Mukhtar Mai's Story Becomes a Film, But She's Still Waiting for Justice

In 2002, the world erupted in condemnation of an alleged gang-rape of a Pakistani village woman, reportedly on the orders of an informal tribal council, to atone for a crime her teenage brother was accused of. Before any investigation, the Pakistan government paid the woman more than 8000 dollars in compensation and fast-tracked her trial. Within three months of the incident, six men were sentenced to hang. The High court later acquitted five of the men and upheld the conviction of one. But as worldwide wrath again engulfed Pakistan, they were thrown back into jail three days later. Eight other freed at the original trial were also sought out and imprisoned. More than five years since the alleged crime, 13 men acquitted by the courts remain behind bars. The 14th man in jail is the only one who had been found guilty. For the first time, the evidence underlying the case that shook the world is scrutinized by Pakistan-based journalist Bronwyn Curran, one of the first to report on the alleged gang-rape when the compelling tale first emerged. Into The Mirror explores the ways of the tribes as it weaves through Pakistan.

Thank you for your post. Bronwyn Curran has written extensively about the Mukhtaran Mai case and there are many other sources of information about her rape and subsequent trial, on the internet. (This case even has a rather lengthy entry under wikepedia). After reading your post and some of the above sources I do not feel I am in a position to ascertainand argue about the specific facts of this case.

Your (and Bronwyn Curran?s) point is well taken though that not all of the men currently locked up have been convicted and it is possible that eventually at least some of them may be found to be innocent.
I assume that your argument is that for those who may eventually be found to be innocent, this is clearly a case of the judicial system failing some of its citizens. I agree that this is possible and if it turns out after a subsequent trial that some of the under trial Mastoi men were indeed innocent then this unfortunate case would have not one but two set of victims.

First, Mukhtaran Mai, whose sickening rape as some kind of compensation made a mockery of every human being?s sense of justice.
Secondly, since justice delayed is equivalent to justice denied, any innocent men who were jailed (in addition to the true culprits) would also be victims.

The entire unfortunate episode thus highlights one fact; the need for change.
Change is needed in social attitudes, that allow a women to be treated as cattle, to be traded to settle a debt of honor, and change is needed in the inefficient and corruption ridden system of justice in Pakistan (and larger South Asia).

Asking for such a comprehensive change is neither anti-Islamic (Islam does not condone what happened to Mai) or anti-national since it is a national duty of all citizens to highlight the shortcomings of the state.

Taking your argument at its face value, I join you in hoping that a speedy trial takes place so that an appropriate sentence is passed upon the guilty ones while the innocent ones if any; are released.

I hope that you also can agree with me that regardless of the above issues none can deny the fact that Mukhtaran Mai was and remains a victim in this saga. The fact that she got married or not is none of our business (unless we are happy for her that she has decided to move along with her life.)

Finally, the media, the NGOs and others who highlighted this story in the first place are not the ones to be blamed. They are not the ones who instigated a heinous crime against a woman, nor were they who denied\delayed justice. There job is to report the cruelties and inadequacies of the society and the system. This they did admirably.