But when I read the story of Assiya in Newyork times, I felt I have to spread the word. This is the least I can do to support her lifetime cause for justice which I knew will move beyond her time. What you will read below is an adaptation from the nytimes article written by Nicholas Kristof.
Assiya was kidnapped at the age of 16 where she endured a year of rapes and beatings from two men. These two men happend to be implicated in a gold robbery so they negotiated a deal with the police where they handed over Assiya along with a $625 bribe. They agreed to frame her on the gold robbery.
When she was finally turned over to the police, Assiya she was repeatedly raped again by four policemen including the chief police. When her family learned about her situation, they appealed for her release on court. The court granted their petition and sent a bailiff to get her out. However, the police tried to hide her and even locked up her 10 year old brother to harass the family.
After a series of threats and negotiations and bribery, the bailiff decided to free her. Her freedom outside the prison is just but a mere start of her endless battle for harrassment, death threats and social persecution- only this time, it involves her entire family. They are now in perpetual hiding, forcing her younger siblings to stop schooling.
This difficult situation never dampen her young spirit. She decided to fight with the help of Mukhtar Mai through the mercy corps program.
When people read about Mukhtar's story in NY times, they donated to her through the Mercy Corps. She has used the money to provide more access to social justice through legal aid program, ambulance service, women’s shelter and a telephone hotline to help similar situations.
Let us help spread the good work of Assiya and Mukhtai! Stop women oppression! No to Gender based Violence!
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