Dr. Mukhtar Mai

Recently Laurentian University of Canada has decided to award Mukhtar Mai with an honorary doctorate degree in recognition of her services for promoting education to girls and broadening the process to improve women’s right in Pakistan.

Mukhtar Mai is just one of the many women victims that have survived the brutal social malaise that is inherent in Pakistan’s rural communities. A victim of gang rape as a form of honor revenge. By custom, such women, especially in rural societies, commit suicide or bury the incident within them to avoid shame and disgrace; instead she defied all odds and spoke up against the ruthless and inhumane form of justice which carried out this gruesome act to avenge the honor of other tribe.

Though her case is still held up with Pakistan Supreme Court, her bravery and courage has certainly collected accolades and acknowledged globally. She was rewarded for her bravery and turned her tragedy into opportunity for women and girls and set up Mukhtar Mai Women’s Welfare Organization to promote education in view towards raising awareness to prevent future honor crimes.

Mukhtar has deeply offended the local feudal elites by championing the poor and pointing out the degree to which corruption protects the elites when they rape or abuse poor women. It’s no secret that some of those feudal families would like to see Mukhtar put in her place, even killed. Despite all this she is still steadfast on her mission.

It is vital for us to appreciate her in her cause, as the international community is doing, and lend her the helping hand in creating awareness among our people of the true status of women and their rightful place in our communities and lives. Without this we would be looming in darkness and prospects for our generations to come shall falter as the remaining half of our society (women) will remain deprived of the moral and social necessities of life.

Mukhtar Mai Weds Nasir Gabool

"He says he madly fell in love with me", Mrs. Mukhtar Mai Gabool, as we would now know her, said with a big laugh when asked what finally persuaded her to say yes. She finally put it out for everyone adding a little tinge of romance.

There have been several stories and even more opinions floating around with the recent marriage of Mukhtar Mai with her Guardian Constable Nasir Gabool highlighting several facts and intriguing stories (or rumors). Nevertheless, she again, has stood tall and against all odds proved wrong the prevalent stigma of narrow-minded Pakistani society.

I happen to watch her farewell (rukhsati) ceremony on Geo and was rather startled with the aura of her personality presence within the crowd. Though, a lot of credit is owed to her awe-inspiring heroism of her sadden tale, rather she is more shrewd than predicted. She was confident in her words, very much comfortable with the situation (given the fact that she is the second wife of Constable Gabool) and high in command of not only herself but also everything that surrounded her, inclusive of Constable Gabool and his first wife.

She made clear and definite statements on why and how she agreed to the persistent request from Gabool and his family. She made her future plans crystal clear identifying Gabool’s involvement and limitations on her decisions. Her comments were not to be questioned twice, if she’s made a statement that’s pretty much it. She certainly holds good command on her thoughts and has them very well defined and laid out. Regardless of the sympathies, I had always been fond of her audacious and undying will to fight-back and now I admire her strong personality trait.

With her strong and vehement personality, I wonder how competent Nasir Gabool would be in order to cope with her. In terms of a healthy relationship, it is believed that the husbands’ personality should be a touch higher such to empower his female counterpart in order to remain dominant in a relationship, not to torment and enslave her wife, but rather to achieve a balanced-married-life. However, it does not seem the likely case with Mr. Gabool’s second marriage. Evidently his counterpart is a much stronger personality comparatively and apparently already very dominant.

Having said that, she does attract global attention and I, again, praise her the way she has posed herself not only as a strong defiant woman of today fighting for her rights and justice, but a Pakistani women. Though her ordeal has struck some massive blows to the dysfunctional Pakistan society, globally, but it also has pulled a few strings and tarnished great awareness among the not-so-civilized parts of Pakistan.