Indian Americans call for stringent enforcement of anti-rape laws, justice for victims
Thursday December 25, 2012
Indian American Muslim Council (http://www.iamc.com) an advocacy group dedicated to safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos, condemns all forms of attacks against the dignity of women and the growing culture of impunity among the perpetrators of sexual violence in India.
The gang rape and brutalization of a 23-year old woman in Delhi warrants the widespread outrage and protests it has sparked [1]. However, the overall trend of increasing brutality against women, especially against those belonging to the vulnerable sections of society, points to a much deeper malaise that belies our claim to being a modern progressive society, where all citizens are equal before the law.
According to data maintained by the National Crime Records Bureau, there is a staggering 792% increase in the incidents of rape in the last 40 years [2]. In 2011 alone there were 24,206 reported cases of rape [3], and most sociologists believe that the vast majority of rape incidents are actually not reported due to the stigma attached to rape in Indian society.
“The bestial forms of rape and humiliation inflicted against women from the minorities during the sectarian pogroms in Gujarat, Punjab, Orissa and Assam, as well as the brutalization of Dalit and Adivasi women on a regular basis call for national soul-searching and introspection,” said Mr. Shaheen Khateeb, President of IAMC [4][5]. “The fact that Narendra Modi continues to win assembly elections despite the rape of over 800 women under his watch during the Gujarat pogrom of 2002, shows that our desensitization to crimes against women has reached an unacceptable level,” added Mr. Khateeb [6].
IAMC has called for an expansion to the scope of the Committee headed by Justice Verma, which was established in the wake of the Delhi rape case to explore possible amendments to anti-rape laws in order to secure timely justice for the victims. IAMC has called on the government to bring to justice not only the criminals that prey upon vulnerable women, but also the perpetrators of mass rape committed during sectarian and caste-based violence.
As millions of Indians are celebrating Christmas, let us come together and pledge that we hold sacred the honor and dignity of all women in our midst, regardless of their class, caste or religion.
Indian American Muslim Council is the largest advocacy organization of Indian Muslims in the United States with 13 chapters across the nation.
References:
1. Police crackdown amid outrage over gang rape
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/24/world/asia/india-rape-protests/index.html
2. Rape rises fastest among major crimes
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-07/india/30368929_1_major-crimes-cognizable-crimes-crime-statistics
3. Low conviction rate spurring sexual assault cases in India: Legal experts
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/17742365.cms
4. The Survivors Speak – How has the Gujarat massacre affected minority women
http://cac.ektaonline.org/resources/reports/womensreport.htm
5. ‘Govt must wake up to crimes against Dalit women’
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/283328/govt-must-wake-up-crimes.html
6. One-third of Gujarat MLAs face criminal cases, including rape
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/onethird-of-gujarat-mlas-face-criminal-cases-including- rape/article4235994.ece
CONTACT:
Indian American Muslim Council
Zafar Haq
phone (800) 839-7270
email: info@iamc.com
Address:
6321 W Dempster St. Suite 295
Morton Grove, IL 60053
phone/fax: 1-800-839-7270
email: info@iamc.com
