ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan should not link women’s rape with their way of dressing, as it would be victim blaming directly, senior anchorperson Shahzeb Khanzada said on Monday.
In his analysis in Geo News programme ‘Aj Shahzeb Khanzada Ke Sath’, he told the viewers that the premier replied people’s questions in a live transmission on Sunday and also touched upon sensitive matter of child sexual abuse and women rape cases.
Surprisingly, the premier linked women’s rape with their way of wearing clothes and observing hijab or pardah. Shahzeb said, adding that that if the premier wants to discuss women’s pardah observance, it is his right and he might present his views on the topic before the people of Pakistan. But he could not give an impression that rapes are committed due to the way women carry themselves or wear dresses. Even he could not make a slight hint at it as if the rapists could not control themselves after seeing women in short dresses. If the PM says so, it would be the victim blaming directly, which is not only pitiful but also dangerous. Rape or sexual abuse is not directly linked to women’s dresses or observance of hijab, but to the show of power. This is not a matter of lust but of overpowering the other person. That’s why, the armies conquering any cities or regions used to commit mass rapes of women to show them their might.
Shahzeb said there were various concepts and theories about rape, rapists and victims, which were believed to be true, but the case might be vice versa. Perhaps, the premier also believed in such wrong concepts and theories.
Shahzeb Khanzada said research studies have been conducted about the wrongs concepts and theories of rape victims and rapists in three different countries. In those studies, interviews of the rape victims and the rapists were conducted and the analyses of the psychologists and prosecution were made part of the studies.
A research study, conducted by the USA’s Justice Department, showed that various wrong concepts were attached with the heinous crime of rape, rape victims and rapists. The first supposition is that rape is committed under intense emotions. It is believed that the rapist is highly lustful and he commits a rape when he fails to control his intense emotions. But the psychologists found out that the desire to show power and overpower the other person was real motive behind the heinous act. Lust was not found to be the primary purpose of the act but secondary one.
The other hypothesis the American department probed was that the careful women had less chances of facing a rape. But the study also proved that hypothesis also wrong, and it transpired that rape could take place anywhere and anytime. The Bureau of Justice statistics showed that 35 per cent rape were committed at the victim’s home, office or nearby places of their homes or offices.
The third supposition that women’s sexy dresses or their behaviours attract the rapists towards them was also proved wrong in research studies. Saying that every attractive and sexy woman deserved a rape was like saying that every wealthy man deserved a robbery.
Another research study conducted in African countries showed that the criminals used sex as a weapon against their victims.
The studies showed that 75 per cent rapes were committed with planning, while in gang-rapes, the ratio of such cases was recorded 90pc. Another belief that the rapists are mentally ill persons who did not know their victims and they commit rape to satisfy their sexual desires was also proved wrong and the studies found that in 80pc cases, the victims were known to the attackers.
Shahzeb Khanzada said the prime minister believed that strict laws were in place to control crimes against women and children. But it is a reality that mere strict laws would not work and whole society would have take part in the war against sexual abuse of women and children. It is a state responsibility to protect its citizens by implementing the laws, already enacted in that regard.