Terrorism that’s personal
nmvsite.com
Text by Jim Verhulst, Times’ Perspective editor | Photos by Emilio Morenatti, Associated Press
We typically think of terrorism as a political act.
But sometimes it’s very personal. It wasn’t a government or a guerrilla insurgency that threw acid on this woman’s face in Pakistan. It was a young man whom she had rejected for marriage. As the United States ponders what to do in Afghanistan — and for that matter, in Pakistan — it is wise to understand both the political and the personal, that the very ignorance and illiteracy and misogyny that create the climate for these acid attacks can and does bleed over into the political realm. Nicholas Kristof, the New York Times op-ed columnist who traveled to Pakistan last year to write about acid attacks, put it this way in an essay at the time: “I’ve been investigating such acid attacks, which are commonly used to terrorize and subjugate women and girls in a swath of Asia from Afghanistan through Cambodia (men are almost never attacked with acid). Because women usually don’t matter in this part of the world, their attackers are rarely prosecuted and acid sales are usually not controlled. It’s a kind of terrorism that becomes accepted as part of the background noise in the region. …
“Bangladesh has imposed controls on acid sales to curb such attacks, but otherwise it is fairly easy in Asia to walk into a shop and buy sulfuric or hydrochloric acid suitable for destroying a human face. Acid attacks and wife burnings are common in parts of Asia because the victims are the most voiceless in these societies: They are poor and female. The first step is simply for the world to take note, to give voice to these women.” Since 1994, a Pakistani activist who founded the Progressive Women’s Association to help such women “has documented 7,800 cases of women who were deliberately burned, scalded or subjected to acid attacks, just in the Islamabad area. In only 2 percent of those cases was anyone convicted.”
The geopolitical question is already hard enough: Should the United States commit more troops to Afghanistan and for what specific purpose? As American policymakers mull the options, here is a frame of reference that puts the tough choices in even starker relief: Are acid attacks a sign of just how little the United States can do to solve intractable problems there — therefore, we should pull out? Or having declared war on terrorism, must the United States stay out of moral duty, to try to protect women such as these — and the schoolgirls whom the Taliban in Afghanistan sprayed with acid simply for going to class — who have suffered a very personal terrorist attack? We offer links to smart essays that come to differing conclusions.
• In August, Perspective published a New York Times Magazine piece that followed up the story of Afghan sisters Shamsia and Atifa Husseini, who were attacked with acid simply for attending school. If you wish to refresh your memory, you may read the original article.
• Two very smart, informed observers come to opposite conclusions on the proper U.S. course of action in Afghanistan:
1. In his “Think Tank” blog at NewYorker.com, Steve Coll argues why we can’t leave — “What If We Fail In Afghanistan?” Read the essay in full.
2. In an essay entitled “The War We Can’t Win” in Commonweal (also reprinted in the November issue of Harper’s), Andrew J. Bacevich makes the case that we are overstating the importance of Afghanistan to U.S. interests. Bacevich is a professor of International Relations at Boston University and the author, most recently, of The Limits of Power. A retired Army lieutenant colonel, he served from 1969 to 1992, in Vietnam and the first Persian Gulf War. He was a conservative critic of the Iraq war. Several of his essays have run before in Perspective. Read his essay in full.
• Read the original story about acid attacks by Nicholas Kristof.
Irum Saeed, 30, poses for a photograph at her office at the Urdu University of Islamabad, Pakistan, Thursday, July 24, 2008. Irum was burned on her face, back and shoulders twelve years ago when a boy whom she rejected for marriage threw acid on her in the middle of the street. She has undergone plastic surgery 25 times to try to recover from her scars.
Shameem Akhter, 18, poses for a photograph at her home in Jhang, Pakistan, Wednesday, July 10, 2008. Shameem was raped by three boys who then threw acid on her three years ago. Shameem has undergone plastic surgery 10 times to try to recover from her scars.
Najaf Sultana, 16, poses for a photograph at her home in Lahore, Pakistan on Wednesday, July 9, 2008. At the age of five Najaf was burned by her father while she was sleeping, apparently because he didn’t want to have another girl in the family. As a result of the burning Najaf became blind and after being abandoned by both her parents she now lives with relatives. She has undergone plastic surgery around 15 times to try to recover from her scars.
