Islamabad, Nov 2: Gang-raped and paraded naked in public 14 years ago, Mukhtar Mai walked the fashion runway during Pakistan's fashion week.
A red-carpet reception in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, attended by the country's fashion elite, served as the forum for Mai's symbolic fashion debut - something she said she's doing as a model of courage and hope for other Pakistani women.
"If one step I take, if that helps even one woman, I would be very happy to do that," Mai told The Associated Press.
In 2002, Mai was sentenced by a local council of tribal elders to be gang raped and publicly humiliated as punishment for her brother's perceived insult to a rival family. The Associated Press does not identify victims of sexual assault unless they choose to identify themselves.
Rather than commit suicide, as many Pakistani women in her position have done, Mai went public and fought all the way to the country's Supreme Court to have her attackers jailed. Fourteen men - the alleged rapists and the tribal council members - were put on trial, and six were handed the death sentence. But all of them were eventually released on appeal.
Nevertheless, Mai went on to become an international advocate for women's rights and founded a charity that sponsors a women's shelter and a girl's school in her rural hometown of Meerwala.
Last night, surrounded by Pakistan's top models and wealthy designers, Mai appeared slightly shy and nervous when faced with the blitz of cameras. Mai, now 44, wore a light green embroidered bridal shirt and silver, silk pajama pants, designed by Rozina Munib, with a scarf covering her hair.
Munib said she approached Mai to display her designs to send a public message that, "If you have a mishap, it's not the end of life."
Mai smiled as she walked the runway along with several other models in the concluding event of the three-day Fashion Pakistan Week event. Afterward she moved around freely through the crowds, chatting with well-wishers and allowing a steady stream of admirers to take selfies with her.
The annual fashion showcase was started in 2009 in defiance to religious fundamentalists in Pakistan who sought to enforce strict dress codes and behavioral restrictions on Pakistani women.
"I want to be the voice of those women who face circumstances similar to what I did," Mai said. "My message for my sisters is that we aren't weak. We have a heart and a brain, we also think."
"I ask my sisters to not lose hope in the face of injustice, as we will get justice one day for sure."
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Shiva Lingam and Youni
LINGAM & YOUNI
Lingam and Yoni in Sanskrit means the male and female sexual organs respectively. Hindus are allowed to worship anything – including sexual organs. It is not unknown for them to name their children as Shiva Lingam (God Shiva’s sexual organ) or Rama Lingam (God Rama’s sexual organ), (in some places in Karnataka, the gods demand both male and females to pray naked together).
“One day the sage Atri was performing tapas with his wife Anasuya. Brahma, Visnu, and Siva came and offered him a boon, but Atri remained silent, meditating. Then the three gods went to Anasuya. Siva had his linga in his hand, Visnu was full of erotic feeling, and Brahma was beside himself with desire, saying to Anasuya, ‘Make love with me or I will die.’ When she heard this coarse speech, Anasuya made no reply, for, although she feared the anger of the gods, she was true to her husband. But they were overcome with delusion, and they raped her by force. Then she became angry and she cursed Siva to be worshipped as a linga, Brahma to be worshipped in the form of a head, and Visnu to be worshipped as feet, in order to ridicule them all, and she cursed them all to be reborn as her sons. Because of this, Siva was reborn as Durvasas.
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hahaha mockery of islamic judicial system ... to confirm there is a rape .. there must be 4 male witness to confirm rape has happened ... on doubt basis they took 6 guys ..but as per islamic beaiful law .. there were no witness and all were released in her case ... hahaha ... ondu logic artha agtha illa guru , rape nadibekadre yaarandru itkondu rape madtha ra ... what a silly laws ... oops ...papa mukthar mai ...
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