Not a Victim, but a Hero

A Pakistani girl musters the courage to publicly fight her rapists, despite threats to her family.

After being kidnapped at the age of 16 by a group of thugs and enduring a year of rapes and beatings, Assiya Rafiq was delivered to the police and thought her problems were over.

Then, she said, four police officers took turns raping her.

The next step for Assiya was obvious: She should commit suicide. That’s the customary escape in rural Pakistan for a raped woman, as the only way to cleanse the disgrace to her entire family. Full Story »

Posted by Leo Romero - via Nicholas Kristof, New York Times (Most Emailed), Opinion Source, New York Times (Opinion), NewsRack (Pakistan)

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Review

Kaizar Campwala
3.1
by Kaizar Campwala - Jul. 26, 2009

Kristof fails to inform readers in a meaningful way by taking what is a sad, and indeed heroic story, and decontextualizing it from the larger forces that have shaped and continue to shape Pakistan.

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Kaizar's Rating

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3.1

Average
from 11 answers
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2.0
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2.0
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2.0
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4.0
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2.0
Popularity
3.5
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2.0
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5.0
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