Shehnaz Usman, 36, poses for a photograph in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008. Shehnaz was burned with acid by a relative due to a familial dispute five years ago. Shehnaz has undergone plastic surgery 10 times to try to recover from her scars.
Shahnaz Bibi, 35, poses for a photograph in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008. Ten years ago Shahnaz was burned with acid by a relative due to a familial dispute. She has never undergone plastic surgery.
Kanwal Kayum, 26, adjusts her veil as she poses for a photograph in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008. Kanwal was burned with acid one year ago by a boy whom she rejected for marriage. She has never undergone plastic surgery.
Munira Asef, 23, poses for a photograph in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008. Munira was burned with acid five years ago by a boy whom she rejected for marriage. She has undergone plastic surgery 7 times to try to recover from her scars.
Bushra Shari, 39, adjusts her veil as she poses for a photograph in Lahore, Pakistan, Friday, July. 11, 2008. Bushra was burned with acid thrown by her husband five years ago because she was trying to divorce him. She has undergone plastic surgery 25 times to try to recover from her scars.
Memuna Khan, 21, poses for a photograph in Karachi, Pakistan, Friday, Dec. 19, 2008. Menuna was burned by a group of boys who threw acid on her to settle a dispute between their family and Menuna’s. She has undergone plastic surgery 21 times to try to recover from her scars.
Zainab Bibi, 17, adjusts her veil as she poses for a photograph in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008. Zainab was burned on her face with acid thrown by a boy whom she rejected for marriage five years ago. She has undergone plastic surgery several times to try to recover from her scars.
Naila Farhat, 19, poses for a photograph in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008. Naila was burned on her face with acid thrown by a boy whom she rejected for marriage five years ago. She has undergone plastic surgery several times to try to recover from her scars.
Saira Liaqat, 26, poses for the camera as she holds a portrait of herself before being burned, at her home in Lahore, Pakistan, Wednesday, July 9, 2008. When she was fifteen, Saira was married to a relative who would later attack her with acid after insistently demanding her to live with him, although the families had agreed she wouldn’t join him until she finished school. Saira has undergone plastic surgery 9 times to try to recover from her scars.
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There is nothing to say about those that aren’t already within the pictures.
There is no words for this cruelty. That this could happen in our world is still hard for me to understand.
Can’t find words..
Where is all this acid coming from? Somebody should take away their acid and their matches!
Also: FFFFFFUUUUUUUUU
I can’t comprehend possessing the desire to throw acid in someone’s face. I’m glad these women now have a voice because of this site.
Anyone else catch how this social problem is being re-cast as the U.S.’s obligation to remain an occupying force? “If we withdraw our troops, what will become of the women?!??”
What a horrific crock of shit.
At the risk of sounding contrary – terrorism is violence to achieve a political or religious end. Acid attacks can be terrorism, for example, if their purpose is to dissuade females from attending school. But if it is for personal reasons, i.e. rejection of marriage, it may be equally abhorrent, but it is not terrorism. It is assault with a deadly weapon, or some other named crime.
I feel terribly sorry for the Afghans, they have had decades of misery. The CIA trained and funded the mujahideen, and Reagan’s ‘favourites’ – the very people who began the acid-throwing, people like Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who received enormous US aid and was good friends with Ron. Loved to throw acid into women and childrens’ faces, did Gul. People so bad that the Afghans actually welcomed the Taliban. Of course the next thing Uncle Sam’s back in there, making the Taliban’s crimes seem compartively tame. Millions driven to the brink of starvation, billions of dollars worth of boom-boom onto villages full of kids leaving people in a far worse state than that acid.
So for all of you who ‘can’t comprehend’ this cruelty etc etc – you’re funding it, and worse. Thanks guys
people who do this stuff deserve to be shot, there’s no two ways about it.
God thats horrible, and where the hell is all this acid coming from
This is incredibly sad, but these are NOT acts of terrorism. To throw all violence that occurs in that part of the world into the category of terrorism is not only ignorant, but racist. So while I dig the article’s intentions, poor judgment on the title and the angle.
I am feeling very sick and sad right now.
I can’t look at these pictures. What a horrifying thing to do to these women.
I feel terrible sorry for them.
I would have to say that this is a perfectly acceptable title to this article because yes most of the time it’s referred to in a political sense it’s not specifically used in that manner.
