions. The death penalty for the sixth man, Abdul Khaliq (second from right) was commuted to life in prison

The Lahore High Court upheld eight acquittals and overturned five of the six convictions. The death penalty for the sixth man, Abdul Khaliq (second from right) was commuted to life in prison

Her courage in defying centuries-old rural customs of repressing women won her human rights awards and made her a role model for many women in Pakistan.

She is running a school for girls in her village with donations from the government and supporters at home and abroad.

Mai said she would neither flee her village nor the country.

'Life and death are in the hands of Allah ... I will not shut my school and other projects,' she said.

The group Human Rights Watch expressed dismay at the court decision, saying the attack on Mai was a 'crime that took place in full public view and the perpetrators were publicly identified'.

'Today's verdict by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on the Mukhtaran Mai case reflects poorly on the Supreme Court,' said Ali Dayan Hasan of the U.S.-based rights group.

He said Human Rights Watch was particularly concerned about Mai's safety and called upon on the government to ensure her protection.

'This is a setback for Mukhtaran Mai, the broader struggle to end violence against women and the cause of an independent, rights-respecting judiciary in Pakistan.'

Mai said the 14 men involved in her rape were: Faiz Bukhsh Mastoi, Ramzan Pachar, Ghulam Fareed Mastoi, Allah Ditta Mastoi, Hazoor Bakhsh, two men both named Fayyaz Hussain, Aslam, Nazar Hussain, Ghulam Qasim, Hafiz Rasool Bakhsh, Ghulam Hussain, Mohammad Khalil and Abdul Khaliq.

All have now been exonerated apart from Khaliq, who will serve a life sentence.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1379496/Mukhtaran-Mai-says-life-danger-Supreme-Court-clears-men-accused-rape.html#ixzz1KGudO756

Seren wrote:'My life is in danger': Fears of Pakistani woman gang-raped on orders of village elders as 13 out of 14 men are cleared



Punishment attack ordered because her 12-year-old brother was judged to have offended a clan's honour

Mukhtaran Mai's courage in defying centuries-old rural customs of repressing women has made her a role model for many women in Pakistan

Mukhtaran Mai's courage in defying centuries-old rural customs of repressing women has made her a role model for many women in Pakistan

A Pakistani victim of a village council-sanctioned gang rape, who became a symbol of the country's oppressed women, says her life is in danger after the Supreme Court acquitted 13 men accused of the crime.

Mukhtaran Mai was attacked on the orders of a village council nine years ago as a punishment because her brother - who was 12 at the time - was judged to have offended the honour of a powerful clan by allegedly having an affair with one of its women.

Mai was an illiterate villager at the time but she defied taboos and shot to global fame by speaking out about her ordeal and taking her attackers to court.

Mai had accused 14 men of being involved in raping her and in 2002, a court sentenced six of them to death while acquitting the others citing a lack of evidence.

But in an appeal, the Lahore High Court not only upheld the eight acquittals but also overturned five of the six convictions. The death penalty for the sixth man, Abdul Khaliq, was commuted to life in prison.

Mai appealed to the Supreme Court in 2005 but it rejected her appeal on Thursday, said Gohar Ali Shah, a lawyer for Mai.

'I'm disappointed. Why was I made to wait for five years if this decision was to be given?' a sobbing Mai told Reuters by telephone from her village in the eastern province of Punjab shortly after the court announced the decision.

'The accused can kill me and my family when they return home,' she added.

The Lahore High Court upheld eight acquittals and overturned five of the six convictions. The death penalty for the sixth man, Abdul Khaliq (second from right) was commuted to life in prison

The Lahore High Court upheld eight acquittals and overturned five of the six convictions. The death penalty for the sixth man, Abdul Khaliq (second from right) was commuted to life in prison

Her courage in defying centuries-old rural customs of repressing women won her human rights awards and made her a role model for many women in Pakistan.

She is running a school for girls in her village with donations from the government and supporters at home and abroad.

Mai said she would neither flee her village nor the country.

'Life and death are in the hands of Allah ... I will not shut my school and other projects,' she said.

The group Human Rights Watch expressed dismay at the court decision, saying the attack on Mai was a 'crime that took place in full public view and the perpetrators were publicly identified'.

'Today's verdict by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on the Mukhtaran Mai case reflects poorly on the Supreme Court,' said Ali Dayan Hasan of the U.S.-based rights group.

He said Human Rights Watch was particularly concerned about Mai's safety and called upon on the government to ensure her protection.

'This is a setback for Mukhtaran Mai, the broader struggle to end violence against women and the cause of an independent, rights-respecting judiciary in Pakistan.'

