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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 30, 2011
Explore
The castle of secrets
ha ha ha
What kind of keys do kids like to carry?
Cookies!
What do you give to a sick lemon? Lemon aid!
How do you make a walnut laugh?
Quiz it! Q: What was the name of Ed’s girlfriend? A: Q: How many total years did it take Ed to build the Coral Castle? A: Q. Where is the Coral Castle located? A: Q. How many tons of rock were used to build the Coral Castle? A: 1,100 tons
Edward Leedskalnin was dumped by his fiancée the day before their wedding because she thought he was too old and poor. Inspired by a thwarted love, Ed single-handedly built the Coral Castle originally called ‘Rock Gate Park’. He moved and moulded more than 1,100 tons of rock from the nearby Gulf of Mexico into a surreal ‘’home’’ for his sweetheart, Agnes Scuffs whom he affectionately referred to as his ‘Sweet Sixteen’. With only a shovel, a wheelbarrow with no body, a small block and tackle and truck springs that he sharpened into wedges, Ed spent his nights moving up to 30 tons of rock to create this wonderful but wacky monument. It took 28 years! Everything in the castle, from Edward’s two-storey tower living quarters, to the furniture, to the strange sculptures in the courtyard, to his throne were made of stone slabs, with no mortar or cement to hold them together. Many men have single-handedly built their own homes, but Ed’s choice of building materials is what makes his undertaking so incredible. He used huge blocks of coral rock, some weighing as much as 30 tons (twice the weight of the largest blocks
Nobody knows how on earth he did it all! Over the years people have come up with plenty of interesting theories to explain the creation of the Coral Castle. Some curious neighbours say they saw Ed moving the stones. They say he placed his hands on the stone to be lifted... and sang! Somehow this levitated the great rocks. Local teenagers claim to have seen him flying the coral blocks like hydrogen balloons; and some even believe Edward may have discovered the very key to the Universe: magnetism and antigravity. Last but not least, even Ed was quoted as saying, “I have discovered the secrets of the pyramids. I have found out how the Egyptians and the ancient builders in Peru, Yucatan and Asia, with only primitive tools, raised and set in place blocks of stone weighing many tons.” Had Ed merely found a very clever way to manipulate the great stones with levers and pulleys? We may never know the answer. Ed took his secrets with him to his grave when he died of stomach cancer in 1951..., leaving the world to wonder whether he was a genius, a fraud or a real-life wizard.
Florida, USA
On the southernmost tip of Florida, USA is a castle carved out of the rugged coral rock. It is a massive, open air living area that has been compared to world wonders like Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Its architect and builder, a five-foot tall, 100-pound lovesick eccentric named Edward Leedskalnin built it all alone, and if his neighbours are to be believed, he may have had magical powers.
in the Great Pyramid of Giza), and somehow was able to move them and set them in place without assistance or the use of modern machinery. And there lies the mystery.
28 years
Kids, you must have heard and read about the Taj Mahal in India that was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jehan in memory of his dear wife Mumtaz Mahal. A similar, but more mysterious story is that of the Coral Castle.
Agnes Scuffs
Maze
PHOTOS: CORALCASTLE.COM
Crack it up!
What type of music are balloons scared of? Pop music!
Paper Castle
What is the difference between a fish and a piano? You can’t tuna (tune a) fish! Prep time: about 1-2 hours Ingredients: 2 cup plain yogurt 1/2 cup canned crushed pineapple (packed in its own juice instead of packed in syrup) 1 can frozen pineapple or orangepineapple juice concentrate, thawed Utensils: Medium-sized bowl, mixing spoon, small paper cups, plastic wrap, wooden popsicle sticks and measuring cups Directions: 1. Drain the can of crushed pineapple so all the juice runs out. 2. Put all the ingredients in the bowl and mix together. 3. Spoon the mixture into the paper cups. Fill them almost to the top. 4. Stretch a small piece of plastic wrap across the top of each cup. 5. Using the popsicle stick, poke a hole in the plastic wrap. Stand the stick straight up in the centre of the cup. 6. Put the cups in the freezer until the mixture is frozen solid. 7. Remove the plastic wrap and peel away the paper cup. You’ll have pineapple pops to eat and share!
How to make
• 2 paper towel tubes • 4 pieces cardboard • Red paper • 4 wooden skewers • Craft knife • Scissors • Ruler • Pencil • Brown marker • Craft glue Note: Adult help needed. Step 1: Ask a grown-up to help you cut both tubes in half with a craft knife. Measure and mark 1/2inch tabs around the top of each tube section. Cut out. Step 2: Cut two pieces of cardboard to 4 x 11 inches and another two pieces to 4 x 8 inches. Cut tabs along the top of each piece to match the four turrets. Cut an arch for a doorway in the centre of one of the longer pieces. Step 3: Use a ruler and pencil to sketch brick shapes on the four walls and the four turrets. Trace over the pencil lines with brown marker, making some of the lines wavy to add extra detail. Step 4: To attach the turrets to the walls, cut two 2-1/2-inch slits up from the bottom of each tube, spacing the slits about two inches apart. Make two 2-1/2-inch slits down from the top of each wall, each about 1/2 inch in from the edge. To assemble, slide the cuts in the wall pieces up into the cuts on the tubes. Step 5: Cut out eight flag shapes from red paper. Glue them together back to back in sets of two, with the top of a wooden skewer sandwiched between each. Glue each skewer to the inside of one of the tubes. Your castle is ready!