“The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.” – The American Heritage Dictionary
So in this case it’s exactly the case where the individual attacks on a single person as just that terrorist attacks. To intimidate the society in Pakistan for their own ideological purposes. To try and prevent women from rejecting men in a marriage proposal or any other form of opinion/self-respectful voice.
My heart goes out to these women. But it’s interesting that Anon disputes that this is terrorism. I’m not agreeing or disagreeing with that statement.
But look at this document from the CIA released by Wiki Leaks in which they detail how they can get more support for the war on terror amongst Europeans by high lighting the abuse of women:
http:// file.wikileaks.org/file/cia-afghanistan.pdf
It’s not specifically the availability of acid that is a problem; it’s the fact that there are people who think it’s OK to treat someone this way. Restricting acid sales may help to some extent in these regions, but if there wasn’t acid available, they would likely find any number of other ways to bring harm to these women. Not to mention that there are usually black markets for any banned substance. Places where this is happening need more consistent law enforcement, and a cultural change.
Fucking hell! WTF is wrong with these so called boys?
Those photographs look fake to me. Do you people really suspect that access to hydrochloric acid is that easy to obtain? Think about it people. Do you really believe that these young boys carry a readily available supply of it on their person to throw on women who reject them?
As powerful as the article and photographs were, I’d have to agree with the last response that this is incorrectly generalized as acts of ‘terrorism’. Seems like there’s a tendency to group all outrageous acts in the Middle East as terrorism and all those who perpetrate them as ‘terrorists’.
what’s up with all the acid in the face? Must be a cultural thing.
perfect pics for my /b/folder xD
welcome to an extremely male-chauvinist society
Hey while you’re at it, why not just call all brown people terrorists?
Acids are very common, and where they cannot be purchased they can be easily made. They have tons of uses in fields beyond chemistry. Acids are used in Car Batteries, Rust removers, Mineral Processing, and that’s not including the hundreds of thousands of chemicals that acids can make when combines with other substances. Acids are even added to foods, and they occur naturally in some foods. There is no way we could consider “controlling access to acid” as a solution to this problem. After all, if we removed all their weapons, they would still attack these women, even if it’s just with their bare fists.
The problem, as this article mentions, is cultural.
Anon:
>This is incredibly sad, but these are NOT acts of terrorism.
The word ‘terrorism’ has been chronically overused lately, but this is precisely what terrorism is. Women are attacked (and the attackers are not prosecuted or pursued), and this horrific violence keeps other women from disobeying their oppressors. Violence against a few to control the majority through fear.
Unfortunately women pay the price of living in a male dominated society that diminishes the value of equality. But in some instances, these attacks are directed against other males. See my blog I wrote while in Vietnam last summer: http://my-fairy-tale-life.blogspot.com/2009/08/monsters.html
Where are all these barbarians getting acid from? A street vendor or something?
To d3dbdym4n
Acid is readily available at every Home Depot and Lowe’s here in the States, people use it to clean their driveways. Of course we don’t usually go around throwing at people, there are cases of it though, the problem isn’t that you can buy the acid, its that people want to use it to harm others just because they don’t like their actions.
I just love people pointing at other cultures when their own culture has much more violence in it. Please google some statistics women here in US are almost are more beat up and raped than a lot of countries in fact one of the highest. A couple of months ago a man killed his girlfriend and then has intercourse with dead body and then he made more than 30 pieces out of the body.
To Ed the people are prosecuted but in places like India, pakistan, bangladesh the polices are corrupt because of low wage. They make 50 to 100 dollars a month. Even you would get corrupted and take bribes if you were paid that little every month.
There was an article about this happening in Iran a while back. Some guy proposed to a girl and she rejected him, so he tossed acid on her face, blinding her. After the Iranian authorities apprehended him, he was put into jail and had acid thrown on his face.
here is the link.
http:// news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7754756.stm
The sexual deviants responsible for these horrific “burnings” should be themselves burned and raped by Ron Jeremy-esc Hulk Hogans….
I hate to break it to you guys, but I sincerely doubt that spraying someone with concentrated hydrochloric acid could be capable of causing such levels of disfigurement. I’ve had my hands literally covered with 12M (38% w/w) HCl for several minutes at a time with no ill effects other than a slight burning sensation in hangnails or open wounds (12 molar HCl is the highest concentration available in aqueous solution under normal conditions). Also consider that your stomach is pretty much a vat of hydrochloric acid — there are many reasons that HCl (or muriatic acid) is used for a wide variety of applications around the home (including toilet bowl cleaning).
