Epidemic of Acid-Attack on Women in Pakistan

What you see here is what happens in some parts of the Islamic world. These stories are all from Pakistan, but happen as frequently in Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Some make the argument that these crimes against humanity are only "traditional" or "tribal" or societal. Whatever the origins, they happen only in Muslim countries.

Where is the global Islamic outrage against these barbaric crimes against women and in some cases men? Where is the United Nations condemnation of throwing acid onto human beings? What are the governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh doing to stop these horrors?

What is the United States and the rest of Western society doing?

FROM ISLAM-WATCH.ORG:

Epidemic of Acid-Attack on Women in Pakistan

Tuesday, 20 July 2010 04:13
Dr. Radhasyam Brahmachari

A sample of horror stories of acid-attacks on women in Pakistan...

It has been mentioned in the previous article, Islamic Barbarism: Disfiguring Women by Acid Attack, Part 2, that Pakistan tops the list of incidence of acid attacks on women with nearly 150 incidents of nationally every year of which about 50 occur in Balochistan. A report, entitled “Acid Terrorism Against Women in Pakistan”, dated December 12, 2009, presents some incidents of this horrific crime.

A statement, titled PAKISTAN: Acid attacks continue to be a serious concern, by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) contains a few incidents of acid attacks with images of the victims in Pakistan (presented below). Behind each one of these pictures lies a painful tale. These are pictures of once lovely women. These faces are no longer and will never be the same again.

In a heart-rending description “My Scars Tell My Story”
of the victims of acid terrorism, Talath Naqvi writes:

If on the one hand we get shocked at the criminal violence that exists around us, then on the other hand organisations like DSF (Depilex Smile Again) also give us some hope that benevolence exists in a society where such criminals breed. I cannot fail to be shocked at the capacity some people have for violence. It stuns me that there is perfect planning involved in setting about the stage and this is conceived, only to be followed by the enactment of the sinful deed.

Naqvi continues:

How does one go about buying the necessary equipment prior to carrying out a heinous act? Is it like ordinary folks going out to buy groceries? And in all this time, it is alarming that their conscience doesn't kick in to make them take a step back and comprehend what they are doing.

Recently, I came across 'faces' who gave meaning to the words "a picture is worth a thousand words"... The pictures were heart-rending. What could possibly have led to such horrifying deeds? I could not help but try and trace, at least a part of the story that lay behind the images. Behind each one of these pictures lies a painful tale. These are pictures of once lovely women. These faces are no longer and will never be complete and whole again.

Story of Irum Saeed

Irum Saeed, PakistanIrum Saeed, 30, is a resident of Rawalpindi. She recalls how 12 years ago, when she was only 17, a boy, whose marriage proposal she had rejected, followed her to her college. The street he chose for the scene of crime was narrow, and Irum was unable to escape his hot pursuit of her. The rejected boy proceeded to throw a jug full of acid on her. As she turned to avoid this, he threw the remaining acid onto her back and shoulders, badly burning them. The photograph was taken at her office at the Urdu University of Islamabad, Pakistan, on Thursday, July 24, 2008. She has undergone plastic surgery 25 times to try to recover from her scars.

Story of Shameem Akhter

Shameem Akhter, PakistanShameem Akhter's face was mutilated with acid when she was only 17. Now aged 20, she is still unable to comprehend how she fell victim to criminals, who kidnapped and raped her for revenge. Then they left her face mutilated, hoping her appearance would silence her forever and ensure that she would never marry. They have succeeded in destroying her life and much of her spirit. Shameem has undergone plastic surgery 10 times to try to repair from her scars.

Story of Najaf Sultana

Najaf Sultana, PakistanNajaf Sultana, now 16, of Lahore, was burned by her father at the age of five while she was sleeping, apparently because he didn't want to have another girl in the family. The burning left Najaf blind. Abandoned by both her parents, she now lives with relatives. She has undergone plastic surgery around 15 times to try to repair her scars.