An animated television mini-series titled Avatar: Legend of Korra, that serves as a sequel to the popular multiseason TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender, is currently in development and is expected to be aired in mid-2012 on Nickelodeon. So far 26 episodes are planned for the fantasy adventure series that will be set in the same fictional setting as the original, but will take the viewer 70 years into the future. Lion-O, Tygra, Cheetara, Panthro, Snarf, and the rest of the ThunderCats gang are set to return this summer in a reimaged version of the 1980s’ animated series; the Cats’ new adventures are set to begin this July on Cartoon Network. Lion-O will be voiced by actor Will Friedle, which Larry Kenney, who provided the vocal chords for Lion-O in the original series, will be the voice of King Claudius in the new version.
Animated films have been making big impact on the global box office during the last few weeks. Rango, which chronicles the exploits of an out-of-place chameleon, has amassed nearly $235 million in gross earnings since being released last month, while Hop, the adventures of the Easter Bunny’s teenage son, and Rio, the story of a macaw couple, both of which came out earlier this month, have made nearly $147 million and $290 million worldwide respectively.
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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 30, 2011
literati for young readers
Books calling 15: ‘SOS’!
SAMEEN AMER
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney
Reading for pleasure continues to decline, not because of a lack of books, but a lack of readers
Since its first volume came out in 2007, Jeff Kinney’s The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has gained widespread acclaim. The books follow the life of Gregory Heffley, a middle school student who fills his journals with anecdotes from his daily life; the entries are amusing for a variety of reasons and are interspersed with illustrations that add to the content’s humor. The series’ young protagonist may be far from perfect, but he never fails to almost unwittingly corroborate the fact that everything you do has its repercussions. Greg’s actions and decisions are often flawed, and his obliviousness is almost chronic, but his issues are likely to resonate with younger readers while bringing a smile to their faces. The books are easy to read, the illustrations serve to attract kids who might not be fond of reading, and the humor ensures the readers will keep coming back for more.
If our priorities are branded clothes over books then it isn’t surprising that reading is dying out
∑
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley’s Journal (2007) After Greg’s mum gets him a diary, he reluctantly starts chronicling his home and school life, and it becomes obvious fairly quickly that the narrator has a knack for getting into all kinds of trouble. As he begins his first year in middle school, which according to him is the “dumbest idea ever invented”, Greg struggles with fitting in, trying to become popular, and avoiding the “cheese touch”, while hanging out with his best friend Rowley, dealing with his pampered younger brother Manny, and getting tormented by his elder brother Rodrick.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2008) Whether he’s getting bullied or being a bully, Greg continues penning down his daily activities in Rodrick Rules, the second book of the series. After having a lousy summer, which included an embarrassing incident that he would more than like to remain a secret, Greg struggles through his mother’s chores-for-money program which suffering at the hands of Rodrick who continues to pick on him.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (2009) Greg takes it upon himself to try and help other people improve in The Last Straw, after deciding that he’s “already pretty much one of the best people I know”; of course reality begs to differ with his judgment, so once again he finds himself on the wrong side of fortune. His father’s attempts to toughen him up and get him to be less wimpy don’t yield the best results, and his attempts to impress Holly Hills, who is one of the cutest girls in his class, don’t go quite as planned.
