I hold attitudes which promote the rape of my grandmother, my mother, my sisters, and my one-day daughter.
Every time whenever I hear of a rape, I think: “I wonder what time it was,” I tell somebody it’s okay to rape my grandmother if she’s out late at night.
Every time whenever I hear of a rape, I think: “I wonder where she was,” I tell somebody it was okay to rape my mother if she’s in the wrong place.
Every time whenever I hear of a rape, I think:” I wonder who she was with,” I tell somebody it’s okay to rape my sister if she’s with you.
Every time whenever I hear of a rape, I think, “I wonder what she was wearing,” I tell somebody it’s okay to rape my one-day daughter because she was wearing the wrong outfit.
I love my grandmother, my mother, my sister, and I will love my daughter. I don’t want them to be raped.
The facts don’t care about my love.
My grandmother, my mother, my sisters, and my one day daughter live in a country where their being raped is not just possible, but likely.
My grandmother, my mother, my sisters, and my one day daughter live in a country where their being raped is not just possible, but likely.
They live in a country where real men rape because they feel they have a right to women’s bodies.
They live in a country where one of the most respected and progressive minds can not only imply that a woman’s rape is her family’s fault, but also defend that implication when called out on it.
They live in a country which teaches its boys that they are deserving of anything they want, and its girls that it’s their responsibility that boys do not take from them what they don’t want to give.
They live in a country which I was raised to think that way; a way which promotes their rape.
They live in a country which killed Anene Booysens.
I’m scared for my grandmother, my mother, my sisters, and my one-day daughter.
I’m scared for my country.
Beautifully written. So True.
ReplyDeleteMen should NOT rape !! FULL STOP !!
There are simply NO excuse for that animal like behaviour.
Dude, after a tough day dealing with this stuff, I have so much love for you for writing this.
ReplyDeleteWhich is infuriating. You shouldn't be special for saying this. This should be the norm, the 'common sense'. Instead the 'common sense' is that I could have avoided my rape, if I just behaved like a good girl.
:'(
True
ReplyDeleteThanks.
ReplyDeleteWell said dear boy. Thank you xxx
ReplyDeleteWell written your wonderful person!
ReplyDeleteMy instinctive reaction to the article has been to lose respect for Ferial H! My second reaction is that whatever tiny amount of respect I had for her and all those people who share her thoughts, has evaporated!
ReplyDeleteWell-said Mvelase. We can only hope that one day more people will think like this.
ReplyDeleteWell said.only men with no brains rape!no matter how u were raised/brought up as a child,u can make a difference not behaving like that!u have choices in life!
ReplyDeleteMvelase you have said it all! Good work! Rape is rape and should not happen in our homes/communities.
ReplyDeleteFerail's article has me shaking mad.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who's lead a very sheltered life with very loving parents, and who was raped by a stranger who's face will forever be burnt to my memory, fuck you Ferail.
well said brother! well said.
ReplyDeleteIts so scary to live in our own country
ReplyDeleteTo think every four.minutes a rape takes place, it is scary to live in this country
ReplyDeleteThe way Indian journalists and people reacted to the latest rape case was perfect. we should follow suit.
ReplyDeleteMy brother i feel the same way you do. sadly my daughter was sexualy assaulted by someone close to the family and he managered not to get convicted. he is walking free and i see him from time to time.....and to be honest it angers me!!!throughtout my daughters trail i kept giving her strength saying WE WILL STOP THIS MAN FROM HURTING OTHERS and the justice system let us down.HE WAS AS GUILTY AS SIN and i had others that were willing to testify against him and they were never even called to court. for all parents out there, fellow citizens PLEASE STAND TALL AND STAND STRONG AGAINST THIS. we live in such a wonderful country (which i am proud of) BUT in order to have a health, strong nation we need to STAND TOGETHER IN THE FIGHT AGAINST RAPE!!!
ReplyDeleteWell written....
ReplyDeleteWe need more sane Indian males to speak about the insane level of misogyny in Indian culture. In China newborn baby girls are killed and the insane midwives bother to make justification "females suffer too much they may as well not be born". In India, the fathers and mother-in-laws of newborn females abuse the wife and their own off-springs like dogs, sometimes kill the babies and daughter-in-laws. BEASTS. The close-on-eye CASTE PREJUDICE exacerbate the sexism - poor women don't get a chance in hell.
ReplyDeleteIndia males - if you don't want a 2030 with one female to 3 males ratio in your cities, India mothers - if you don't want to pay crazy dowry for your future daughter in-laws, STOP THE SENSELESS DESTRUCTION.