Story of Shehnaz Usman

Shehnaz Usman, PakistanShehnaz Usman, now 36, of Lahore was burned with acid by a relative due to a family dispute five years ago. She has undergone plastic surgery 10 times.

Story of Shahnaz Bibi

Shahnaz Bibi, PakistanShahnaz Bibi, now 35, of Lahore, was burned with acid ten years ago by a relative due to a family dispute. She has never undergone plastic surgery.

Story of Kanwal Kayum

Kanwal Kayum, PakistanKanwal Kayum, now 26, of Lahore was burned with acid one year ago by a boy whom she rejected for marriage. She has never undergone plastic surgery.

Story of Munira Asef

Munira Asef, PakistanMunira Asef, now 23, of Lahore was burned with acid five years ago by a boy whom she rejected for marriage. She has undergone plastic surgery 7 times to try to heal her scars.

Story of Bushra Shari

Bushra-Shari-acid-attack-victim-pakistanBushra Shari, 39, of Lahore was burned with acid thrown by her husband five years ago because she wanted to divorce him. She has undergone plastic surgery 25 times.

Story of Memuna Khan

Memuna KhanMemuna Khan, 21, of Karachi was burned by a group of boys who threw acid on her to settle a dispute between their family and Menuna's. She has undergone plastic surgery 21 times.

Story of Zainab Bibi

Zainab Bibi PakistanZainab Bibi, 17, of Islamabad was burned five years ago by throwing acid on her face a boy whom she rejected for marriage. She has undergone plastic surgery several times.

Story of Naila Farhat

Naila FarhatNaila Farhat, 19, of Islamabad was burned five years ago by throwing acid on her face by a boy for rejecting his marriage proposal. She has undergone plastic surgery several times.

The case of Naila Farhat was brought to the Supreme Court of Pakistan in November 2008 and received great publicity. The perpetrator was sentenced to 12 years in prison and ordered to pay Rupees1.2 million in damages. This represented a landmark decisions in dealing with gender violence, but the judgment could hardly stem the menace of acid-throwing. This was also somewhat exceptional case in the landscape of acid attacks in Pakistan. In most cases, measures, if at all taken, are still disproportionately low as compared to the sufferings inflicted by the attacks.

Story of Saira Liaqat

Saira-liaqat-acid-attack-victimSaira Liaqat, 26, of Lahore was 15, when she was married to a relative. The families had agreed she would join him only after finishing school. But then he demanded her to live with him after the marriage and eventually attacked her with acid when his demand was not met. Saira has undergone plastic surgery 9 times.

Story of Zubaida Khatoon

Zubaida-Khatoon-acid-attack-victimZubaida Khatoon was burnt by her husband to resolve an argument. Her husband had made it a hobby of frequently marrying women from families to lower economic groups. When she discovered this, Zubaida protested his actions. He tried to settle the argument by setting her on fire after pouring kerosene on her. Raising an objection to his lechery was all needed for her to bear these scars.

Story of Nasreen Sharif

Nasreen-Sharif-acid-attack-victimNasreen Sharif, 23, was once a beautiful girl. When she turned 14, her cousin poured a bottle of sulphuric acid on her face as she slept. His excuse was that he couldn't stand other boys whistling at her (because of he beauty) when she crossed the street. She no longer bears any resemblance to that youthful beauty. "My skin melted and my hair burned away. I am now blind, I have no ears and I have no sense of smell", says Nasreen.

Story of Parveen Akhtar

Parveen-Akhtar-acid-attack-victimParveen Akhtar, 38, from Jehlum found her life changed when her husband asked her for her written permission to allow him to remarry. Her refusal to it angered him and he tried to murder her by dousing her body with kerosene and setting it alight. He portrayed the incident as an accident and told people that he wanted to remarry because she cannot bear children.