Mai said the 14 men involved in her rape were: Faiz Bukhsh Mastoi, Ramzan Pachar, Ghulam Fareed Mastoi, Allah Ditta Mastoi, Hazoor Bakhsh, two men both named Fayyaz Hussain, Aslam, Nazar Hussain, Ghulam Qasim, Hafiz Rasool Bakhsh, Ghulam Hussain, Mohammad Khalil and Abdul Khaliq.

All have now been exonerated apart from Khaliq, who will serve a life sentence.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1379496/Mukhtaran-Mai-says-life-danger-Supreme-Court-clears-men-accused-rape.html#ixzz1KGudO756

Yes Seren, a very brave woman indeed and a terrible injustice. Sometimes I don't think we realise how lucky we are

This woman was raped by 14 men as a punishment for something her brother did? Absolutely disgusting, my heart goes out to her and her family. I hope they keep safe x

Pure evil

Feelthelove wrote:


Yes Seren, a very brave woman indeed and a terrible injustice. Sometimes I don't think we realise how lucky we are

This woman was raped by 14 men as a punishment for something her brother did? Absolutely disgusting, my heart goes out to her and her family. I hope they keep safe x

Pure evil

im not sure but dont the women of this country have to be vigins before marrige,if so the poor lady would not not be accepted by any prospective suitor leaving her a very hard done by lady,the majority of the men seem to have got away scot free,strange people,strange ways of going on .

Thank god we don't live under Sharia Law, yet!

MrDoodles wrote:Thank god we don't live under Sharia Law, yet!

Well as a mother of a young girl I must say that I find their politics totally alien to all the rights that us Brits have secured for women totally alien.

Seren wrote:

Well as a mother of a young girl I must say that I find their politics totally alien to all the rights that us Brits have secured for women totally alien.

comming to a city near you.........at some point unless......

Paranoia is not healthy kids

eilzel wrote:Paranoia is not healthy kids

Same as your "Rose-tinted glasses" eilzel!

MrDoodles wrote:

Same as your "Rose-tinted glasses" eilzel!

Not me MrD. I acknowldge the evil and threat of extremists, while trying not to let it cloud my judgment of all Muslims.

eilzel wrote:

Not me MrD. I acknowldge the evil and threat of extremists, while trying not to let it cloud my judgment of all Muslims.

You must be lucky then eilzel, as I was working in Peterborough on September 11th 2001 and I saw these "normal" Muslims, out in the streets, Celebrating the fall of the Twin Towers, which at that point, was thought to be around 30-35,000 deaths!

So forgive me, if I judge events by what I see with my own eyes, from these "normal non-extremist" Muslims!

On a similar vein, I was watching Sky yesterday and saw an 8 year old boy, who'd been shot in the head by a Sniper, the kid had survived, but is now facing a life of blindness.

Bear in mind, that this was done by a Muslim Libyan, to a Muslim Libyan child!

They're not right in the head mate!

MrDoodles wrote:

You must be lucky then eilzel, as I was working in Peterborough on September 11th 2001 and I saw these "normal" Muslims, out in the streets, Celebrating the fall of the Twin Towers, which at that point, was thought to be around 30-35,000 deaths!

So forgive me, if I judge events by what I see with my own eyes, from these "normal non-extremist" Muslims!

On a similar vein, I was watching Sky yesterday and saw an 8 year old boy, who'd been shot in the head by a Sniper, the kid had survived, but is now facing a life of blindness.

Bear in mind, that this was done by a Muslim Libyan, to a Muslim Libyan child!

They're not right in the head mate!

There are certainly many Muslims who are, or at least support Fundamentalists MrD; I don't deny that. And those who are and do are disgusting people with NO place in civilized society. If they did that here, needless to say my views would be different

And yes Muslim Libyans are shooting Muslim Libyans right now. As we had Christian Irish killing Christian Irish not all that long ago. Of the 1.2 billion(ish) Muslim population though MrD, how many are actually going around killing each other or anyone else?

The situation in Libya is actually unfair. They are in a civil war right now, their faith has nothing to do with it, any more than it has in any other civil war anywhere in history.

MrDoodles wrote:

You must be lucky then eilzel, as I was working in Peterborough on September 11th 2001 and I saw these "normal" Muslims, out in the streets, Celebrating the fall of the Twin Towers, which at that point, was thought to be around 30-35,000 deaths!

So forgive me, if I judge events by what I see with my own eyes, from these "normal non-extremist" Muslims!

On a similar vein, I was watching Sky yesterday and saw an 8 year old boy, who'd been shot in the head by a Sniper, the kid had survived, but is now facing a life of blindness.

Bear in mind, that this was done by a Muslim Libyan, to a Muslim Libyan child!

They're not right in the head mate!

That's disgusting Weird, I was working in Peterborough that day and I was travelling back home on a train when I first heard the news. I thought it was the start of World War III