By: Haroon Baloch
Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy's film Saving Face claimed the first ever Oscar in the history of Pakistan in 2012 that not only focuses on the acid attack crime in Pakistan, but enacts the real story of violence against women in South Asia.
"We must have to end this crime and need a speedy and robust legislation through speedy courts and change the mindset against women", said Sharmeen Chinoy while talking to this correspondent after a discussion Higher Education Commission and US Embassy in Islamabad organized in the capital.
The event was live streamed across the 65 campuses of universities in Pakistan.
When it comes to implementation, Sharmeen told that firstly we must have confidence in our law enforcing authorities and secondly need to follow the way Bangladesh worked on this issue.
Although she exaggerated the results of the study she referred, but cited an example that definitely can be followed for better results.
"Bangladesh has significantly reduced the acid attacks on women from an annual average of 500 to 100 during the past few years", Sharmeen told and added that this heinous crime must have to put on halt on priority basis by means of effective legislation and ensuring justice.
At the same time, she stressed on the importance of advocacy of law since majority of women even don't know about their right as well as the laws that protect them. This is something more than a dilemma of our uneducated society that women don't know about their basic rights and the provisions of law ensuring protection of their rights.
Acid throwing on women in Pakistan refers to brutality of our biased society, a society which loiters on ill customs predominantly derivatives of practices the ancient Hindu preachers advocated.
Sati or Devangari, a Hindu religious funeral practice Indians used to practice where newly widowed women burn herself a live at the memorials of her husband. A modern Hindu society has strongly condemned and discouraged this practice; however, some of the communities still practice it lacking the knowledge.
Karokari or honor killing, another example of such ill customs still in practice in parts of South Asia majorly in India and Pakistan where clans kill their daughters on fears of maintaining illegitimate relationships or even marrying of their own choices. Sometimes both the girl and boy have to face the consequences for tarnishing the image of the family, mostly old custom of Muslims of the region.
With the aging society and prevailing shadows of darkness, these ancient customs have developed into domestic violence against women and one of the modern shapes of such crimes is acid throwing on women.
Reasons of this crime
Human rights activists in Pakistan brought the acid throwing crime into limelight more vigorously in year 2000 after the sad incident with Fakhra Yunus took place when her husband, Bilal Khar, the son of former governor of Punjab Mustafa Khar, allegedly threw acid on her. Fakhra's face and body was completely disfigured and at that time by means of newly free media, the women rights activists exposed this crime and voiced against it.
As per Fakhra's ex-husband Bilal Khar, she maintained illegitimate relations after her marriage which annoyed him. Though he does not admit his involvement in this crime, but incomplete story unveils one of the reasons and that reason is men's intolerance against women.
In most of the victims of acid attacks, it comes to the notice that women have to face this heinous crime against her because of disagreements between families and/or between boyfriend and girlfriend, one-sided affections, failure in marriages, break ups in relationships, etc.
But in each case, one thing is common and that is man's intolerance and this sentiment prevails in excess everywhere in our society.
Why acid a tool of attack?
It is unfortunate in Pakistan that there had been no legal prerequisites or regulations for dealing the chemicals, especially corrosive materials. Different types of acids that are common in use in various industries are easily available to everyone in the markets. So everyone has had an easy access to this lethal material that holds a bad history of ruining thousands of lives in this region.
Human rights activists consider the acid's easy access in the market as government's callous attitude towards controlling this crime and require the due attention.
Rule of law counts another factor because in developing countries like Pakistan, implementation following the formulation of law requires a long time.
Need to Follow Bangladesh Model
In a more recent crime comparison study for Bangladesh, India and Cambodia, researchers have disclosed stunning results where an annual 32 percent decrease in the reported acid attacks in Bangladesh is recorded during the past decade.
Reasons and other circumstances of acid throwing on women in Bangladesh are as similar as the rest of the South Asia is concerned.
The study entitled as 'Combating Acid Violence in Bangladesh, India and Cambodia' disclosed between 2000 and 2009, there had been reported 2,198 acid throwing cases. But when it comes to comparing the year 2002 where 367 cases took place with the year 2009 where 116 cases were reported, it draws the sketch with downward trend, definitely an encouraging result.
The research highlights that Bangladesh took the most proactive measures for controlling these incidents. These measures include but are not limited to enacting legislation, no-bail policy for perpetrators, and forming a national council to regulate corrosive chemicals and enact a policy of treatment and rehabilitation for victims.
Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy's film Saving Face claimed the first ever Oscar in the history of Pakistan in 2012 that not only focuses on the acid attack crime in Pakistan, but enacts the real story of violence against women in South Asia.
"We must have to end this crime and need a speedy and robust legislation through speedy courts and change the mindset against women", said Sharmeen Chinoy while talking to this correspondent after a discussion Higher Education Commission and US Embassy in Islamabad organized in the capital.
The event was live streamed across the 65 campuses of universities in Pakistan.
When it comes to implementation, Sharmeen told that firstly we must have confidence in our law enforcing authorities and secondly need to follow the way Bangladesh worked on this issue.
Although she exaggerated the results of the study she referred, but cited an example that definitely can be followed for better results.
"Bangladesh has significantly reduced the acid attacks on women from an annual average of 500 to 100 during the past few years", Sharmeen told and added that this heinous crime must have to put on halt on priority basis by means of effective legislation and ensuring justice.
Oscar winner Sharmeen Chinoy interviewed by Haroon Baloch -
Courtesy Rohi TV
At the same time, she stressed on the importance of advocacy of law since majority of women even don't know about their right as well as the laws that protect them. This is something more than a dilemma of our uneducated society that women don't know about their basic rights and the provisions of law ensuring protection of their rights.
Acid throwing on women in Pakistan refers to brutality of our biased society, a society which loiters on ill customs predominantly derivatives of practices the ancient Hindu preachers advocated.
Sati or Devangari, a Hindu religious funeral practice Indians used to practice where newly widowed women burn herself a live at the memorials of her husband. A modern Hindu society has strongly condemned and discouraged this practice; however, some of the communities still practice it lacking the knowledge.
Karokari or honor killing, another example of such ill customs still in practice in parts of South Asia majorly in India and Pakistan where clans kill their daughters on fears of maintaining illegitimate relationships or even marrying of their own choices. Sometimes both the girl and boy have to face the consequences for tarnishing the image of the family, mostly old custom of Muslims of the region.
With the aging society and prevailing shadows of darkness, these ancient customs have developed into domestic violence against women and one of the modern shapes of such crimes is acid throwing on women.
Reasons of this crime
Human rights activists in Pakistan brought the acid throwing crime into limelight more vigorously in year 2000 after the sad incident with Fakhra Yunus took place when her husband, Bilal Khar, the son of former governor of Punjab Mustafa Khar, allegedly threw acid on her. Fakhra's face and body was completely disfigured and at that time by means of newly free media, the women rights activists exposed this crime and voiced against it.
As per Fakhra's ex-husband Bilal Khar, she maintained illegitimate relations after her marriage which annoyed him. Though he does not admit his involvement in this crime, but incomplete story unveils one of the reasons and that reason is men's intolerance against women.
In most of the victims of acid attacks, it comes to the notice that women have to face this heinous crime against her because of disagreements between families and/or between boyfriend and girlfriend, one-sided affections, failure in marriages, break ups in relationships, etc.
But in each case, one thing is common and that is man's intolerance and this sentiment prevails in excess everywhere in our society.
Why acid a tool of attack?
It is unfortunate in Pakistan that there had been no legal prerequisites or regulations for dealing the chemicals, especially corrosive materials. Different types of acids that are common in use in various industries are easily available to everyone in the markets. So everyone has had an easy access to this lethal material that holds a bad history of ruining thousands of lives in this region.
Human rights activists consider the acid's easy access in the market as government's callous attitude towards controlling this crime and require the due attention.
Rule of law counts another factor because in developing countries like Pakistan, implementation following the formulation of law requires a long time.
Need to Follow Bangladesh Model
In a more recent crime comparison study for Bangladesh, India and Cambodia, researchers have disclosed stunning results where an annual 32 percent decrease in the reported acid attacks in Bangladesh is recorded during the past decade.
Reasons and other circumstances of acid throwing on women in Bangladesh are as similar as the rest of the South Asia is concerned.
The study entitled as 'Combating Acid Violence in Bangladesh, India and Cambodia' disclosed between 2000 and 2009, there had been reported 2,198 acid throwing cases. But when it comes to comparing the year 2002 where 367 cases took place with the year 2009 where 116 cases were reported, it draws the sketch with downward trend, definitely an encouraging result.
The research highlights that Bangladesh took the most proactive measures for controlling these incidents. These measures include but are not limited to enacting legislation, no-bail policy for perpetrators, and forming a national council to regulate corrosive chemicals and enact a policy of treatment and rehabilitation for victims.
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