Vinod ended his post on the poor woman who was ordered to marry her despicable, rapist father-in-law with a “We’ll see” regarding the Indian police’s plans to get involved with the outrageous situation.

Have a look:

Police in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh have arrested a man accused of raping his daughter-in-law.
The arrest follows reports that a Muslim council of community elders had ordered the victim to marry her father-in-law.
But the order was criticised by a top Muslim body which said it was not valid under Sharia (Islamic) law.

According to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, the council that issued the bullshit verdict was NOT authorized to do so.

India’s National Commission of Women has also become inovlved, by requesting a report from the UP government and declaring that

“We have requested the government to take action against the guilty and also pay compensation to the victim,” NCW president Girija Vyas told the BBC.

The original ruling in the case stated that the victim should marry her rapist and transform her relationship with her husband to a maternal one, after being exiled for seven months and ten days for purification purposes.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board has a better idea, one which it derives from Islamic Law:

“Under the Sharia law, whatever happened with the victim is wrong and if her father-in-law has raped her, he should be sentenced to death,” the representative, Zafarab Geelani, said.

That’s more like it. Continue reading →

Liz Hurley and Arun Nayer are finally getting hitched. The wedding is planned for February of next year, and will be held in Rajasthan. This will be a “spectacular affair with no expense spared to show the world how much she loves Arun,” and she has warned guests that they should keep the entire month free.

Liz, who turned 40 this weekend, is whole heartedly embracing the whole mirch-masala desi spirit of her wedding even though

… she gets horrifically ill whenever she sets foot in her lover’s country. Liz said she was sometimes left so weak doctors put her on a drip for days and has to take special care when eating, drinking – and even showering. She said: “I have a dry flannel right across my mouth like a gag when I take a shower. When I take my make-up off at night I don’t let water touch my lips. ” [cite]

Despite her Howard Hughes like ordeal in India’s five star establishments, she is very enthusiastic about the ceremony. She’s ready to trade in safety-pinned dresses for red wedding saris and to show up at her wedding riding an elephant. An elephant?

Liz has made up her mind that she wants an Indian princess-style wedding. She loves the colourful traditions of the country and wants to embrace them…. [and] is very keen to involve elephants in some way and hopes to arrive on one … It wouldn’t be the first time Liz and Arun have used an elephant as part of a celebration. The couple arrived side by side on one at his 40th birthday party last year. [cite]

While this same source also claimed that the use of elephants “depends on logistics and whether it actually fits in with the ceremony,” I’ll bet this is actually the first line of the pre-nup. You want me to get married in your germ-ridden country? I’m riding an elephant or we can call the whole thing off! Oh, she’s a real Indian princess already …

Continue reading →

Between Mukhtar Mai and now this gal, it’s been a bad week for South Asian women –

An Indian rape victim is being forced by village elders to “marry” her rapist – her father-in-law, a newspaper reported on Wednesday. …Holding a special council on Sunday, village leaders ordered the mother of five to leave her husband, Noor Mohammed, and live with her parental family for seven months and 10 days and make herself “pure” again, reports said. It did not say how she becomes pure. After that, she must “marry” her father-in-law and live with him, along with his legal wife.

Freud would also have a field day with the Oedipal Complex this sick, twisted verdict sets up for her former husband, Noor –

“She… will then be like a mother to Noor Mohammed,” the local cleric Shamim Ahmad was quoted as saying.

The cops plan on intervening & arresting the father-in-law while somehow respecting the sensitivity of this religious situation. We’ll see. Continue reading →

Some of you might remember the amazing story of Mukhtar Mai / Mukhtaran Bibi who fought back after having been savagely raped on the orders of her village jirga. Instead of staying silent, she took her rapists to court, and used the compensation awarded by the government to open a school for girls.

Mukhtar Mai’s bravery made her a cause celebre. Time Magazine (Asia) profiled her as one of “Asia’s Heros.” She was recently invited to the United States to speak by Amnesty International, and had an American speaking tour scheduled as well.

Last week, the Pakistani government decided that she was drawing too much attention. First they banned her from travelling, then they put her under house arrest, then they kidnapped her and detained her incommunicado.

In phone conversations in the last few days, she said that when she tried to step outside, police pointed their guns at her. To silence her, the police cut off her land line… Ms. Mukhtaran continued her protests by cellphone. But at dawn yesterday the police bustled her off, and there’s been no word from her since. Her cellphone doesn’t answer. Asma Jahangir, a Pakistani lawyer who is head of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, said she had learned that Ms. Mukhtaran was taken to Islamabad, furiously berated and told that President Pervez Musharraf was very angry with her. She was led sobbing to detention at a secret location. She is barred from contacting anyone, including her lawyer. [NYT]

The US government has made it clear that it doesn’t care:

… on Friday, just as all this was happening, President Bush received Pakistan’s foreign minister in the White House and praised President Musharraf’s “bold leadership.” [NYT]

Meanwhile, the GoP (Government of Pakistan) baldly lies (surprise!) and tells the world that its actions are designed to protect Mukhtaran Mai:

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told reporters in Islamabad that any security measures in place were for the protection of Ms Mai. [BBC]

Continue reading →

A trademark dispute between the excellent Jet Airways and an American shell company has turned nasty, delaying Jet’s debut in America (via The Acorn). Jet, the #1 Indian airline, is on the verge of starting a Bombay to NYC route. Jet Airways Inc., the American shell, is spewing some incredibly inflammatory bullshit:

Nancy M Heckerman, the chief executive officer and president [of] Jet Airways Inc… [said]… “As an American citizen, I felt this airline should never be allowed to enter our airspace.” In her petition, she alleged: “… we will once again have Al-Qaeda flying and controlling aircraft over American cities, and this time the officials who issue these permits will be held accountable for knowingly allowing these aircraft the entry.

“… those aircraft are paid for by an international Al-Qaeda organization. Some of the passengers on those aircrafts are not Indian citizens, but Al-Qaeda fugitive, and with the aid of the Al-Qaeda’s own airlines, those who have entered India and easily obtained false identities and passports can board those aircraft and enter this country and complete the mission that they started on September 11, 2002.” [HT]

“… it is still an enterprise which is used to launder money for Al-Qaeda and is still an Al-Qaeda airline… such funds are commingled with the original black money from the Al-Qaeda… Secretary Mineta would never welcome Jet Airways (India) if he was made aware of Naresh Goyal and Dawood Ibrahim’s plan to inflict real and imminent danger on the United States.” [HT]

“Naresh Goyal is trying to enter the United Stats to fulfill his obligation to his Al-Qaeda creditors. Jet Airways Inc is fighting to protect the United States from another invasion by a well known Al-Qaeda Specially Designated Global Terrorist.” [HT]

Terrorism, terrorism, terrorism! Oh yes, if those hordes of desi grandmas start flying into Jersey, they won’t be bringing just Parle biscuits and sweets.

Little Jet uses a shared office suite as an address, owns no planes and has no airline license. Big Jet asked the trademark office to cancel Little Jet’s service mark because Big Jet began using the mark in the U.S. in 1995. That’s when the tatti really hit the pankha:

Continue reading →