Iqbal Sualeh Muhammad, owner of Paramount Publishing Enterprise
DR HIBA TOHID
Deep in the throes of Saddar one afternoon, in a bustling bazaar full of electronic items, cell phones and local dhaabas sits an old baba jee around a conspicuous corner with a rare commodity on sale - books! The stall is nothing more lavish than a 4x4 space covered with a plain sheet, with books scattered all over it. A closer look reveals that this baba sells some famous works, by the likes of Ismat Chugtai, Qudratullah Shahab, Leo Tolstoy, Gabrial Garcia Marquiz and many more. A little area on the side of the stall is studded with newspapers and magazines and other publications that seem to have found their home on this literary corner. Despite the literary gems studding this unlikely corner, the stall doesn’t get many visitors. The ‘used’ mobile store across the road manages to pull a bigger crowd. This state of affairs isn’t unique to this quaint little corner shop - even big, flashy book stores across the city don’t fare much better. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the culture of reading is dying slowly and gradually. Iqbal Sualeh Muhammad, owner of Paramount Publishing Enterprise, blames it on misplaced priorities. “Children follow
their parents in terms of habits. If our priorities are branded clothes rather than books, then a dying trend in reading shouldn’t come as a surprise.” Concurring with Muhammad is Qadir Gadit, General Manager at Paramount Publishers, who says: “There was a time when the once-famous Elphinstone street (now called Zaibunnisa Street) alone housed a dozen book stores… none remains today. They have all been replaced by cloth and shoe shops now.” Closing doors to opinions, voices, people, places, and knowledge at large; the nation is finally paying a price for letting books sit on the shelf. Now here we sit waiting for an intellectual redemption that doesn’t seem anywhere near us. When people do buy books, they seem to be most interested in lowpriced pirated texts. When one walks through the narrow zig-zags of the popular Urdu Bazaar, you notice that the streets are busy with people looking at books. Most visitors here, however, are hunting for nominally priced course books for the new academic year. The genuine book lover is still missing from the scene. There is a lot of talk about town when it comes to pirated movies and
You can send your contributions and suggestions to t2@tribune.com.pk
Obviously, in a culture where you can send a thousand text messages for less than five rupees, a book worth Rs500 will seem excessive. Libraries that may have served as help are either worn out or ill equipped or at best cater to students who mostly visit them to prepare for their exams. Amna, a young doctor tells The Express Tribune, “My friends and I have joined a library for two months only, so that we can prepare for the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).” She observes most members around have done so for similar purposes. “I have hardly seen anyone reading Sidney Sheldon there,” she sniggers as she remarks. Large scale investments have been made for promoting everything from mobile phones to video games. Similar interventions might be handy in bringing the book back into our hands. However Muhammad speculates, “With poverty, economic instability and political chaos nibbling away at the society, expecting people to nurture intellect would be a far cry.” While a genuine book lover or two still exist in scanty patches keeping hope alive for fancy book stores as well as ascetic stalls in open grounds alike, we are still miles away from becoming a society that reads.
Let’s conquer worry!
The fourth book begins as summer kicks in, and Greg misses no chance of making a complete mess of things. His actions test his friendship with Rowley as they team up for a sleepover, watch a horror movie, and come up with an illfated attempt at making money, while his family gets a pet dog, which ends up “ruining the two things that are the most important to” Greg: “television and sleep”.
Greg’s diary continues in The Ugly Truth, as he writes and sketches his way through the fifth and latest installment of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid. After having a falling out with Rowley, Greg is “in the market for a new best friend”, while dealing with the pressures of growing up. The protagonist recounts more of his adventures, once again using his standard dry wit and funny cartoons to entertain young readers.
“India, however, is an example beyond our reach just as are many other publishing houses across the globe that are trillions of miles ahead… one established factor for which is how they have prioritised education over other fields,” remarks Muhammad, of Paramount Publishers. He candidly recalls an incident with an education minister who was requested for his comments at an international book fair some years ago. “The minister insisted that someone else write the comments on his behalf and he’d sign the space underneath.” Despite downsizing on the shelves and peanuts worth of profit (in comparison with other burgeoning enterprises) there still seems to exist a silver lining. It’s not a downward spiral all throughout. “Reading shall be the destiny of this nation!” says Mohsin. “It may start with a certain class who can afford it but it will grow.” Even Gadit sees hope when he finds visitors from all areas of the city at book fairs. “I am most pleased when I see young parents encouraging their children to buy books.” Parents may have started doing this in an attempt to make up for lost time – they may have realized that we have practically lost a generation to computers and are on the verge of losing another to mobile phones and texting.
GRAPHIC: JAMAL KHURSHID
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2009)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth (2010)
music but for books people have their own justifications. “I love reading books but can’t afford to spend a lot of money on my habit. I don’t see what’s wrong with buying a pirated book if I can buy it in less than half the price,” says Ikram, an avid reader. True book lovers, who have with a book what may well be regarded as a romantic liaison, are few and far in between. For these people, buying and reading a book is a sacred experience and they aren’t bogged down by trivialities like price tags. “I am ready to make a sacrifice for a good book,” says Ahsan who despite earning an average salary likes to maintain a personal collection of books. One is forced to think - if the only thing keeping people away from picking up a book is the price on the back flap, then why hasn’t anyone intervened? Promoting local publishers and authors could be a start, just as it has been done in India. But as Mohsin, Senior Manager at one of the Liberty Books stores points out: “The reality remains this: we are not even half as big a market as India along with the fact that Indian publishers have infrastructural support from stake holders such as subsidised paper for printing books with; among other things.”
