Pakistan 'child wedding' halted

[Always Neutral]

Well, now that I'm in a nitpicking mood, how will you educate me? As the sentence above is grammatically incorrect.

BACK to the TOPIC of CHILD WEDDINGS

THANK YOU.

 

[pkpatriotic]

Child abuse cases on the rise in Pakistan: Report
By Waseem Shamsi
Thursday, 06 Nov, 2008

SUKKUR: Incidents of child abuse were on constant rise in Pakistan and 992 children including 304 boys and 688 girls were subjected to sexual abuse from January 2008 to June 2008 and according to the figure 5 children were facing sexual abuse every day in the country.

Khadim Hussain Dahot coordinator referral unit SAHIL disclosed this, while addressing a press conference in Sukkur press club, on Wednesday evening. Legal advisor of SAHIL advocate Hadi Bux Bhat was also present on the occasion.

Presenting the report of SAHIL about sex abuse of children in Pakistan during January to June 2008, he said that, reported cases of child abuse about girl victims were more as compared to those of boys. He said that, during the period 79 boys and 339 girls were abducted, and 24 boys and 77 girls were subjected to sexual abuse. Besides this, 32 boys were killed during sexual assault, while 107 boys and 147 girls were raped out of which, 11 girls and 11 boys were killed after sexual abuse. 69 boys and 108 girls were subjected to gang rape, out of which, 11 boys and 6 girls were killed after gang rape, he added.

Dahot said that, according to the figures, 2114 persons, involved in sexual abuse belonged to different sections of the society, out of which, 1431 were known to the children, 337 were strangers, while the others included, neighbors, close relatives, landlords, professional women, police, teachers, friends, chowkidars, guard, shopkeepers, traders, drivers and brick kiln owners.

According to him, the children, who were subjected to sexual abuse were of different age groups, which include, 22 boys and 22 girls aged between one to 5 years, 77 boys and 80 girls aged between 6 to 10 years, 94 boys and 155 girls aged between 11 to 15 years and 19 boys and 80 girls aged between 16 to 18 years.

According to the report of SAHIL, more cases of child abuse had taken place in Punjab and Sindh provinces and during the period under review, cases of child abuse including, 147 boys and 518 girls were reported in Punjab, and in Sindh 130 cases of boys and 128 cases of girls were reported. In federal capital Islamabad, 11 cases of boys and 27 cases of girls were reported, besides, 9 cases of boys and 10 cases of girls were reported in NWFP and in Balochistan 6 cases of boys and one case of girl were reported, while in Azad Kashmir one case of boy and 4 cases of girls were reported. Report said that, 69% cases of child abuse were reported in the rural areas and 31% were reported in urban areas.

Report further said that, place of sexual abuse incidents regarding 353 cases was not known, 129 cases took place at the homes of victims, in absence of their parents and 296 cases took place at the house or other place of the culprits, while many cases took place in deserted streets, forest, markets, under construction houses, hospitals, madrassas, factories, mosques, farms, guest houses, jail and others.

 

[Keysersoze]

I've asked you before, why is this wrong when there are 11 year olds gettign pregnant in the UK?

Ok I would say that NEITHER IS CORRECT.

However I would say dark star you are trying to play devils advocate here and frankly its with the wrong subject matter. The issue of teen pregnancies is widely regarded as a problem within the UK and reams of newspapers and digital media are focused upon it. Whereas it is seen as almost "normal" in certain regions within Pakistan to engage in abhorrent practices.

I would not see this as a attempt to push Pakistan down, but rather raise the general level of thinking regarding this matter within the country.

 

[DarkStar]

These reported cases must be the tip of the iceberg. Where are the religious leaders? Why don't they come out and string up all known abusers in their vicinity. Maybe its time people woke up, and reported abuse to the police when they see it. A bit of vigilantism wouldn't go amiss on this score.

 

[DarkStar]

I'm sorry, but Pakistanis do not consider abhorrent practicies to be normal. But then again, our definitions of abhorrent may not correlate. What may seem normal to a westerner, can seem abhorrent to someoen from south asia and vice versa.

