Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi

developing an alternative framework for peace and security in the region

APRIL 2008N

Violence against Women in Swat

Why blame only Taliban?

''Women will benefit the most from the enforcement of the Shariah…We want to give women their rightful place in Islam…Women are not supposed to work in factories, or even work in fields. That is a man's work and we will not allow them to shrug off their responsibility.”

- Muslim Khan, Spokesperson for the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTPThe first week of April 2009 witnessed a furoreinside Pakistan, when private channels showed ayoung girl being beaten by the Taliban in Swat. Inthe last two years, there have been many anti-women acts by the Taliban, from demolishing girlschools to attacking women for actions, whichthey consider un-Islamic. What form this furore willtake is too early to comment upon at this time,immediately after the video footage wasreleased. Will this make the rulers and the ruled inPakistan understand the true nature of theTaliban? Will this make them realize what theTaliban will do, if they are permitted to administer justice? Will this initiate a renaissance in Pakistan’ssociety to elevate the status of women?

IJIHAD AGAINST WOMEN IN SWATISLAM, TALIBAN STYLE

There is a pattern in what Maulana Fazlullah andhis cadres are doing against women in the nameof Islam. As part of “providing their rightful placein Islam,” the Taliban is adopting a multi-prongedstrategy against this generation of women andfuture ones. Fazlullah has openly opposedwomen’s education and started targeting girlschools in Swat. The Taliban has destroyed morethan 120 girls schools in the Swat Valley alone,besides 80 other schools. Attacking the girls schoolsis part of the Taliban’s long term strategy to take thesociety backwards into the dark ages. What betterway to ensure an illiterate society than to baneducation for women? The Taliban is well awarethat any progress towards modern and liberal socialvalues is not in their interests.This long term strategy will only work if one createsfear amongst women who are working now, andwant to take the society ahead. To ensure this, theTaliban has issued another fatwa against womenwho have been working in Swat. They were askedto resign and not leave their houses without a malemember who is a relative. Women working inschools and other offices – government andprivate-- had to leave or risk their lives. In cases ofmedical emergency, they are at greater risk; as anurse in a local hospital in Swat commented:“Women, however sick, can only be admitted ifaccompanied by a male relative. Every womanfears she will be killed if she comes out, so even sickand pregnant women have to visit the hospital withtheir husbands.” While the actual attacks in suchinstances may be few, the fear created issubstantial.Besides their reduced economic contribution tofamilies and their fears in this abnormal situation,what hurts the women in Swat is that the Talibanhas totally disrupted their social life. Women runningbeauty parlours were asked to close their shops, asthe Taliban considers them to be the den of vices.Those who have been working in governmentaland non-governmental institutions in Swat are nowasked to shut themselves up and isolate themselvesfrom other society. A teacher, mother of two, whowas teaching in Mingora until forced to leave herwork, commented: “Life bores us to tears. There is

D. Suba Chandran

Deputy Director, IPCS, New Delhi

IPCS ISSUE BRIEF

no entertainment. We can't even think aboutcable TV, cinema, film and music. Imagine I can'teven go shopping or to the bazaar as women arebanned by Taliban.” Another womancommented, “There's not a single shop left where Ican go and buy cosmetics, all shops sellingwomen's things are either closed or empty. Iremember when I used to go to this market withmy mother and sisters, but now it seems like adream.”Is this barbarism in Swat - an aberration, or only thebeginning of even worse to come? How did all thiscome about? Could this have been avoided ifearly warnings had been heeded? Obviously,Swat was not destroyed in a single day. For thelast fifteen years, there have been visible signs ofan upheaval. It started with the establishment ofthe Tanzim Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) inSwat by Sufi Mohammad in the early 1990s.However, the objectives and strategies of theTNSM under him were different as compared tothe present dispensation under his son-in-lawMaluana Fazlullah. Both demand the imposition ofShariah, but their strategies are different. The TNSMled by the Sufi was moderate and did not believein the Taliban brand of Islam. Sufi Mohammad’smovement started much before the Talibanmovement was born, which explains why therewere no ban on girl’s education, music anddance. However, under Fazlullah’s leadership, theTNSM metamorphosed into the Taliban of Swat,with different interpretations of Islam ranging fromgirl’s education to men’s beards.The slide began in the early 1990s and continuedinto the late 1990s during the governments ofBenazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, and hasbecome what it is now under the regime of PervezMusharraf, the ‘enlightened moderate’. Theexpectations that the PPP and ANP civiliangovernments formed at the national andprovincial levels would address the situation inSwat were quite misplaced. The civiliangovernments in Islamabad and Peshawar didaddress the situation in an ironical manner – byhanding over Swat on a platter to Fazlullah, andby agreeing to impose the Nizam-e-AdlRegulation in February 2009, which permittedimposition of the Shariah in Swat.Undoubtedly, this deal concluded between thegovernment and the Taliban is not in the interestsof women. Many human rights activists in Pakistanwarned the State, on what this deal could do thewomen. This is precisely why the first response ofthe State on the flogging incident in Swat was todefend the Swat deal. Minister for Information inNWFP, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, made a statementand urged that it is a conspiracy against the dealwhich the government has signed with theTaliban. It is unfortunate, that while the moderatesconsider this an act of barbarism, the governmentwants to preserve the deal at any cost. Therewere other bizarre arguments – that the footagewas old, and even that it was recorded before thedeal was signed!When this outrage occurred is immaterial. Theissue here is: what is the Taliban capable ofagainst women in the name of Islam. Even if thefootage belongs to the pre-deal period, it makesthe government’s position worse. And how couldthe government consider agreeing to a deal withpeople with such primitive attitudes towards Islam, justice and women?.

IIVIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN PAKISTANWHY BLAME ONLY TALIBAN?

Women in Pakistan has been facing violence, notonly by the Taliban’s religious ‘Islamic’ codes inthe NWFP, but also by the secular ‘feudal’ and‘tribal’ codes of the Tribal Sardars and FeudalLords in Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab.Consider the following cases in the last eight yearsin Pakistan. In Meerawala, in Punjab province,Mukhtaran Mai was raped in 2002 after a localtribal jirga pronounced a heinous verdict againsther. Why? Mukhtaran Mai’s brother was accusedof having an affair with a girl belonging to anupper caste, thereby ‘dishonoring’ the uppercaste family. The local tribal jirga decided thatMukhtaran Mai be raped by men of the upper

Swat was not destroyed in a single day. Forthe last fifteen years, there have been visiblesigns of an upheaval. It started with theestablishment of the Tanzim Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) in Swat by SufiMohammad in the early 1990s.

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VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN SWAT

caste.In 2007, the same incident was repeated inUbavro in Sindh province. Naseema Chohan, asixteen year old girl, was gang raped by elevenmen and paraded naked. According to theHuman Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), hercousin had eloped and married a girl from a localWadera family.In Balochistan, in August 2008, five women wereshot and buried alive, as three amongst themwanted a court marriage against the wishes oftheir elders. Six armed men, directed by localSardars, abducted them, fired on the women andburied them. Alive.The problem in Pakistan is not just with the Taliban.Its feudal and tribal society needs to be indictedfor the continuing atrocities against women.

IIIQUESTIONS TO THE STATE:WHY DON’T YOU TAKE CHARGE? AND ACT LIKE ASTATE?

Should one blame only the Taliban and feudalsociety for the crime against women? Where doesthe State figure in all this? Whether it be theTaliban offence or feudal atrocities againstwomen, the State has to take responsibility forfailing to protect them. Worse, in some cases, theState has actively or passively protected theaccused.Consider the following cases. When MukhataranMai’s case became public and the internationalcommunity started questioning Gen Musharraf’spolicy towards protecting women rights, theWashington Post quoted him as saying during hisvisit to the US in 2005 “this (rape in Pakistan) hasbecome a moneymaking concern. A lot ofpeople say if you want to go abroad and get avisa for Canada or citizenship and be a millionaire,get yourself raped.” If this is the attitude of an‘enlightened’ moderate, imagine what would bethe attitude of other officials in the State ofPakistan!The same callous attitude towards women wasreflected in the statement made by Israr UllahZehri, a Senator from Balochistan, in Pakistan’sParliament in August 2008, when the case of fivewomen being buried alive came to public notice.The Senator thundered: “These are centuries-oldtraditions, and I will continue to defend them”. Hewas not alone in the Parliament. Jan MuhammadJamali, acting Chairman of the Senate wasquoted saying: “Yasmin Shah (who raised the issuein the Senate) should go to our society and see forherself what the situation is like there and thencome back to raise such questions in the house.”Jamali then went to criticize the media for layingan “out of proportion” emphasis on this incident,as it “gave the matter such a colour as if heavenshave fallen.”If the rulers – whether military or civilian-- havesuch a carefree attitude towards atrocities onwomen, the officials cannot be different. The caseof Sonia Naz, mother of two, would reveal how theprotectors of law are themselves its violators. In2004, the husband of Sonia Naz was arrested inFaisalabad, along with 12 others on charges ofcorruption. While others were releasedsubsequently her husband went missing; thepolice were demanding a bribe for his release.When her efforts to find her husband failed, shewent to the National Assembly to meet the MPsand demand the release of her husband. She wasarrested on the orders of the Speaker of the Housefor obstructing the functioning of the House, butlater released. After she decided to report thematter to the media she was illegally detained,and raped by the local police, while theSuperintendent of Police urinated on her face.In the current enthusiasm to blame whatever theTaliban does, one can forgot that the State alsoneeds to be blamed for this situation. It hascompletely abdicated its responsibility to protectwomen against the Taliban brand of justice orwhat is sanctioned by the feudal lords and Sardarsin Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan.The problem in Swat is a perfect example of Statefailure to discharge its duties, which has providedspace for the Taliban to grow. Many believe that

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The State should perform its essential role,instead of abdicating its responsibilities. InSwat, it could start with scrapping the dealit has signed with the Taliban and establishits own writ.