Story of Bashiran Bibi

Bashiran-Bibi-acid-attack-victimNearly 25 years ago, newly-married Bashiran Bibi (now 57), a resident of Sukheki, Pakistan, was pushed by her mother-in-law into a coal stove. The family proclaimed it to be an accident. Her husband blamed it on a fit of epilepsy that she suffers from. Resolved to her fate, Bashiran continues to live with her husband and in-laws and gave birth to 5 children after this "accident". Whatever money is donated to Bashiran's cause, her husband uses it for himself and doesn't spend any on her treatment.

Story of Mumtaz Bibi

Mumtaz-Bibi-acid-attack-victimMumtaz Bibi, 39, from Khairpur, Pakistan, came under her husband's wrath while trying to protect her daughters. Her offence was that she refused to let him selling off her girls, shielding them with her life. Because of her lack of compliance, her husband poured acid all over her body, then proceeded to divorce her.

Story of Tasneem Shahzad

24-year-old Tasneem Shahzad's story is repeated all too often. A girl, too poor to bring much demanded dowry, she bore the wrath of greedy in-laws. Tasneem's ex-husband was an addict. It was left to her to support her own household as well as that of her extended family. Tasneem worked in several homes to support all those who depended on her. However, that was not pleasing enough for her greedy in-laws. One day, her clothes were set on fire by her rapacious in-laws and she suffered severe burns. They then proceeded to try and prove that the incident was an accident.

Sabira-Sultana-acid-attack-victim-pakistan

Rays of Hope

Amidst this grim state of affairs for the unfortunate women of Pakistan, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is working to expose the extent of the gender-violence in Pakistan and the misogynist mindset behind it, which is spreading within the Pakistani Middle Class. The AHRC is working closely with acid-attack victims as part of its involvement for denouncing human rights violations across Asia.
READ IT ALL:

Under the Islamic Veil Faces Disfigured By Acid

More faces of the horror of Islam.  While these atrocities are not universal in Islam, they are only found in Islamic countries and perpetrated by male Muslims on women and young girls. 

FROM PAJAMASMEDIA.COM:

Under the Islamic Veil Faces Disfigured By Acid

Posted By Phyllis Chesler On November 23, 2009 @ 12:31 pm

These photos show what happens to real women who wear the Islamic Veil. The photos depict horrifying hate and the unbearable suffering it inflicts upon female innocents. The photos were taken by Emilio Morenatti of the Associated Press. The text is based on work done by Nicholas Kristof—one of the few people at the New York Times whose work I am proud to quote. You may find them HERE (Thanks to Yehuda for calling this to my attention).

What are we seeing?

The Arabization or the Saudi-ization of Muslims in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan is the hidden hand behind these acid attacks upon women. These poor girls and women have had their lives ruined; some have been forced to undergo surgery 20-30 times in order that they may see a little, or breathe a bit, hear something, perhaps in order to eat or make themselves understood. They look like…monsters. That was what their attackers wanted to accomplish. To render their faces into self-portraits of their attackers.

Why was acid thrown into their faces? The main reasons are because they dared to reject someone in marriage or because they wanted a divorce. The “jilted” suitors (or husbands) took their revenge in this fashion. If he can’t have her, no man will; I will make sure that no man will ever want her.” One young girl was gang-raped aftger which her rapists threw acid on her face. Another committed the “crime” of disappointing her father by being born female, not male. Many were disfigured as a result of a “family dispute.”
Thus, the punishment for being born female, for exercising any will of one’s own is, Saudi-style, the most horrible punishment. The men tried to make the women loathsome to humanity, to sentence them to painful surgeries, self-hatred, perhaps to lives lived in isolation.

Make no mistake. This tendency to disfigure women–even those who wear the Islamic Veil–is real. And, it might be coming our way if we do not stop the Wahhabi and Salafi influence which is funding our universities in North America as well as the Islamic religious schools.

For once, I will leave aside the question of what must be done and allow the photos to speak to you.