SABINA RIZWAN KHAN
Book: How to Stop Worrying and Start Living Genre: Non Fiction Author: Dale Carnegie Publisher: Pocket Books
Excerpt One of the most appalling comments on our present way of life is that at one time half of all the beds in our hospitals were reserved for patients with nervous and mental troubles, patients who had collapsed under the crushing burden of accumulated yesterdays and fearful tomorrows. Yet a vast majority of those people could have avoided those hospitals- could have led happy, useful lives-if they had only heeded the words of Jesus: “Have no anxiety about the morrow” ; or the words of Sir William Osler: “Live in day-tight compartments.” Through this best-seller Dale Carnegie decided to take his life-inspiring teaching techniques to another level. In this book, he tries to unfold those unavoidable factors that play a major hurdle in our lives. Whether we are striving for success or are not happy with our job, unable to work better in relationships or just
think that one’s life is a total mess. According to Carnegie, the root cause of all our problems is ‘worry’. We as individuals tend to worry too much about everything, thus hampering our ability to re-think over situations and seek better solutions. The book divided into eight parts with different chapters, discusses how to transform your life bit by bit. The author tries to highlight various reasons why people worry so much in terms of psychological and social pressures. He identifies key factors that majorly affect our perspectives towards happy and healthy living. After reading the book half way, readers will realise that people in every part of the world have somehow similar problems, and unfortunately same approach to handle it, anxiety. To this Carnegie puts his golden rule: “Put a Stop-Loss order on your worries. Decide just how much anxiety a thing may be worth — and refuse to give it anymore.” It is a good reflector reading, as Carnegie throughout the book, shares some interesting real life stories of common people that inspire how individuals with bad anger, low self esteem or depression came up making big and happy in life. The book also has tales of renowned personalities sharing their experiences of fighting angst. What makes this book worth reading is its practical approach. It does not only talk sweet but also provides wise and realistic ideas, thoughts and map plans for a layman to work upon. Chapters like ‘How to Add One Hour a Day to Your Waking Life’, ‘Co-operate with the Inevitable’ and ‘How to Analyse and Solve Worry Problems’, gives day- to-day guidelines to make us a worry-free person each day. To facilitate its readers, Carnegie gives his Nine Suggestions on How to Get the Most out of this Book, right in the beginning and ends every chapter with a compiling thought or questions to evoke self actualisation. The language is very easy to comprehend along with a touch of humour to keep the readers engaged. Whether you are a growing teenager, a housewife, a business man or someone who has just entered old age, this book is a refreshing read for all! As individual, we tend to worry all the time, thinking to make our lives better, but in that course of time what we miss in the end is: ‘To be happy’. Carnegie, through this book, teaches us whether we want to be the part of the problem or rather becomes part of the solution, with a smile always.
Of love, passion and obsession SAMEEN AMER
Book: Juliet, Naked Genre: Fiction Author: Nick Hornby Publisher: Riverhead
Excerpt “Annie and Duncan were in the middle of a Tucker Crowe pilgrimage. They had wandered around New York, looking at various clubs and bars that had some kind of Crowe connection, although most of these sites of historic interest were now designer clothes stores, or branches of McDonald’s. They had been to his childhood home in Bozeman, Montana, where, thrillingly, an old lady came out of her house to tell them that Tucker used to clean her husband’s old Buick when he was a kid. The Crowe family home was small and pleasant and was now owned by the manager of a small printing business, who was surprised that they had traveled all the way from England to see the outside of his house, but who didn’t ask them in. ... Still to come: Berkeley, California, where Juliet – in real life a former model and socialite called Julie Beatty – still lived to this day. They would stand outside her house, just as they had stood outside the printer’s house, until Duncan could think of no reason to carry on looking, or until Julie called the police, a fate that had befallen a couple of other Crowe fans that Duncan knew from the message boards.” One of the most prominent names in the lad lit genre, British author Nick Hornby has found success as both a novelist and a screenwriter. His ability to create relationship dramas around topics such as
music and sports while examining dysfunctional characters has always been one of his biggest strengths. Also the fact that he has benefitted from some of those rare instances in which books gracefully transition to film has certainly helped his popularity. In his latest novel Juliet, Naked, Hornby returns to the world of music obsession and mundane relationships. It is the story of Duncan, a passionate fan of reclusive musician Tucker Crowe, who hasn’t been heard from in over two decades, and his long suffering girlfriend Annie, who is stuck in a world of tedium and unsure of what she’s doing there. But when an acoustic demo (or “naked”) version of Crowe’s legendary album Juliet surfaces, it receives a polarising reaction from the couple, triggering a series of (mostly implausible) events that will draw Duncan and Annie apart while bringing them closer to Crowe than they could have ever imagined. The narrative’s strengths lie in the writer’s skill of convincingly playing with the idea of music fandom, and offering an interesting take on topics such as cult success and the role of the internet, all of which benefit from being powered by Hornby’s
bleak humour. But even though the ideas behind it are interesting, the final product is more lacklustre than it should be. While Juliet, Naked shares parts of its soul with Hornby’s High Fidelity, it isn’t nearly as exciting as his hugely acclaimed and much loved debut novel. The book’s basic weakness is its uninspiring characters and the loose development of the narrative. What made his previous efforts work was his ability to absorb the readers into the fictional world that he created; the people portrayed in novels like High Fidelity and About a Boy were compelling, which made the net effect captivating. Unfortunately the characters in Juliet, Naked are so stilted that they fail to engage the reader, and as a result the narrative meanders, ultimately leading to a final result that is quite underwhelming. So as far as Nick Hornby books go, Juliet, Naked does not rank among his best. It is a mostly average novel, and while it does touch upon some interesting issues and offers implicit Hornby-esque insights into people and relationships, its overall effect is less remarkable and more deflating than some of Hornby’s earlier work.