 

[khanz]

I've asked you before, why is this wrong when there are 11 year olds gettign pregnant in the UK?

it's sick to see u say such a thing theres a big difference I feel both cases are wrong i'm not justifying teen pregnancy but in the 11 yr old's case she is older and nobody forced her to have sex and she is old enough to understand it (i live in the UK and learnt about sex ed in year 6 when i was about 10) it was her own mistake and that of a 15 year old but in this is a 4 and 7 year old being forced to marry without their permission and when they're still considered immature islamically( being of pre-puberty age) and not old enough to understand about marriage it's just their parents basically giving them away to each other so they can settle a family feud ! how can u imply it's acceptable ?

 

[Keysersoze]

I'm sorry, but Pakistanis do not consider abhorrent practicies to be normal. But then again, our definitions of abhorrent may not correlate. What may seem normal to a westerner, can seem abhorrent to someoen from south asia and vice versa.

Dude you are talking to someone who has seen some of these practices so maybe YOU haven't seen them but I have. I could go into examples of these. Now there are plenty of these practices within most cultures (of one type or another) but for you to claim that they don't exist is foolhardy. DO you live in a city? maybe you should visit some of the the poorer tok's when you go back home next time.

 

[DarkStar]

Dude you are talking to someone who has seen some of these practices so maybe YOU haven't seen them but I have. I could go into examples of these. Now there are plenty of these practices within most cultures (of one type or another) but for you to claim that they don't exist is foolhardy. DO you live in a city? maybe you should visit some of the the poorer tok's when you go back home next time.

thanks for the advice. will do next time, visit the old backwaters. But i still think, it is also a matter of perspective. What may seem acceptable in a society, or an age may not in another.

 

[DarkStar]

it's sick to see u say such a thing theres a big difference I feel both cases are wrong i'm not justifying teen pregnancy but in the 11 yr old's case she is older and nobody forced her to have sex and she is old enough to understand it (i live in the UK and learnt about sex ed in year 6 when i was about 10) it was her own mistake and that of a 15 year old but in this is a 4 and 7 year old being forced to marry without their permission and when they're still considered immature islamically( being of pre-puberty age) and not old enough to understand about marriage it's just their parents basically giving them away to each other so they can settle a family feud ! how can u imply it's acceptable ?

I'm not trying to condone anything, I was just comparing it to something even more repugnant. Why should we be lectured on such things when the moral credentials of those "lecturers" are themselves compromised.

 

[Keysersoze]

thanks for the advice. will do next time, visit the old backwaters. But i still think, it is also a matter of perspective. What may seem acceptable in a society, or an age may not in another.

Well of course perspective should always play part.
If someone were to claim for example that the U.K. was a bastion of purity I would object quite strongly.
But it doesn't not mean we should not seek to better society where we can.

 

[DarkStar]

Well of course perspective should always play part.
If someone were to claim for example that the U.K. was a bastion of purity I would object quite strongly.
But it doesn't not mean we should not seek to better society where we can.

ditto that.

I think it is a sign of a society's maturity that it can learn to deal with the skeletons in its closet, so to speak.

 

[Neo]

But i still think, it is also a matter of perspective.

Exactly what perpective are you talking about? To me its simply a matter of child abuse.

What may seem acceptable in a society, or an age may not in another.

Some societies have continued to indulge medieval practices such as child marriage despite international pressure from different corners including HR.
To me child marriage is a medieval and criminal practice, doesn't fit in modern society.

 

[DarkStar]

why is everyone on this thread on one side? Now i'm supposed to be a criminal.

 

[DarkStar]

How can two children being betrothed be child abuse? if they chose to, they can revoke the deal after they become adults.

 

[Always Neutral]

why is everyone on this thread on one side? Now i'm supposed to be a criminal.

But if a muslim parent decides to betroth their children with a religious ceremony conissting of signing a marriage contract, leading towards consummation of their marriage when they are much older, it is wrong? That too to help solve a family fued.
How can you seriously believe this?

I'd say those children are heroes, and those parents have foresight.

Dear Dark Star,

When you make statements like the above in bold you tend to sound like a criminal.

Regards