1 Irum Saeed, 30, poses for a photograph at her office at the Urdu University of Islamabad, Pakistan, Thursday, July 24, 2008. Irum was burned on her face, back and shoulders twelve years ago when a boy whom she rejected for marriage threw acid on her in the middle of the street. She has undergone plastic surgery 25 times to try to recover from her scars.

2 Shameem Akhter, 18, poses for a photograph at her home in Jhang, Pakistan, Wednesday, July 10, 2008. Shameem was raped by three boys who then threw acid on her three years ago. Shameem has undergone plastic surgery 10 times to try to recover from her scars.

3 Najaf Sultana, 16, poses for a photograph at her home in Lahore, Pakistan on Wednesday, July 9, 2008. At the age of five Najaf was burned by her father while she was sleeping, apparently because he didn't want to have another girl in the family. As a result of the burning Najaf became blind and after being abandoned by both her parents she now lives with relatives. She has undergone plastic surgery around 15 times to try to recover from her scars.

4 Shehnaz Usman, 36, poses for a photograph in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008. Shehnaz was burned with acid by a relative due to a familial dispute five years ago. Shehnaz has undergone plastic surgery 10 times to try to recover from her scars.

5 Shahnaz Bibi, 35, poses for a photograph in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008. Ten years ago Shahnaz was burned with acid by a relative due to a familial dispute. She has never undergone plastic surgery.

6 Kanwal Kayum, 26, adjusts her veil as she poses for a photograph in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008. Kanwal was burned with acid one year ago by a boy whom she rejected for marriage. She has never undergone plastic surgery.

7 Munira Asef, 23, poses for a photograph in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008. Munira was burned with acid five years ago by a boy whom she rejected for marriage. She has undergone plastic surgery 7 times to try to recover from her scars.

8 Bushra Shari, 39, adjusts her veil as she poses for a photograph in Lahore, Pakistan, Friday, July. 11, 2008. Bushra was burned with acid thrown by her husband five years ago because she was trying to divorce him. She has undergone plastic surgery 25 times to try to recover from her scars.

9 Memuna Khan, 21, poses for a photograph in Karachi, Pakistan, Friday, Dec. 19, 2008. Menuna was burned by a group of boys who threw acid on her to settle a dispute between their family and Menuna's. She has undergone plastic surgery 21 times to try to recover from her scars.

10 Zainab Bibi, 17, adjusts her veil as she poses for a photograph in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008. Zainab was burned on her face with acid thrown by a boy whom she rejected for marriage five years ago. She has undergone plastic surgery several times to try to recover from her scars.

11 Naila Farhat, 19, poses for a photograph in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008. Naila was burned on her face with acid thrown by a boy whom she rejected for marriage five years ago. She has undergone plastic surgery several times to try to recover from her scars.

12 Saira Liaqat, 26, poses for the camera as she holds a portrait of herself before being burned, at her home in Lahore, Pakistan, Wednesday, July 9, 2008. When she was fifteen, Saira was married to a relative who would later attack her with acid after insistently demanding her to live with him, although the families had agreed she wouldn't join him until she finished school. Saira has undergone plastic surgery 9 times to try to recover from her scars.

Gone insane for a son

Here is another horrific example of Muslim cruelty and depravity. Throwing acid on women is par for the course by Muslims in South Asia. this attack against an 8 month old baby however is the most brutal and inhumane attack I've read about in 6 years of tracking such atrocities. This poor girl somehow survived the depraved attack and may eventually lead a somewhat normal life.

That there is an organization known as the Acid Survivor's Foundation is almost beyond belief, but brings into focus just how wide spread this animalistic practice is.
There are no words for the horror of this sort of attack on the innocent.

If Sharia is ever imposed on Western societies, this sort of barbaric practice will come along with it.

Stop Islam. Deport those in the West before they breed an Islamic Jihad army to attack from within.

