As soon as you see a mistake and don't fix it, it becomes your mistake. -- Unknown
How much longer must we see people blame the victims for the crime, and watch the authorities act too slowly? When will people understand that the men and to a lesser degree, the culture, are the problems?
A post on a Facebook community page for women's issues in India lamented the fact that victims of rape in India were getting younger; the most recent being a four-year-old that was severely injured. One male commenter wrote: "Stop being sluts then u won't get raped". How DARE this idiot pin the blame on a child who couldn't even know what constitutes "slutty" behaviour?
His FB timeline contains glaring contradictions. He posts that he wants to adopt a child, he is tolerant of other people's sexuality, and he supports the medical use of marijuana. How can one reconcile that with his statement above? All I will say is that if he adopts a girl, hopefully he won't have to find out what it's like to be the father of a girl who was raped.
The description of an Islam-oriented women's group reads as follows: "Allah has created women with the most beautiful figure, we know it's beautiful. So why then should we cover it? Because it's not for everyone to see. Likewise in the case of hijab, Allah created us with beautiful structure and because of our beauty, He is testing us by stating to cover our beauty and to be modest about our beauty. By wearing the hijab we are respecting Allah and our love for Him. Since He's our creator and the Creator of the world we are living in, we have to respect His laws, shari'a. Hijab can save a woman from evil's eye. Only hijab makes one feel better and safer."
This is what they might believe, but the truth is that the hijab protects them from nothing. Women who wear full-length burqas are equally as likely to be raped as those who wear bikinis. We all have the right to wear what we choose and not be afraid; our choice of clothing does not indicate we are "asking for it". Is a man who walks down the street in the summer without a shirt "asking for it"?
Rape is not always about sexual gratification, it's about power and control. If a man cannot control himself, or respect a woman's right to safety, that man should not be allowed to remain in society at large. Any blame for his actions should rest squarely on his shoulders, and nowhere else.
The current focus on this issue is uncovering some very dark things. I think men are frightened. I don't quite know where this is all going, but it's really very odd that we've reached 2013 and we still haven't got past the male fear of women, and our "power".
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