Chapter Five - The Shame of Honor

[Ann]

'"When I treat rape victims, I tell the girls not to go to the police," Dr Syed added. "Because if a girl goes to the police, the police will rape her."'

The authors describe Dr Syed as 'a prominent gynaecologist in Karachi' who 'frequently treats young girls from the slums after rapes.'

Thank God people like him are working there and that he accepts to see the poor.

[Agustin]

Kudos to that Doctor! He's the true defender of justice and the innocent, not the police.

[Eugenia]

This chapter was the most difficult to read for me, because of the way the militias abuse of women. That was so impressive and frightening, I cannot believe that they could rape someone in this way, and moreover think they are entitled to do so.

I admire people like Dr Syed, who work defending justice despite the local police. That's sad, but we need to encourage other people like them to help women and families to change this situation.

On the other hand I don't understand why men are always deciding if we are pure or not. I know it comes with conservative religions and cultures, but why are we enduring this treatment for centuries? Why is our virginity (and our sexual honor) always more important than men's?

This situations are found in the developing countries, but in developed too. Rape victims are always treated in first sight as causative instead of what they really are. Here in Spain they ask always "What were you wearing at the time of the abuse? Maybe you were inciting to rape you", and I supose this is not only here. We aren't never the cause, but the sufferer.

[MeerderWörter]

Eugenia, it is not.
And it makes me sick!
I'm serious, we need to change rape culture! It is internalized from a very young age, it also happened to me. But when you are willing to think about it, and think with the mind rather than the down parts, you will come to the conclusion that it's wrong.

So, I really appreciate people like Dr. Syed, who fight at the front of the battle and treat the wounded. It's a shame that police members act like this - we need to change culture in order to change behaviour!

[Samantha]

I told my dad that the earliest mention of an honor killing was in Deuteronomy....he laughed in my FACE!!!!! My dad always questions my philosophy.

[MeerderWörter]

Samantha wrote: "I told my dad that the earliest mention of an honor killing was in Deuteronomy....he laughed in my FACE!!!!! My dad always questions my philosophy."

Would he also question Newt's philosophy: "My philosophy is worrying means you suffer twice." I love him so much. And he's a feminist, I think. Let's see what the future films bring.

I only read until Numeri, then I quit.