I certainly question the author’s use of the term “terrorism” to describe heinous acts of assault and revenge. It seems that a socio-political system that condones the perception of women as subordinate property is the biggest “terrorist” plot.
That said, sulfuric acid, on the other hand, is a very strong oxidizing acid, and is readily available. Anyone who has done automotive work is aware of this fact. It’s far more dangerous than HCl and is extremely nasty (it dissociates with twice the number of hydrogen ions per mole of dissolved acid).
Nitric acid, in terms of corrosive activity, is also horrendous, but is generally unavailable in the States because it is a precursor to manufacture many types of nitrogenous high explosives.
Hopefully the author will investigate this whole acid thing a little more thoroughly; it seems like the HCl thing indicates a major factual error.
Auguri Inghilterra !
Avete aperto le porte al’islam, avete autorizzato tribuneli islamici ! Tutto questo in nome della democrazia e dei diritti degli altri ? Godetevi il livello di civiltà dell’ Islam.
Spero che queste immagini siano viste anche dagli illusi di casa nostra, a monito dell’accoglienza incondizionata.
Solo quando i cristiani avranno nei loro paesi, gli stessi diritti che noi, scioccamente, diamo loro in Italia, avranno diritto di pretendere moschee, case, ecc.
I belive that these people committing such crimes shouldn’t be killed for what they do. Death is nothing to compare to the life they ruined and the pain they caused.
In this case I would say: an eye for an eye.
let them feel what those women felt, let them live with what they are forced to live with.
And if someone says that treating them that way is as unmoraly as what they did, then think like this: They committed that act to humans, by doing so they resign their humanity. Thus they are no longer humans and can be treated as above stated.
Let them burn…
Per chi ha messo in dubbio che questa cosa esiste: ho visto di persona queste infelici ragazze, all’ospedale S.Eugenio di Roma.Vi posso assicurare che è la cruda realtà.
Agghiacciante. In Pakistan acido, in Afganistan burka e botte, in Nigeria lapidate, in Italia violentate a pagamento dal Premier…. signori uomini, non voglio che ci ringraziate per
avervi messo al mondo, sarebbe troppo, ma almeno …..
Bitches had it coming.
My heart goes out to these women but calling a terrorist act to anything that is violent in South Asia is just pathetic. This is not terrorism, its disgusting what these men/relatives did and does not give anyone a right to do so.
I have read all the comments preceding mine – We are the Acid Survivors Trust International – a charity set up to monitor, campaign and raise awareness about acid violence. Please take time to visit u=our webpage http:// acidviolence.org to read the facts about acid attacks. The truth is these attacks happen opn a global scale – From Hong Kong to the streets of London. US, Bulgaria, Uganda – Cambodia, Nepal, India Bangladesh Pakistan Afghanistan Iran – 7 out of 12 countries where acid attacks are recorded are non Muslim. It is not an Eastern problem – it is a global problem. I don’t see the problem with using the phrase personal terrorism as this is an act of terror. The alluding to solely Asian nations is slighlty misleading though. I agree with both Jeffs – it is the sulphuric acid that is so esily available – even from car batteries – it is virtually impossible to regulate. What can be done and what ASTI strives to do is to galvanise local communities to rise against acid attacks; persuade law change and carry out a parrallel programme of rehabillitation including medical treatment for the survivors
The fundamental view that women can be treated this way and you can get away witih it – this has to change in all countries of the world.
Fist of all,it is very sad to see these women like this.We are in 2010 and men hasn`t progress much from the cave man time.my question is:_What happened to the savages that did this to these women?
Now i want to comment on ANON and tell him that terrorists have no specific color.
With todays technology and means of comunication,we need to use the time to educate ourselves.regardless of where we live,crede or language,HUMANS want the basic things in life..FREEDOM,PEACE and LOVE! Can we a least try?
Why is acid available like this???
This is not terrorism. There are plenty of domestic violence here in Memphis, TN and no one would call it “personal terrorism”.
These people act worse than rabid apes. Someone should pour acid over the mens’ faces.
Anyone who is Muslim cursing those who oppress and terrorize Muslims and wonder why we face such trials needs to look at the behavior people within our community act. This is completely wretched and anti-Islamic behavior.
HOW CAN SHE SLAP???
