Violating the honor of a woman is most probably an appropriate way to celebrate Independence Day for a certain section of Pakistanis who shamefully glorify Taharrush. Last Saturday, a Pakistani woman was subjected to a horrifying ordeal in what chillingly resembled the Islamic Rape Game Taharrush, as she was sexually assaulted, her clothes were torn off as she was repeatedly thrown into the air by hundreds of people surrounding her.
Lahore police on Tuesday registered a case against hundreds of unidentified persons for assaulting a Pakistani woman at the city’s Greater Iqbal Park on Pakistan’s Independence Day. She also reported that her ring and earrings were “forcibly taken” by unidentified people in the crowd, while the mobile phone and identity card of one of her companions, along with a sum of about 15,000 PKR, were also “snatched”
“The crowd was huge and people were scaling the enclosure and coming towards us,” the woman wrote in her complaint at the police station. “People were pushing and pulling me to the extent that they tore my clothes.” “The unidentified persons assaulted us violently,” the victim added in her complaint.
TW: The incident happened on 14 august in Minar e Pakistan and according to @DIGOpsLahore case# 988/21 has been registered at PS Lorry adda and all possible efforts are being made to identify the culprits. If anyone has any detail about this incident please share pic.twitter.com/iEwaChHTxP
— Kiran Butt (@qiranbutt) August 17, 2021
Taharrush is about large groups of Arab men surrounding their victims and then subjecting them to sexual assault. They form circles around women, and if there are enough men, drag the women along with the mob, rip their clothes off and physically assault them. The inner circle of men is the one assaulting the women, while the middle circle consists of spectators. Another outer circle tries to divert attention. Some men are placed strategically to act as if trying to help the women. In Arabic, the term “mass sexual assaults” translates as Taḥarrushjama.
A video of the terrifying incident had gone viral on social media, while netizens stormed on twitter to seek the identity of the men spotted in the video and calling for legal action to be taken against them. The Lahore police had also registered a case against hundreds of unidentified persons for assaulting and stealing from the woman. An estimate of 300 to 400 people were involved in the “attacked”.
One twitter user compared the disgusting Pakistani Mob with the Talibanis and said: “What is the difference between these men and the Taliban when it comes to women’s security?All of them treats women like an object. This is #lahoreincident at #minarepakistan. Shame on you. #WomenAreNotYourProperty”
What is the difference between these men and the Taliban when it comes to women's security?
All of them treats women like an object. This is #lahoreincident at #minarepakistan
Shame on you. #WomenAreNotYourProperty pic.twitter.com/IJEgjP429y— Voice of Pakistan Minority (@voice_minority) August 18, 2021
Another twitter user said: “Abby yeh incident lahore mein hua hai Afghanistan mein nahi. Taliban ko q beech mein la rahy ho. Talibans are far better than these Liberal Lahoreis Jo khudko modern aur social media actors aur tiktokers kehty hain. Below are taliban with there respect even to foreign woman.”
Abby yeh incident lahore mein hua hai Afghanistan mein nahi. Taliban ko q beech mein la rahy ho. Talibans are far better than these Liberal Lahoreis Jo khud ko modern aur social media actors aur tiktokers kehty hain. Below are taliban with there respect even to foreign woman. pic.twitter.com/sd7tp9moyX
— wazirgai (@Asim5Wazir) August 18, 2021
Meanwhile, Lahore DIG (Operations) Sajid Kiywani has ordered the superintendent of police (SP) to take “immediate legal action” against the suspects involved in the incident.The FIR was registered under sections 354 A (assault or use of criminal force against woman and stripping her of her clothes), 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to commit the theft), 147 (rioting) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
It is indeed heart wrenching and disgusting to watch how the Pakistani mob celebrated their independence day by assaulting a woman. Women rights and equality is indeed a mockery to them. The embodiment of radicals in Pakistan due to Afghanistan being taken over by the Taliban is a natural progression and if proper actions against such incident are not taken, this will spread like wildfire. Violation of a woman’s honor should be taken seriously, the mass involved in the harassment and assaulting the Pakistani woman should be severely punished.
