A Life & A Death Unintended

Rape has always been one of the most degrading and dehumanizing aspect of our society. Though I don’t know quite a lot about the history of where it all began, I do know that it is taking us quite an extensive amount of time implementing certain rape laws/legislation and the necessary consequences to serve such cases, and bringing about justice. Something as severe as this should not take 3+ years in court in order to find enough “evidence” and “support witnesses.” Once such cases come out, action should be taken immediately, instead of further delaying the process and waiting for it to happen to someone else. To some, it may be a light topic, one that does not affect them or they genuinely seem to not understand the various factors of it. For others, like myself, the concept of rape is such a strong and evoking topic I try to not converse in it as much as possible. The numerous negative emotions that I feel when hearing and seeing such things appear on social media and news channel make me just want to break down even thinking about them.

I speak of rape in particular, due to the extremely heartbreaking case that broke every news channel headlines exactly a year ago, on January 2018. Zainab Ansari, a 6-7 year old Pakistani child that was brutally raped and murdered in the nearby city of Kasur, which is located to the South of Pakistan. To just see that first headline right at the beginning of the New Years and hear various anchormen and women talking about, brought forth so many emotions, I found it difficult to comprehend. Exactly what is going through your mind when you decide to rape a child? A child who has yet to grow up, who has yet to see the world, have dreams and aspirations of her own, make memories with her friends and family, laugh, whatever it may be. How can you be so selfish as to take that away from someone who has not even yet lived her life, or properly seen the world for that matter?

For those who have not seen or heard of this case, the facts behind it is that Zainab had went missing on January 4th, and in the midst of trying to find her, about five days later, on January 9th, her body was discovered in the trash near Shahbaz Khan Road. Police later found out that she was on her way back from Quran classes at a tuition center near her house when she was kidnapped. One post-mortem examination actually concluded that she was raped, sodomized (which is any sexual activity between a person and an animal), and strangled to death afterwards. When found, they later organized her burial on the following Thursday, at her ancestral graveyard in Road Kot. Some of you may be wondering, where were her parents during all of this? Now this is where it gets even more heartbreaking. Her parents were in Saudi Arabia, performing Umrah, which is an Islamic pilgrimage and one of the pillars of faith in Islam as well. Think about it: her parents went all the way to the holiest place for Muslims, to ask for blessings in their prayers for the New Years, their family, whatever it may be, and they had to come home to find their only child dead behind a dumpster…

As for the rapist, 24 year old Imran Ali had more to him than meets the eye. While originally everyone thought he was just a “one-time” rapist, turns out, he was a serial killer and a rapist. Zainab’s case was just one of the 11 that were reported in the same neighbourhood in the span of 1-2 years, which police believed to be all linked to one another. Ali was convicted for 6-8 of these, including Zainab’s, in which five were murders, as concluded by a report done by the AFP. He confessed to Zainab’s during her murder investigation. Ali was then convicted in February, given four death penalties, on top of the three other rape/murder cases he confessed to, a $4.1 million rupees fine ($31,000 CAD) for the kidnap, rape, and murder of Zainab, and according to some sites, an additional charges filed under acts of terror. Additionally, he was charged with jail time for an extra six months if he failed to pay his fines. He was to be hanged publicly a few months later.

I will not talk go into detail about the legislation/laws/amendments that were made after this case. Those do not matter. Laws, in the eyes of people who have the audacity to even think of committing such a crime like this, are nothing. The legal system is disregarded in the eyes of people who go out of their way to please them self, and not only ruin the victim’s life, but everyone around them as well. They do not care about a few million rupees fine, a few years in jail, a few death penalties. What is that to them? Nothing. While a beautiful young child is crying and screaming for help, having no idea what is going on with her, a man is out there, fulfilling his “desires.” Rape is not a sexual desire. It is a disease. A mental illness. No sane person, or one with a soul, thinks to them self, “Let me go out and rape this woman,” much less a child who has not even hit puberty. That is not a human being.  That is simply a monster. Someone who has done something that completely strips them of their basic human nature, does not deserve to live their life. An act like rape, dehumanizing on the highest of levels, how can you let them roam free around others? The answer is simple: you do not.