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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 30, 2011
blogosphere
breaking the silence Trending
The futility of justice
Topic
The voice of the oppressed
Mukhtaran Mai fought for her rights; did the system fail her?
@Javeria Malik SC’s decision on Mukhtaran Mai’s case is not only disappointing, it is alarming. However the response from certain sections of media is even more outrageous.
@Nishat Suleman Our free media has to stop portraying women as weak, vulnerable, honour-carriers of men; this portrayal strengthens the feudal nexus and weakens the image of women.
@Saira A USMAN AHMAD
The lawyers’ movement that began three years ago was supposed to restore justice to the Pakistani judicial system with the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who had been so unceremoniously dumped from his position by then president, General Pervez Musharraf. But, while Chaudhry returned to his former office, justice it seems got lost somewhere along the way. After nine torturous years, Mukhtaran Mai, who was gang raped and assaulted on the orders of the village council of where she lived, witnessed five of the six accused freed by the Supreme Court (SC). A desperate end to a harrowing saga that began in 2002, when the village elders of a tribal court ordered the rape as punishment for the adulterous relations of Mai’s younger brother with a woman from a rival clan. Mai was visibly distraught after the verdict was announced and suggested that the release of the men threatened and endangered her life and that of her family. Still, as testament to her bravery and courage, she pledged to remain in her village and continue with her work running a school for girls and an NGO which she founded after the incident.
‘At least one accused was not released’ Apologists of the verdict claim mitigating circumstances in order to fend off the scorn and outrage that it has inevitably invited. Mai, they say, was defended by one of the finest lawyers in the country and the supreme figurehead of the lawyers’ movement, Aitzaz Ahsan and in stark contrast to most cases in Pakistan, her case passed through the courts relatively swiftly. Further, given the fact that Pakistani law treats victims of rape more
As testament to her bravery and courage, Mai pledged to remain in her village and carry on with her work like suspects than injured parties, the SC ought to be applauded for, at the very least, acknowledging that a crime was committed by upholding the sentence against one of the accused. In the very pages of this newspaper, columnist Nadir Hasan, argued that the problem is not with the judges but runs far deeper than that. He writes: “The problem is purely institutional… with Mukhtaran Mai, the police in her village of Meerwala refused to register her case for several days after she was raped… That delay torpedoed her chances of a fair hearing and ensured that a miscarriage of justice was the most likely outcome.” Not only that, he adds that Pakistan’s parallel justice system must also carry a significant portion of the blame given that the various different courts contradict and contravene each other and only serve to hinder the judicial process.
Honour crimes and justice While all that might be true, the upholders of the law cannot be so easily exonerated. Honour killings and rape cases have historically been poorly investigated by the police and all too often have gone unpunished by the courts. In Mai’s case, would it have been too
much of a stretch for the judges of the SC to deliver a more damning verdict. In the face of such overwhelming evidence and the fact that the conviction was upheld by the Federal Shariah Court suggests that there was more than just the constraints of the country’s Hudood Laws that influenced the decision making of the judges. One may choose to recall the case of the blind, Safia Bibi, who in the 1980s was notoriously sentenced to fifteen lashes for the crime of becoming pregnant following a multiple rape. The perpetrators went unpunished because of “a lack of evidence” and the pregnancy itself was entirely ignored. The steadfast upholding of the pernicious blasphemy law has also resulted in numerous travesties over the years.
The courts have long been criticised for pandering to the whims of the religious right especially in cases which are of a religious nature. The hero’s welcome Salman Taseer’s assassin, Mumtaz Qadri, received from the lawyers and the subtle acclaim of his actions by some judges, certainly suggests that Pakistan’s legal institutions have been infiltrated by the firebrand politics and hard line views of the extremist fringe. The judiciary in Pakistan is not merely a slave to Pakistan’s Penal Code. It is, to a certain extent, straitjacketed by far too many insidious tenets. But even then, the depressing truth is that all too often it is a sordid collaborator. When justice is not done even when the circumstances and evidence allow for it, then there is surely no excuse. In March 2009, we may have seen the return of the chief justice, but ‘justice’ has still not been delivered.
