I completely agree with most of the article. However, I think the Julian Assange example is out of place.
LONDON: This is in response to Nadir Hassan’s article, “Rape and rhetoric” published on December 23. I completely agree with most of the article and it is very commendable that Nadir has brought up the dubious morals of the “she-was-asking-for-it-brigade”. This cannot be emphasised enough. However, I think the Julian Assange example is out of place. It is not just the timing of the charges against them that is questionable but also the fact that Julian was in Sweden for four weeks and questioned by police at length, leading the chief prosecutor to say that no case could be framed against him. Moreover, if the facts are read, what is being called “rape” in Sweden comes as a real surprise to many and does not even qualify as rape in many liberal jurisdictions, including the UK. It may be instructive to note that even the organisation War Against Rape has come out in defence of Assange — they most certainly cannot be accused of “reflexive misogyny”. So I think to quote the Assange example actually takes away from an otherwise very pertinent and well-argued piece.
Ayesha Ijaz Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, December 25th, 2010.
