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A rally in Islamabad to mark International Women’s Day on 8 March. Imran Khan said a rise in rape cases was a result of a society where ‘vulgarity is on the rise’.
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Pakistan
Pakistani PM blasted for blaming rape on how women dress
Human rights campaigners accuse Imran Khan of ‘baffling ignorance’ amid rise in rape cases
Agence France-Presse in Islamabad
Wed 7 Apr 2021 09.51 EDT
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Pakistan rights campaigners have accused the prime minister, Imran Khan, of “baffling ignorance” after the former cricketer blamed how women dress for a rise in rape cases.
In a weekend interview on live television, the Oxford-educated Khan said an increase in rapes indicated the “consequences in any society where vulgarity is on the rise”.
“The incidents of rape of women … [have] actually very rapidly increased in society,” he said.
He advised women to cover up to prevent temptation. “This entire concept of purdah is to avoid temptation. Not everyone has the willpower to avoid it,” he said, using a term that can refer to modest dress or the segregation of the sexes.
Hundreds signed a statement circulating online on Wednesday calling Khan’s comments “factually incorrect, insensitive and dangerous”. “Fault rests solely with the rapist and the system that enables the rapist, including a culture fostered by statements such as those made by [Khan],” it says.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent watchdog, said it was “appalled” by the comments. “Not only does this betray a baffling ignorance of where, why and how rape occurs, but it also lays the blame on rape survivors, who, as the government must know, can range from young children to victims of honour crimes,” it said.
Pakistan is a deeply conservative country where sexual abuse survivors are often viewed with suspicion and criminal complaints are rarely seriously investigated.
Much of the country lives under an “honour” code where women who bring “shame” on the family can be subjected to violence or murder. It regularly ranks among the worst places in the world for gender equality.
Nationwide protests erupted last year when a police chief admonished a gang-rape victim for driving at night without a male companion.
The Franco-Pakistani woman was assaulted in front of her children on the side of a motorway after her car ran out of fuel.
Last year, Khan was also criticised after another television appearance where he failed to challenge a Muslim cleric’s insistence that coronavirus had been unleashed because of the wrongdoings of women.
The latest controversy comes as the organisers behind International Women’s Day marches battle what they have called a coordinated disinformation campaign against them, including doctored images and videos circulated online.
It has led to blasphemy accusations – a hugely sensitive issue in Pakistan, where allegations have previously led mobs to attack people.
The organisers of the annual rally have called for the prime minister to intervene.
The Guardian - Back to home
News
Opinion
Sport
Culture
Lifestyle
A rally in Islamabad to mark International Women’s Day on 8 March. Imran Khan said a rise in rape cases was a result of a society where ‘vulgarity is on the rise’.
Show caption
Pakistan
Pakistani PM blasted for blaming rape on how women dress
Human rights campaigners accuse Imran Khan of ‘baffling ignorance’ amid rise in rape cases
Agence France-Presse in Islamabad
Wed 7 Apr 2021 09.51 EDT
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Email
Pakistan rights campaigners have accused the prime minister, Imran Khan, of “baffling ignorance” after the former cricketer blamed how women dress for a rise in rape cases.
In a weekend interview on live television, the Oxford-educated Khan said an increase in rapes indicated the “consequences in any society where vulgarity is on the rise”.
“The incidents of rape of women … [have] actually very rapidly increased in society,” he said.
He advised women to cover up to prevent temptation. “This entire concept of purdah is to avoid temptation. Not everyone has the willpower to avoid it,” he said, using a term that can refer to modest dress or the segregation of the sexes.
Hundreds signed a statement circulating online on Wednesday calling Khan’s comments “factually incorrect, insensitive and dangerous”. “Fault rests solely with the rapist and the system that enables the rapist, including a culture fostered by statements such as those made by [Khan],” it says.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent watchdog, said it was “appalled” by the comments. “Not only does this betray a baffling ignorance of where, why and how rape occurs, but it also lays the blame on rape survivors, who, as the government must know, can range from young children to victims of honour crimes,” it said.
Pakistan is a deeply conservative country where sexual abuse survivors are often viewed with suspicion and criminal complaints are rarely seriously investigated.
Much of the country lives under an “honour” code where women who bring “shame” on the family can be subjected to violence or murder. It regularly ranks among the worst places in the world for gender equality.
Nationwide protests erupted last year when a police chief admonished a gang-rape victim for driving at night without a male companion.
The Franco-Pakistani woman was assaulted in front of her children on the side of a motorway after her car ran out of fuel.
Last year, Khan was also criticised after another television appearance where he failed to challenge a Muslim cleric’s insistence that coronavirus had been unleashed because of the wrongdoings of women.
The latest controversy comes as the organisers behind International Women’s Day marches battle what they have called a coordinated disinformation campaign against them, including doctored images and videos circulated online.
It has led to blasphemy accusations – a hugely sensitive issue in Pakistan, where allegations have previously led mobs to attack people.
The organisers of the annual rally have called for the prime minister to intervene.
