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Fri, 03 - Sep, 2010: |
This day in 2002...
Mukhtar Mai uses compensation money after vicious attack to establish schools
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On June 22, 2002, a 13-year-old boy named Abdul Shakoor was abducted from his home in Pakistan due to allegations from members of the Mastoi tribe that he had had sex with one of their girls. As punishment, three of the men sodomized Shakoor. When his family came to his rescue, they agreed to settle the matter by having Shakoor marry the girl and by his sister Mukhtar Mai apologizing to the family of the girls. But that night, Abdul Khaliq and three other men raped Shakoor's sister Mai as a form of justice. A week later, her local Muslim imam, Abdul Razzaq, condemned the rape and urged the family to file charges, which they did on June 30. Not only did her story get headlines in Pakistan, but BBC and Time magazine covered it as well. Pakistan's chief justice called the rape heinous and in early July, the Pakistan government awarded Mai 500,000 rupees. On September 2, the four rapists and two council members of the tribe were convicted and sentenced to death by an anti-terrorist court. Satisfied with the judgment, on September 3, 2002, Mai decided to use her compensation money to establish schools for girls. In a matter of years, the Mukhtar Mai Women's Welfare Organization has created not only several schools, but also an ambulance service and a women's aid group. Mai has since spoken throughout the world and published extensively. She has received awards from her own government and from other organizations. In 2005, Glamour magazine named Mai "Woman of the Year." Although the Pakistan government was initially supportive of Mai's efforts, it has since harrassed her and her family due to discomfort over the international attention. Meanwhile, violence against women and "honour justice" continues in many parts of the country, and the legal appeals of her rapists continue.
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 “In taking us through a year of human rights, Stephen Hammond leaves us with a powerful mosaic that reveals just how precious and vital human rights are. Steps in the Rights Direction shows us that great things can and have been achieved in the human rights arena, even in the face of daunting obstacles. Human rights are at the core of virtually every aspect of how we live every single day of our lives. Our freedoms, our security, our ability to go to school or to work, our access to housing and to health care, our religious beliefs – are all, in their very essence, about human rights. What could be more fitting than this new book that reminds us of how important human rights are on a daily basis. In doing so, these 365 snapshots underscore that so many of the great triumphs and heart-wrenching tragedies in human rights protection come down, in the end, to a single day, a day that may reflect the very best or the very worst of humanity. This tour through the year should bolster our determination to do everything we possibly can to add more and more victories to the human rights calendar.“
A little bit about the book.
Did you know that:
January 27, 1959 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled Quebec Premier Maurice Duplesis was personally liable for ruining the business of a Jehovah’s Witness?
April 19, 1907 Aboriginal Canadian Tom Longboat won the Boston Marathon with record time and attracted celebrity status?
May 12, 1820 Florence Nightingale was born and her strong math skills—discouraged by her mother—led to the innovation that saved so many soldiers?
June 13, 1986 Henry Vlug became Canada’s first deaf lawyer?
July 28, 1755 Nova Scotia Governor Charles Lawrence ordered the deportation of thousands of Acadians after years of discrimination?
September 23, 1992 Canadian Manon Rheaume became the NHL’s first woman
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