How horrible to have to go through what Sara Kruzan went through in her childhood and adolescence, then to finally stand up for herself just to end up in prison. I’m not a person that believes in killing someone for retribution, but what’s done is done. That is obviously what she believed had to be done in her situation. Nobody can possibly understand what she went through except for people that have experienced the same thing. Who knows where she was emotionally and mentally at that point.
While watching the video, I find myself wondering if her harsh sentencing had anything to do with the stigma that goes along with prostitutes.

in “Violence as Proof of Masculinity,” James Gilligan talked about that women have been treated as sex objects for a long long time. As far as I can see, in Assiya’s case, Assiya was obviously treated as A sex object by other people involved in the case, not only the “family friend” and the “two Pakistani criminals,” but also the police officers. Firstly, Assiya was “sold” by her “family friend” as a product or object or something like that to the two criminals. Then, she was traded to the police in exchange for pinning one of their robberies on the girl. Assiya’s case is not unique but common because as James Gilligan said, “this is a historical problem.” In my idea, as Tamara mentioned earlier in her comment on this blog, “women’s rights have come along, there is still a long road ahead.” All people can do now is to strengthen women’s rights globally, not only in places like the U.S and other developed countries where societies are under the rule of law (I’m just saying that the U.S is doing a FAIRLY good job in women’s rights than other poor countries like those in the Africa), but also in countries like Pakistan, and Congo, etc. This is a LONG way ahead, but we’ve got to move on!

It is common that many rape victims experience both guilt and shame after being sexually assaulted, although what happened to them was not their fault. Rape victims feel guilty and shame, because they feel they did something wrong which caused them to be sexually assaulted, and someone else will think poorly of them because they were assaulted. Shame is an attack on the victim as a person. Shame is longer lasting, and ultimately more dangerous than guilt. Because of shame, many rape victims attempt or commit suicide. They also feel embarrassed to talk about what had happened to them. I admire Assiya and what she did after all she had been through. We should provide emotional support to them, find crisis counseling or support groups for them to share their feelings with others, and help them to cope with feelings of isolation, guilt, depression, or anxiety.

I commend Assiya for her bravery to accuse her attackers after all she has been through. It saddens me that rape, and violence towards all ages of women are considered ok, in different parts of the world. It sickens me that police officers who are supposed to be there to protect, and convict criminals and rapists are working with them and are in a sense criminals,themselves. It is real sad that women are shamed into suicide after they are raped, because they feel as if they are no longer good enough for their family,friends or are pressured into it by peers from being ridiculed. Instead of supporting girls through difficult times like this, people judge,and families disown them? That is horrible. Sometimes girls do feel as if ending their lives are the best solution since they think that they are not worthy anymore, or everyone will look at them differently, and committing suicide is the only way. Which is isn’t the case, there are many coping centers and hotlines, but of course at that stage girls/women don’t want to talk to anyone, but if these centers were more talked about more openly, and the contact information was easy to access maybe girls would feel a little more comfortable. In situation like this, people should handle talking to the victim in a delicate manner, and not make them feel as if it is their fault they were raped.

Your conclusion how both rape victims in Pakistan and America have a common trait in committing suicide is not necessarily true. In my defense, outside observers have to take into account how each country differs in political and social standards because women in Pakistan do not possess the same rights as women in America do. For instance, if a woman in Pakistan fails to prove her rape allegation, then she is guilty of adultery. Pakistani law dictates both rape and adultery fall under the crime of Zina, meaning illicit sexual relations. In America, women have to prove sexual penetration and did not give consent to her rapist. If she fails to do so, then adultery cannot be an added charge due to double jeopardy rule. Another account external observers have to consider is the environment in which the victims are raised and currently dwell in. Pakistan is much more severe and stringent social norms compared to ours. Thus, a Pakistani woman in rural area may be tough or capable to stigmatization than a fourteen-year-old girl in the states. It is immensely unfortunate that rape victims in Pakistan are expected to commit suicide, but this option exists because women lack the fundamental rights that U.S. women have. To them, death is only a way out so they won’t become another rape statistic again. Women who commit suicide in America may be due to the fact that they lack a coping mechanism that precludes the thought of suicide from transpiring.