The conviction rate in sexual assault cases is abysmal Rape is a crime of violence. A rapist uses actual force or violence — or the threat of it — to take control over another human being. Some rapists use drugs to take away a person’s ability to fight back. Rape is a crime, whether the person committing it is a stranger, a date, an acquaintance, or a family member.
avoid social persecution? The conviction rate in sexual assault cases is abysmal — three per cent annually since 2003.
Survivor statistics in 2010 Female victims:
95%
Raped by more than one offender:
32%
Frequency of rape in Pakistan
Victims between the ages 18-23 years:
33%
Violence against women makes up 95 per cent of cases of violence reported in Pakistan. These statistics are even more chilling, bearing in mind that 70 per cent of cases of violence against women do not get registered. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan estimates that a rape occurs in Pakistan every two hours and a gang rape every eight hours. Aurat Foundation’s report titled “Situation of Violence against Women in Pakistan 2010” discloses that Punjab dominates with 2,690 registered cases out of a total of 4,069 incidents in various parts of Pakistan. Interior Ministry documents placed before the National Assembly in 2008 revealed that a staggering 7,546 women were raped in a mere 24-month span between 2007-2009, a rate of 314 rapes every month. According to War Against Rape, data released by 103 police stations in Karachi show an eight per cent rise in registered cases and seven per cent more medico-legal examinations in 2010 from 2009. Since courts do not place restraining orders on all the accused released on bail, they often continue to harass the survivors. Whither justice when 31 per cent of cases reported against a family member have resulted in the family shifting away from their home, and removing themselves from the legal system to
Victims from displaced families:
31%
Victims between the ages 6-11 years:
15%
Victims under 16 years of age:
43%
Victims under 18 years of age:
55%
Victims between the ages 12-17 years:
25%
SOURCE: WAR AGAINST RAPE
@Talha Waheed Victims are reluctant to file cases in police stations or to share their story with anyone because in our society the victim is badly humiliated in society. They know that they won’t get justice.
Visit http://blogs.tribune.com.pk to join the conversation.
Judiciary penetrated
Why the deafening silence after rape? MAHEEN USMANI
Until discriminatory laws like ‘Zina Ordinance’ are in place how can rape victims break their silence? They fear repercussions.
Custodians of the law as predators The low conviction rate can be attributed to a number of factors, one of which is the involvement of police themselves in these heinous crimes. According to an Interior Ministry report, the number of cases of torture and rape by police officials has increased by 60 per cent during the last three years. Lack of accountability and corruption are also major factors in lack of convictions. How will justice be served when authorities themselves are not convinced that a horrendous crime has been committed? Another factor impeding convictions is the perpetrator’s political connections which can grease the palms of the highest police officers, as evidenced in Dr Shazia Khalid’s rape case in 2005 and the JPMC nurse’s ordeal at the hands of a MLO. The Ministry of Women’s Development is under the prime minister’s authority; the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus is headed by the Speaker of the National Assembly and comprises of women MNAs who are strong supporters of women’s rights. Why don’t these wings lobby the government with support from the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW)? Despite the lip service paid to the rights of women and their honour, most women in Pakistan are treated as chattels and dirt, to be trod on, spat upon and trashed verbally and physically. The vernacular abuses favoured by men are punctuated by gross ‘mother and sister’ references. If there is so much respect for women in Islam, then why is there a daily litany of abuse heaped on their heads?
Do Pakistani laws protect women? HUMA IQBAL
Though the annual number of women raped in Pakistan is far greater than the statistics given in different survey reports by various organisations, the settings in which these rapes have started taking place is frightening. The old notion that perpetrators are only found in certain sections of society and that they are far away from our day to day lives, no longer holds true. It seems as if they are everywhere, plotting to get their target, as and when they wish. Rape is a grossly under reported and legally distorted human rights issue in Pakistan and given the nature of our social structure, combined with the status of women in society, the above examples should not be very astonishing. What should concern us more is the ugly culture of silence and shame that confronts us. Women are assaulted in the name of ‘honour’, often paying the price for disgrace brought about by male member(s) of the family; a punishment mostly inflicted by panchayats or through brutal force. Yet, our very own ministers take pride in the ‘cultural norm’ or make insensitive statements. And the injustice just does not end here. The future of these ill-fated women hangs in the balance. They become social outcasts by none other than their own families, judged, thrown out and most often, domestically abused, for bringing a “bad name” to the family/biradari. This patriarchal mind-set, which has ruled our society since time immemorial, castigates women into further oppression, from where they never seem to return. Our culture also perpetuates the crime to a large extent. Killing women in the name of honour, the centuries-old tradition of exchanging child girls in marriage often to settle disputes between rival groups — a practice which has several names like Savara, Vani and encouragement of the false notion that ‘silence is the best morality for girls’ are some of the examples. While we continue chanting
Rape is a grossly under reported issue in Pakistan slogans against Dr Aafia’s sentence, ashamed for not being able to protect our ‘Muslim sister’ from the clutches of the ‘evil West’, the humiliation that our women have to face at the hands of our own people is nothing short of barbaric.
