Atena Aslani, a seven-year-old Iranian girl went missing in June 2017 after walking away from her father. Her disappearance prompted concern among Iranian’s. It started debate and rage among the people who eagerly were waiting to know where she had gone. The police managed to get their hands on the culprit, a 42-year-old man who raped and murdered the girl. The execution of the culprit was shown in a video broadcast on state-controlled TV in September 20, 2017. Several thousand people, including women and children watched him hanging live and on their television sets.
Why was he hanged? The authorities could have jailed him for life or served him with any other punishment. Was his execution necessary?
Yes it was! It was crucial to restore citizens' sense of security and relieve their troubled minds. Trouble they had thinking where that little girl had gone, what could have happened to her, why isn’t she home yet? Trouble they had thinking the state had failed in providing them security and that their little angels aren’t safe outside. The execution of the girl’s rapist and murderer was the best decision that restored people’s sense of security. People took a sigh of relief as they realised their toddlers were being taken care of. They knew no one would ever bat an eye on their children because they wouldn’t want to lose their life if caught.
Zainab isn't the first one who is being raped and then murdered; she is the 12th minor girl over the last year excluding the cases where people preferred to stay quiet. We have failed Zainab. We have failed every child out there who has ever been sexually abused and asked by the society to stay mum. Stay mum, because the society won’t accept them or consider them ‘normal’. We have been successful in teaching our girls to dress a certain way even to talk, walk and behave a certain way, but have we taught these beasts to at least think and act clean? Had the accused gang in Kasur sex scandal been awarded public punishment, the consequence wouldn’t have been the same. And how likely was this incident to happen if the accused in sex scandal were punished publically?
Soon after the news circulated on media, and due to panic created by different politicians for their respective political gains, riots erupted in Kasur. Two got killed and several got injured as enraged protesters from different parties stormed in DC's office with sticks and stones, everyone wants to take benefit of the situation and they have worsened the situation. They have made things far difficult for the family who is already in pain beyond measure. The situation in Kasur won’t lead the case anywhere and will increase the agony of mothers and fathers who are concerned about safety and future of their children.
I urge people not to get distracted by any political party or by media. This isn’t the only case of rape and murder; it rather is one of many cases that made its way in media and got highlighted for good. It is high time that we unite and urge our institutions to take strict legal measures. We want them to launch special sessions for parents and for children on possible ways they can save themselves. We want to see the culprit hanged the way Iran hanged Atena Aslani’s rapist in public and broadcasted it on media. Not only would it help in relieving the heart ache that every Pakistani is going through right now but it will also set an example for these fearless perpetrators to think a thousand times before committing such a crime. We want justice for Zainab. We want justice for every child that had to go through the same.