Madhuri Mohindar

NEW YORK, Jun 23 2005 (IPS) — Pakistani-born Mukhtaran Bibi has become an international icon to women who refuse to suffer violence in silence.

Rather than commit suicide after a gang rape ordered by the local village council avenging the dishonour of her brother, she demanded justice from the Pakistani government. She won compensation and used the money to start schools, a women’s shelter and an ambulance service in her village, speaking out against honour killings, rapes and acid attacks targeted at Pakistani women. Her fight for justice continues.

A high court ruling in Pakistan recently overturned the convictions of six of her rapists due to "lack of evidence", sparking local and international outrage. The final verdict lies with the country’s Supreme Court, where her case will be presented on Jun. 27.

ANAA (Asian-American Network Against Abuse of Women) is a New York-based Pakistani rights group that invited Mukhtaran Bibi on a speaking tour of the United States. Along with Amnesty International, it is accusing the Pakistani government of denying Mukhtaran Bibi’s right to travel. It co-sponsored demonstrations in New York and Washington on Jun. 21 and 22 to expose the issue.

Various groups, including the ANAA, Human Rights First, Women in Islam, Amnesty International and Turning Point for Women and Families, are demanding that Mukhtaran Bibi be allowed to travel freely, as well as punishment for the perpetrators of her rape, and a review of the Pakistani government’s attitude towards victims of violence.

Supporters say she had been placed on an "Exit Control List" of people prohibited from traveling abroad, and that Pres. Pervez Musharraf has admitted that he ordered a travel ban on Bibi to protect Pakistan’s image abroad.

An official spokesperson from the Pakistani Embassy in Washington told IPS: "Mukhtaran Bibi is free to travel but has chosen not to do so of her own free will. Initially, her mother’s illness prevented her coming to the USA. Now, she is choosing to stay because of her upcoming case in the Supreme Court. I spoke to her today when she confirmed this news."

But Nuzhat Ahmad from ANAA denies this version of events. "When Ms. Bibi applied for a visa, she was whisked away by the state and forced to give a press conference stating that her mother was ill," Ahmad said. "We were in touch with her mother at the time, who was in good health. Moreover, her passport was confiscated and she was not allowed to leave the country."

She elaborates that it was only under international pressure that Pakistan announced that she was free to travel, but Bibi caved into the pressure after the Supreme Court moved her case ahead to Jun. 27.

"While it is clear that the government is trying to protect the image of Pakistan abroad, they have shot themselves in the foot, and local and international groups are now rallying hard for Ms. Bibi’s human rights," Ahmad said.

The denial of a right to travel is only one aspect of the larger issue linking Bibi’s rape to the demand for action towards the perpetrators of violence against women. Article 25 of the Pakistani Constitution calls for all citizens to have equality before the law. Yet violence against women continues unabated.

A woman is raped every two hours, and there were over a thousand so-called honour killings in 2004. Women’s rights groups are active in Pakistan, and much of this tradition has persisted in the United States, where South Asian groups continue to press for political and legal justice.

"The Pakistani government needs to not just talk the talk, but walk the walk. On the one hand, Pres. Musharraf speaks of the enlightened moderation of Pakistan. Yet he calls advocacy groups ‘westernised fringe elements’ which are ‘as bad as the Islamic extremists’," says Amna Buttar from ANAA.

Several groups also stress the need to not blame Islam. "Violence against women is not due to religion but because of male chauvinism," declares Ghazi Khankan, a civil rights activist in New York. "Islam has always advocated respect and honour of women. In fact, not taking action against a wrongdoing is un-Islamic."

It is his belief that the government, the religious community and civil society all have responsibilities to protect women from rape – such as the local imam who initially encouraged Mukhtaran Bibi to speak out.

Similarly, Aisha Al-Adawiya, executive director of Women in Islam, states: "We are not advocating that other governments protect Muslim society from aspects of itself in the name of democracy, but call on the Pakistani government and civil society to support themselves and their own movement."

The overriding belief is that the Pakistani government is targeting the wrong victims. Archi Pyati, a senior associate at Human Rights First, questions "how poorly must the government treat other women activists when they mistreat a human rights defender like Muhktaran Bibi?"

According to ANAA and Amnesty International, Pakistani Ambassador Jehangir Karamat has promised to cooperate in the future, but could not guarantee permission for Bibi to travel to the United States.

The Pakistani Consulate, however, maintains that there is no question of guarantees when Bibi has been allowed to travel, but is not doing so of her own accord.