So where are we headed? On the legal front, the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill which was unanimously passed by the National Assembly in 2009 died an unsung death even before it could become a law. On the other hand, Pakistan has been elected as member of the executive board of the newly created United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women). However, the mere presence of legislation is not the solution to the problem. Drawing violence against women out of the private domain into public attention and the arena of State accountability is a formidable task. There is also a need to mobilise all sections of the family, community, and society to act to prevent violence against women; to build popular pressure on the state to formulate and implement gender-equitable policies and to bring together diverse local, national, regional, and international efforts working towards ending violence against women. For those of us who are ready to stop playing hide and seek and instead slash the empire of misrepresented notions on the falsehood of distorted definitions, there is an urgent need to address the problem. There is a need to let go of our silence because understanding comes with acceptance.
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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 30, 2011
offbeat An unwelcome guest
Mapped & flagged A 70-year-old Indian businessman, Har Prakash has been carrying the flags of 305 countries on his body to promote amity among nations. Re-inventing himself as Guinness Rishi, auto parts manufacturer has two passions — tattoos and Guinness world records. His 22 records include such singular feats as making the longest will in the world — a whopping 489 pages, delivering a pizza from New Delhi to San Francisco and, of course, carrying the highest number of tattoos on his body. These include 305 flags of different countries, 185 country maps, 165 mini flags and 2,985 characters. He is now in Nepal, vying for the latest world record and hoping to add more flags and more records. “People call me a joker, a mad man,” says the world record aspirant from New Delhi who arrived in Kathmandu to attend the first International Tattoo Conference. He promptly stole the limelight from other younger participants from different countries with more exotic tattoos. “It doesn’t bother me,” he says. “My dream is to go around the world several times, and want the children of those countries to ask me, where is the flag of our country, spot it and then, in the process, become aware of my country and other countries as well,” he adds. His family is however not quite happy about it. “My wife and sons told me they would never go to the market with me or family weddings,” he says unrepentant. “But my customers loved the tattoos — because they got a chance to laugh at me.” Rishi is now seeking to add a new tattoo record: have the maximum number of tattoo artists work on him. While his forehead, head, arms, legs and chest are covered with tattoos, his back remains clear. “I am saving that for a dream project,” he says proudly. “It’s going to be the Hall of Fame for World Record holding tattoo artists. I will have all their names and achievements tattooed on my back.”
House guests are always a bit of pain, especially when they are uninvited. But it becomes more painful when they are not willing to leave! For Alex Dunbar from Florida, USA, this uninvited guest was a six-foot alligator. Dunbar was shocked to find the unwelcome guest in one of her bedrooms. Recalling the moment she said, “I look to the right, and there’s an alligator in my guest bedroom.” The deadly animal found its way from a nearby pond into the empty house in Palmetto, Florida, through a doggie door and left its mark with the floors covered in blood. Dunbar managed to get out of the house but was certain that the gator devoured one of her beloved pets.”I thought my cat was eaten,” she said. “There was blood everywhere.” Fortunately, the cats were later safely recovered, and it was determined that the blood was seeping from the gator. Wildlife crews later trapped the animal in a bathroom and released it back into the wild. SOURCE: MYFOXPHILLY.COM
Puzzling proposal
SOURCE: EMIRATES247.COM
Dead alien or stale bread A video supposedly showing an alien’s mangled body frozen in snow in Irkutsk, Siberia, recently, became a world-wide sensation after appearing on YouTube. However, Timur Hilall, 18, and Kirill Vlasov, 19, the students behind the discovery have admitted it was a hoax — made out of stale bread. The duo has admitted it was a prank after being quizzed by police over the stunt. A Russian interior ministry spokesman said: “We found the alien in one of the student’s homes. It was lying under his bed and an examination of it revealed it had been made of bread crumbs, which were then covered in chicken skin.” Now police and prosecutors are considering whether the pair has committed any crime. “What are we going to do with them? We have not yet decided.” Alex Komanov, UFO expert from the Russian UFO Research Centre immediately dismissed the find saying: “The body is interesting. The texture is similar to a real biological entity. However, the creature has no clothes and I am sure that intelligent beings would be dressed in something like a space suit or coveralls.” But UFO fans are already accusing the Russian government of staging a cover up. “We know what we saw. Powerful people in the military just don’t want us to see this,” said one. SOURCE: EMIRATES247.COM
