Battlepanda: Let them know we're watching

Battlepanda

Always trying to figure things out with the minimum of bullshit and the maximum of belligerence.

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Let them know we're watching

(Thanks to the Werewolf and Ezra for blogging this)

Let our ally, Pakistan, know that they cannot 'protect' their image by throwing a Mukhtaran Bibi in jail to stop her from telling her story in America.

She was gang raped and expected to commit suicide as punishment meted out by a tribal council for her brother's crimes. Instead, she successfully sued her attackers and used the settlement money to start schools. She a hero.

And the reason she's in jail right now is Pervez Musharraf is afraid too many American would hear her story. Let them know that we do know her story, and what is tarnishing Pakistan's image is not Mukhtaran Bibi, but Pakistan's cowardly and frankly despicable attempts to silence her by imprisoning her and freeing her attackers.

Most importantly, let them know that we're watching. And to paraphrase Ezra, if anything should happen to her, that would be a blacker mark against Pakistan than the telling of her courageous story would every be.

Here's Nicholas Kristof's New York Times Op-Ed that first told the story of Ms. Mukhtaran.

Thanks to Ezra for gathering up all the relevant emails. Now go and write. Bloggers, blog about this and make sure they know you're spreading the word.

His Excellency Mr. Jehangir Karamat ambassador@embassyofpakistan.org

Mr Mohammad Sadiq is Deputy Chief of Mission and assists the Ambassador in the overall functioning of the Embassy. He deals with both political and administrative issues. dcmsadiq@embassyofpakistan.org

Mr Aslam Khan is Minister (Political) and deals with political issues minpol@embassyofpakistan.org

Mr Shahid Ahmed is Counsellor Community Affairs and deals with the Pakistani community in the United States. shahidahmed@embassyofpakistan.org

Brig Shafqaat Ahmed is the Defence & Military Attache of the Pakistan Embassy. da@embassyofpakistan.org

Mr Ashraf Hayat is the Minister (Trade) and deals with Pakistan-US trade issues. commercialsection@embassyofpakistan.org & compk@rcn.com

Mrs Talat Waseem is the Press Minister and Media Spokesperson of the Embassy pressinfodiv@embassyofpakistan.org

Update: Good news. But don't let that keep you from writing until she is completely free.