This item is titled Gone Insane for a Son, but is should rightly be titled Another Muslim Mutilates an Infant.

FROM THEFAMILYSTAR.NET:

Gone insane for a son

Daughter survived father's acid assault to tell world of a sick paternal craving
Eight-year-old Babli now goes to school. Her father poured acid into her mouth, ears and her feet for being a girl when she was only seven months old. The photo was taken at Acid Survivors' Foundation in Banani. Photo: STARAlpha Arzu
Babli's father wanted to be the "proud parent" of a son, and when a son was not born to him but a daughter, he chose to be a villain.

Bakhtiar Rana, a carpenter by profession in Betagi Thana in Rangunia, Chittagong, took an instant dislike to the fact that his wife "had given him a burden instead of an heir" and made his feelings clear.

The resentment over being stuck with a burden -- as a girl child is still labelled in society -- grew in such proportions in him that things took a turn for the worst when Babli was just seven months old in July 2000.

On the fateful day, Babli's father chose to forget that he was a human being. He took his child in his arms and used a medicine dropper to force acid into her mouth, into her ears and on her feet. He also did not spare her anal passage.
The attack left Babli with a burnt throat, tongue and severe hearing impairment. She also suffered serious damage to knees, feet and anal passage. But the fighter that the little baby was, she kept her struggle to just stay alive and she was lucky enough to draw the attention of people who would help her.

Now eight years later, after sessions of continuous treatments, Babli can now not only eat on her own but also talk and even goes to school.
Bakhtiar Rana was never arrested and her mother Parul Akter still suffers from the trauma of witnessing the heinous attack on her child to kill her.
Parul who lives and works in Dhaka now told The Daily Star yesterday “Everyone apprehended she would die from the injuries she suffered but my brave daughter held on. She underwent at least six major operations over the last eight years since 2001.

A visiting surgeon from the USA first operated on Babli to try and repair her food pipe and throat. After that surgery she was able to drink liquid food and gradually was able to swallow semi-solid food.

In 2004, one of her damaged toes had to be amputated during surgeries to restore the use of her feet. In 2005, further surgery restored the use of her tongue. Then in January and March 2006, two operations by a visiting plastic surgeon from UK reconstructed her inner mouth.

All these operations were made possible because of the shelter given to the mother and child by the Acid Survivors Foundation since November 2000.
Parul told The Daily Star “We did not get justice in nine years and I now think that we will never get any justice because the law enforcement agencies say that Bakhtiar is still absconding.
"The joke is that Bakhtiar still lives where he used to live, has since got remarried and is now the father of two, including a son. Only the law enforcement agencies cannot find him."

A case has filed around a year after the attack under the Nari O Shishu Nirjaton Domon Tribunals, Chittagong. After reinvestigating the case, the court finally accepted the charge sheet and the charges were framed in January 2003.
Monira Rahman, executive director of Acid Survivors Foundation, said “Both victims -- mother and child -- of this cruel violence has suffered severe traumatic disorder over the years.”

Babli is a student of class-II in a city school and she is also learning to dance. She is quite good at dancing and has already performed at national level programmes despite the loss of a toe.
She is able to talk now, and though not clearly, doctors at Jibon Tari Hospital, run by ASF where Babli was treated, expressed hope that in time her speech will be totally alright.

Parul today works as an office assistant in Dhaka and supports herself and Babli.
"We hear every day that the government is so aware about acid crimes, but why is then Bakhtiar still free while my child suffers by the hour?"
“What is my child's fault? Why does she suffer alone still?" Parul said as she burst into tears while talking about the ordeal they have been through.

Babli is one of the many cases of acid violence. According to a report by Acid Survivors Foundation, 45 people fell victim to acid violence between January to June this year alone. Another 179 people in 2008, 192 in 2007, 221 in 2006, 272 in 2005, 325 in 2004, 411 in 2003, 490 in 2002, 349 in 2001 and 234 people in 2000 suffered similar attacks.