Mukhtaran Bibi, famously known as Mukhtar Mai, was just around 28 years old, living in Punjab, Pakistan with her family, when a grave injustice unraveled. Her twelve-year-old brother, Shakur, was falsely accused of having an illicit affair with an older woman from the higher caste Mastoi tribe. But this accusation was a smokescreen to hide the horrifying truth: Shakur had been beaten, kidnapped, and sexually assaulted by several Mastoi men who feared he might expose their crimes.
In a brave attempt to seek justice and apologize on behalf of her tribe, Mukhtar embarked on a journey with her father and uncle to meet with the local tribal council, known as the jirga, which had gathered at a mosque on June 22, 2002. Little did she know that this encounter would lead to a harrowing ordeal. Instead of negotiating for her brother's safety, Mukhtar was dragged, screaming, from the mosque in front of hundreds of people. She was taken to a hut where she endured a horrifying assault by four men for over an hour. Left half-naked outside after her torment, her father and uncle, who were helpless during her assault, draped a shawl around her and took her home.
The aftermath of such a traumatic event in a deeply stigmatized culture was agonizing. Rape is a crime shrouded in silence in Pakistan, often hidden even from close family and friends. Traditionally, suicide was seen as the only way for a woman and her family to restore their "lost" honour. Mukhtar, in her despair, begged her mother to help her commit suicide by procuring acid for her to ingest. Yet, her mother steadfastly refused and remained by her side, day and night.
As the news of Mukhtar's assault spread, the pressure on the police to take action mounted. Mukhtar, despite her suffering, began to realize that there could be a path forward: justice. "I decided to file a complaint, which was like a springboard for my survival, a weapon for my revolt," she later remarked.
Mukhtar filed a complaint with the police, leading to the arrest of 14 men, including the four she accused of rape, in July 2002, just a month after the attack. The case gained substantial media attention, prompting authorities to try the men in the Dera Ghazi Khan Anti-Terrorism Court, where gang-rape cases were expedited. Mukhtar did something almost unheard of in Pakistan; she testified against her attackers.
Six of the fourteen men were found guilty, four for rape and two for ordering the rape. All six received death sentences. However, the men appealed their convictions. In March 2005, the Lahore High Court acquitted five of the six men and commuted the remaining man's sentence to life imprisonment. Mukhtar refused to accept this judgment and took her case to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
In June 2005, the Supreme Court ordered the re-arrest of all 14 accused men for a new hearing and overturned the acquittals. But in April 2011, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court's judgment, acquitting 13 of the men and finding one man guilty. The other men were released, allowed to return to their homes, disturbingly close to Mukhtar Mai.
Living near those she had accused, Mukhtar faced taunts and catcalls from her alleged assailants. In June 2016, the Supreme Court made an extraordinary decision to judicially review their 2011 verdict in Mukhtar's case, a judgment that was still pending as of November 2017.
Despite the immense challenges and injustice she endured, Mukhtar's resilience and determination shine through: "If any girl was in my situation, I would tell her that getting justice is very difficult. But we, as women, should still keep raising our voices."
Mukhtar could have become another tragic statistic in a deeply patriarchal society where sexual violence against women is alarmingly common. In Pakistan, four women report being raped or gang-raped every day. The opera "Thumbprint," based on her life, resonates with a chorus of women expressing their daily fear of sexual violence: "Every girl fears this fate; it is like a vulture flying right above our heads. When we walk or work or play..."
But Mukhtar Mai refused to become a statistic. She transformed her trauma into empowerment. With the compensation she received from the government, she established several schools, a women's hotline, a public library, a free legal clinic, an ambulance service, and a women's shelter in Meerwala. In a remarkable twist of fate, the daughters of the men she accused of rape now attend one of her schools.
Mukhtar Mai's story transcends borders. She has become an emblem of resilience for survivors of sexual violence everywhere. She is creating a new tradition—one rooted in justice, not impunity.
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