My question to you is, why must laws and amendments only be put in place when the parents of the victims demand justice for their dead child? Why is it that the streets of Kasur were only full after a 7 year old was found dead behind a trash can? Why is that the supreme courts, FBI, whoever it may be, only investigate a case when more are linked to it? Can justice not be served to the first girl whose parents came out? Could the laws not have been amended when Eman Fatima, a 4 year old girl in the same neighbourhood, and the first case to arise of the 12, came out? What about her death? Her justice? Why was there no #JusticeForEman like there was #JusticeForZainab? Why must be wait days, months, years, for something bad to happen around us for us to realize that it is an issue that is only escalating? Why do we wait until the death of a 5 year old hits BBC News for us to realize that it is not the victim’s fault. It is never the victim’s fault. No one “asks” to be raped. When in trial, victims are accused of not denying their rapists. Is a simple ‘no’ not enough? How much more do you need to say to stop a man from ruining your life? Do the tears, the constant begging to stop, the cries for help, mean nothing? Where they just turning someone on?

Until we learn that maybe we should be educating the boys and men of our society instead of blaming it on the girl for being out too late, or her style of clothes, rape cases will keep coming forth with amendments being made that will be forgotten about in a few months. Until we can assure security and safety for the girls and women who have just gained confidence to come forward with their stories, men like Imran Ali will keep destroying [young] lives. Until we can break free from the cultural and social aspects of rape, rape culture will only continue to grow. It will be normalized. In some countries, it already is (India, Pakistan, and so forth). Rape culture will allow these people to get away with, because rapists support other rapists. They do not call each other out, stand up, or speak up, no. They stay silent, and probably mentally congratulate them on a job well done. Rape culture allows the Imran Alis’ of the world to keep committing whatever horrendous things come to mind, and to keep up their “streak” of doing so, until they finally get caught. Rape culture encourages rape victims to stay silent, because that is the only way they can protect their dignity and their family’s from the world. Rape culture allows men like Brock Turner to get away with raping innocent girls, ruining their lives, but simply going on with his.

Because of our society, our mindset, how we are taught, how are girls are singled out, and guys are forgiven because “boys will be boys,” rape culture has reached this extent. We have disregarded the few that have gained to speak up about their case, simply because we can never admit that the boys and men of our society cannot commit such a crime. However, I urge to come out from that toxic mindset. Rape culture must not be normalized [anymore than it already is], but coming forward to testify should be. Instead of waiting on more “evidence” and similar cases, our legal systems and authority figures should learn to take action on the first on that comes up. Rape is a complex concept to change all in once day, or in one step, but the first thing is assuring the safety of victims who speak up. The first step is to make sure that no judgement is put upon the victims who have finally gained the confidence to raise their voices about their own stories. As quoted by a similar aspiring journalist, “when so much of what we are as a society and really, a world is based in the systemic oppression of others there’s very little myself or you, or mere individuals can do to change it.” But there is. There is so much more that we can achieve when we take that first step.

Listen to those that come up to talk about their story. Listen to those that drop hints that they may be going through the same thing. Just please, I urge every single one of you to listen, no judgement, no harsh comments, just listening. We are growing up in a world that is quickly heading into a direction in which society’s oppressive constraints are too much to handle for some. However, the one advantage is that the young generation is becoming more aware and educated about their place in the world and the issues that are going on around them. They know what they believe in, rather than having family and friends influence their beliefs and morals, and stay firm to them. They are socially aware, and use the power of various social media platforms to raise awareness about topics that may not be getting as much coverage on the news. And I urge you to become like one of those people. Do not let the fear of being judged by society stop you from advocating and speaking up for what is right. Your words, your actions, your support, can help and inspire so many others to do the same. We are [the] advocates of our own lives, and no one but ourselves have the right and power to judge our decisions and lifestyles. Do not let the Brock Turners’ and the Imran Alis’ scare you into hiding. Educate yourself on these topics, converse with fellow friends, family, whoever it maybe, and support those that come forward. Today it might just be posting a case on your Instagram story to raise awareness about it, tomorrow it may be that the victim of that case you posted won their trial, and their abuser got the punishment they deserve.

To all those that felt they have been silenced by society and think no one cares, I do and so does the world. We are here for you, every step of the way, and we will make sure that you deserve the peace and respect that you do. We hear you. Please do not be afraid to come forward and speak. And once more to just have it ingrained in your memory for a good while, remember: Don’t be afraid to ask for help, because you are not alone.

XO,

Sam ♡