The people who do this are not men, they are slugs, worse.
I’d kill them myself. They deserve it. I’d be happy just to sign their death warrant.
Domestic violence is sick.
these country’s are soooooo fucked up that they think this shit is an acceptable response
Where are the pictures of the people who attacked them?
As a Pakistani male i am really ashamed, saddened, disgusted at these acts. If there is a hell then surely the men / persons who committed these acts will suffer it.
I feel terrible about this. I have a beautiful girlfriend in Lahore, PK who sends me kind letters and sad stories about the state of affairs where she lives. She always adds emphasis on the fact that the US needs to get the funk out – despite the ugly side to their culture.
And by the way, victims of Church Priest sexual abuse all look like this on the inside.
This is terrible. The people who do this sit on a high horse pretending that their religion gives them moral superiority and salvation, yet they feel they have the right to do this to another human being. I feel bad were at war killing them most of the time, but right now its hard to because as human beings, people who do this deserve death.
Restricting access to caustic chemicals is not practical nor possible. One can easily obtain sulfuric acid from the ubiquitous lead-acid batteries used in cars. The correct approach in preventing any malevolent act is to determine the underlying cause and motives — i.e. culture, malicious traditions, ignorance, lack of respect for life, strong gender bias, desensitization to violence from repeated exposure, etc.
This is absolutely heart sinking.
Does anyone know how much plastic surgery costs over there? Has anyone setup a fund for the woman that hasn’t had any surgery yet?
Disturbing images..
This is not related to Islam and you can’t blame Muslims for this, nice try though(reddit poster).
This is a barbaric cultural practice from Pakistan low level people with apparently no education and humanity.These victims are attacked not on religious grounds but family values and cultural belief that lead these people to believe that violence is the only way they can tackle acts of dishonor that these girls have committed or were to commit.
Much broader view and an answer to this would be poverty and failed democracy.
Educate and erase poverty!!!!
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Yeah, religion of peace my fucking left asscheek.
thanks for having this site. i didn’t know there is such thing as this in some part of this world. Pakistan. Muslim Man are totally insane. I do agree with one comment up there that “people who do this stuff deserve to be shot.”
To be honest, I don’t care. The people who should care should be Pakistanis and the people from regions where this happens. The problem is that when we let them immigrate to the West, they bring this culture with them; in the UK acid was thrown on a Asian man by other Asian males because he was having an affair with a married woman.
What I hope the most is that the West leaves the muslim countries to their own devices and ensures that any movement of people or goods is heavily monitored. We could spend a quarter of the money in the Afghanistan war beefing up intelligence to make sure any home grown or immigrant muslim extremists are never allowed to execute their terror plans.
“At the risk of sounding contrary – terrorism is violence to achieve a political or religious end. Acid attacks can be terrorism, for example, if their purpose is to dissuade females from attending school. But if it is for personal reasons, i.e. rejection of marriage, it may be equally abhorrent, but it is not terrorism. ”
Yeah? Tell that to these women.
It appears that this behavior is accepted in this region of the world. No one should ever have to be subjected to this, but the change has to be made in the hearts and minds of that culture. Think of this culture, as Jackie Gleason says, “To the moon Alice”. We accept punching out the woman.
When women and children become valued and men become responsible for their actions, stuff like this might change.
I don’t see military intervention being a solution here. It’s cultural.
It also seems very obvious, that in the Muslim culture, there is little regard or value for a woman. The Judeo-Christian culture is one of love, care, concern, respect.
There are always exceptions, but this acid thing seems to prevail in this eastern culture.
oh ………….why are they being treated like that
…….??
.
….
, in eastern mostly in the 3rd world country they stick too much to the custom , the woman often have to follow all the rules , the culture .men dominated the woman , some just follow , some just refused.
the person itself as i can see , their humanity have gone into thin air
i seen those case in my place , but in difference case , the wife throw acid at her husband cuz that guy been beaten her since they’re married
but in my view and i’ve done some study on my psychology assignment , this is nothing to do with the religion . no religion teach these stuff. it’s the person itself , if they following the real teachings these thing wouldn’t happens cuz human have their own level of ‘faith’
when the hatred clouded up in the brain , the will to do that action will trigger the person to act in beyond humanity .
i agreed with the guy above me
they should know their rights , that is the better.
oh, that’s my job as human development TO- BE -agent