Getting down on one knee during a romantic meal or at the top of the Eiffel Tower was obviously not original enough for Corey Newman, who instead proposed to his girlfriend Marlowe Epstein using a crossword puzzle. Newman, 28, arranged with the Washington Post to pop the question to Epstein, 31, via the newspaper’s brainteaser. The clue for 51 across read: “Words with a certain ring to them.” When Epstein came up with the right answer (“Will you marry me”), Newman got down on one knee, whipped out a diamond ring and repeated the question back to her. Epstein — whose name was given by the clues asking for the name of a role in ‘Shakespeare in Love’ role and the name of a ‘Casablanca’ screenwriter — said yes! The Washington Post, naturally, saw that this was a pretty good story — and so they filmed the whole thing, including the moment Epstein solved the final clue and Newman got down on one knee, and posted it on their website. SOURCE: EMIRATES247.COM
Blood lollies for tigers
Painted and tainted noodles Next time you go to a Chinese restaurant or buy a packet of Chinese noodles make sure it isn’t made of ink, dye and wax. Seventeen starch noodle manufacturers in China were ordered to stop production last week after claims emerged that they had been using illegal additives. More than 5.5 tonnes of starch noodles that were suspected of being tainted were confiscated and their producers were put under investigation for allegedly having used black ink, industrial dye and paraffin wax. Workers from that company claimed that tainted starch noodles had been produced by the firm and had entered the market since it started business in February. They said the unusual ingredients were used in an attempt to lower production costs and create fake noodles that appeared to be made of sweet potato, the report said. The detained executives from one of the companies reportedly told investigators that they learned how to make the fake sweet potato noodles from counterparts in Dongguan. The claim led provincial quality authorities to send the teams to inspect the starch noodle producers in Dongguan, where they turned up evidence to support the claims. SOURCE: EMIRATES247.COM
Bank bitten
Bus drivers sought, no men need apply
PHOTO: EDRIZ.COM
Police in India are investigating claims by bank staff that termites had ‘eaten’ more than £130,000 (Rs18.3m) in rupee notes from a steel chest in a State Bank of India branch. Local officials initially sought to cover up the loss, but the disappearance of more than ten million rupees — was discovered following the arrival of a new manager. The notes had been kept in a ‘currency chest’ at the branch in Barabanki district, Uttar Pradesh, and officials were reported to be ‘horrified’ to have found most of them reduced to dust by termites when they inspected the contents. Senior officials from the state headquarters and local detectives were called in to investigate the claims. Police officers, however, said they have not yet ruled out ‘foul play’ in the disappearance. Geeta Tripathi of the State Bank of India said it did appear that the notes had been eaten by termites. Sunil Dwivedi, the branch manager, said the branch had been infested with termites. “We have been trying our best to keep currency notes safe but the termite problem here is so enormous that it would be better to move the branch elsewhere,” he said. “I am not sure where the termites came from, but as you can see this building is quite old. Anti-termite treatment is now underway.” SOURCE: TELEGRAPH.CO.UK
A town near Buenos Aires, Argentina, wary of the screeching stops and careening turns it says typifies male drivers, has hired exclusively women to shuttle its passengers around. With women driving, the bus line is more family- oriented, more friendly,” said Rafaela Nuyl, 34, one of the 28 newly hired drivers for the new bus service in Vicente Lopez. The bus line in the town of 270,000 people, which has been operating since the beginning of the month, makes frequent stops at local primary schools, elder daycare centres and a maternity hospital, said officials in Vicente Lopez. “As a bus line that transports children and elderly people, we wanted to have drivers who drive in a gentle manner,” said Luis Fusco, the town’s top transportation official. Officials in Vicente Lopez said there is no fare to ride the bus, which was conceived as ‘a public service’ for residents. It is relatively rare in Argentina to see any female bus drivers, let alone a town where women exclusively drive a city’s buses, but Nuyl said her customers don’t appear to have any objections. “So far, I have not been on the receiving end of any macho behaviour,” she said.
With temperature rising, London Zoo is giving homemade ice lollies to tigers made with real blood while the gorillas have been given frozen blocks with sunflower seeds. It is being done in an attempt to keep animals cool and active. As well as keeping them cool, the lollies act as part of the animals ‘enrichment’, a special programme of activity designed to encourage their natural behaviour and curiosity. SOURCE: TELEGRAPH.CO.UK
The world’s smallest caravan
SOURCE: TELEGRAPH.CO.UK
Designed to be towed by a mobility scooter, the battery powered caravan features a full-sized bed, 19-inch television, a drinks cabinet and boasts tea-making facilities. The tiny caravan measures two metre by 75cm and retails at a price of £5,500. It is so compact that it can be towed inside a supermarket at a top speed of five miles per hour. Developed by Environmental Transport Agency (ETA), the caravan is called the QTvan, because it caters to three very British obsessions: queuing, tea and caravans. But the caravan is best-suited to local trips. A trip from London to a popular caravanning destination the New Forest would take two days, while a journey to Whitby would take a week. SOURCE: TELEGRAPH.CO.UK