Nicholas Kristof has a magnificent way of capturing the heart of an issue when it besets women. Many, many of his writings involves the subject directly or indirectly. His most recent editorial is no exception. "When Rapist Walk Free" addresses an issue that is very volitiles dating back a decade or more to a different Pakistan.
In silent complacency I recognized the issue the other day on The New York Times message boards when they first posted the story of the release of six rapists. You can stand in opposition without sapping energy to realize the dynamics surrounding the issue is out of your control. Diplomacy works best in a state of peace when those in leadership of a country, as Musharraf is of Pakistan, has time to 'squirm' a bit in discomfort at the silent but present distain the world holds for them. It depends on the leader and his/her compassion for their people. In the case of President Musharraf I can say is has reacted in a more favorable way than not to most of the protests of the world around him. For the most part he has been held in a favorable light as a reformer by many other world leaders. When it comes to the USA, he and Bush have enjoyed a friendly coexistence. But, that friendship was mostly shattered when the monies received from the USA dwindled to a trickle and the value of a USA dollar has been plummeting out of sight. It is that lose of 'purchased motivation' that has me believing Perez is back peddling right into regression of any social changes.
Peres understands being a mercenary. He had a very good friend that valued him enough to supply Musharraf with a fairly bloodless coupe at the expense of Pakistan's 'real' progressive government. The mercenary friend was Osama bin Laden. The two ended the Bhutto family reign by raising false charge of how the Prime Minister killed her brother and how Pakistan was burdened with corruption. It was during Bhutto's second Prime Ministership in November of 1996 I believe formal charges of corruption and extra-judicial killings were made.
Following that time there was a progress of upheavals that resulted in a general arriving on the political scene. That General was Perez Musharraf and it was not time at all before he won the power and influence he desired and have held all these years.
I tend to think things are 'okay' in Pakistan as the world looks over it under a microscope until an issue like this manifests and I am driven somewhat reluctantly to address again the devestiture of Benazir Bhutto.
Culturally the country of Pakistan has always had issues of victimization of it's population with a chronic power struggle within the government. Most incredibly the course for women changed and changed drastically when Benazir Bhutto became Prime Minister. She first came to recognition in 1988. She was the daughter of a former Prime Minister/President who disappeared suddenly to find himself in prison with a military general proclaiming Marshall Law with uncontrollable political unrest. The Marshal Law turned into the lynching of Zulfigar al Bhutto, Benazir's father. Miraculously after Zulfigar was dead, things settled down in the country. A country whereby Zulfigar passed massive changes and even building industry within Pakistan. He was held in esteem by the people. It was no small miracle that Benazir would survive past the coupe that removed her father to death only to rise from the Bhutto family ashes to lead Pakistan. She lead a woman's revolution including a national bank for women only.
She was returned again to serve a second. It was during her second service to Pakistan that a Former First Lady and her daughter took a sincere interest in the first woman leader of Pakistan, who like her father continued to make sweeping changes while still another coupe was brewing under her. That former First Lady is now Senator Hillary Clinton who visited with Benazir Bhutto extending a return invitation. The invitation was returned and Benazir Bhutto visited with the then First Lady. It was because of Benazir Bhutto the view of Pakistan changed into a progressive, forward looking country and she earned the respect of Congress with the passage of The Brown Amendment.
The thing about all this is that Benazir Bhutto WAS a progressive leader who has literally, through bills of reform passed by Musharraf, has become an exile regardless the reality that many people of Pakistan want her again to run for office. She currently lives in London. I met her once at the University of New Hampshire on a speaking engagement there. She was wonderful. Articulate, clear minded and in my opinion not capable of any of the crimes Pakistan's militancy has accused her.
It is times like this that I strongly feel Pakistan is not a country with potential but more a country coersed by al Qaeda. Coersed? Or cooperative? This type of move by the Pakistan courts is disturbing as the country was definately moving forward. It could be argued that the six men didn't deserve their DEATH sentence because they were acting on a local tribal order. In other words by raping Mukhtaran Bibi they were doing their patriotic duty. In that light, they are innocent participants in a government of corruption and curelty with social values mired not in justice but antiquated tribal law which should have been devalued and then eliminated a long time ago.
This regression of Pakistan's esteem of women reminds me of a regression to values of the Taliban and with loyalities of a Mercenary President waning with little income from the USA once again I am to realize the country is regressing to allow violent regimes like The Taliban to return to hinder any unrest and placating a possible assassination of Musharraf who now possesses nuclear weapons.
I believe what is happening in Pakistan is the return to primitive cultures with people like Osama bin Laden still calling that part of the world home.
I cannot believe it is time for the world to once again reassess the chronic upheavals known as Pakistan including the return of cruel victimization of women. In taking stock of the issue it is also time the world look in disdain at the prohibitive government of Musharraf who would see the people's favorite leader sequestered in London rather than on the election ballot of Pakistan. This type of cruelty would never be tolerated by Benazir Bhutto. It is time to recall a time in Pakistan when a Former First Lady and Current Senator embraced the progressive government of a female Prime Minister bringing about changes not just within Pakistan but within the USA and the very way in which we viewed Pakistan with great hope and promise.
Benazir Bhutto needs to be returned to Pakistan in free elections.
It's time the World Courts at the very least and the United Nations begins to address this grievance against President/Dictator Perez Musharraf. It needs to be done before Pakistan is again so far gone to the Taliban and regimes like it, the only avenue of reform will be war.
