Introduction
The rape incident of a Delhi student last year shook the
conscience of our whole country. The brutality of the crime has caused an
awakening amongst the people and provoked a national debate on violence against
women. Despite the increased awareness, the incidents of rape are on the rise.
According to the newspaper “The Telegraph” dated October 31st, 2013, the number
of rape cases in India’s capital Delhi has almost doubled since the gang rape
of the Delhi student last December. This booklet is a sincere attempt to explore
the possible solutions for this social evil.
Statistics about Rapes
The vilest and the most violent of all the sexual crimes
is rape as the pain of rape cannot be erased with the passage of time. The rate
of rapes in India is alarming and the statistics bears testimony to that. The
statistics according to National Crimes Records Bureau shows us that:
Ø India
stands at #3 in the world for the number of rapes in the year behind only to U.S.A and South Africa.
Ø Every
22 minutes one woman is raped in India which means that approximately 65 women
are raped in India every day.
Ø 3
Dalit women are raped in some part of India every day.
Ø After
Independence, crimes like murder, robbery and kidnapping have increased by
106%, 27% and 298% respectively. Rape rates have increased by a staggering 792%.
This means that rape rates have increased almost 8 times since 1947.
The statistics above reveal the seriousness and the
rampancy of this evil act. This makes it imperative for us to seek solutions to
this social evil.
What is the solution?
Solutions to any disease whether it is social or
physical, will be effective only if the root causes for the problem are taken
into consideration and analyzed. For example, head ache. A head ache can be
caused by different reasons like: common cold, eye defect, brain tumor,
sinusitis, lack of sleep, hunger or thirst etc. A good doctor will determine
the cause of the head ache before he attempts to treat it. Once the cause of
the head ache is identified, the treatment becomes effective. Similarly, for us
to find effective solutions to rapes, we need to identify the root causes and
eliminate them.
Different types of rapes
Before we begin our search for solutions to rapes, an
understanding of the different types of rapes will prove beneficial. Rapes are
commonly classified into the following categories based on the motive behind this
evil act.
1. Power
Rape – Rape committed by people in power to establish supremacy and dominance
over the victim. Example: Rapes by police, military force, rapes during riots
etc.
2. Anger
Rape – Rape committed to show anger or to vent feelings of anger on the victim.
3. Sadistic
Rape – Rape committed as an act of sadism, to derive pleasure from the
suffering of the victim.
4. Sexual
Rape – Rape committed to satisfy sexual desire at the expense of the victim.
From the above it is evident that sexual desire or
libido is not, as commonly believed, always the motive behind rapes or sexual
assaults. A sexual crime committed as a result of sexual desire is only one of
four reasons that can trigger an assault.
Primary Causes that trigger Rape
We cannot solve the problem of rape without knowing what
is triggering it. The triggers of rape are:
Alcohol
It is commonly known that many incidents of rape have
occurred when the assailant was under the influence of alcohol, which makes
this one of the most serious triggers of sexual crimes. It is common knowledge
that alcohol changes the normal behavior of a person. A person under the
influence of alcohol can do unthinkable things which he would not do otherwise.
This is because alcohol causes “disinhibition” in the brain by affecting the
motor, instinctual, emotional, cognitive and perceptual aspects. Disinhibition
is characterized by three behaviors namely:
1. Hypersexuality – sudden increase in sexual urge
2. Hyperphagia – increased hunger or appetite
3. Aggressiveness
Any person who reads the behavior traits of
“Disinhibiton” can easily comprehend the connection between alcohol and sexual
crimes. The risk of sexual crimes being committed under the influence of
alcohol is great and this makes alcohol one of the biggest triggers of rape and
other sexual crimes.
Pornography and Profanity
Robin Morgan’s phrase “Pornography is the theory--rape is the practice” captures the
explicit link between pornography and sexual crimes against women. Studies by behavioral
scientists reveal that viewing of pornography can serve as a source of
"vivid sexual fantasy" which may lead men into perversion and may
produce many negative sociological effects. To know more about this, one may read
the books: “Effects of Prolonged Consumption of Pornography” and “Sexual
Deviation as Conditioned Behavior: A Hypothesis”.
We are aware that there is an evident increase of
profanity in the society. Movies and even advertisements on TV, newspapers,
magazines and hoardings on the road are not spared from it. With constant
bombardment of profanity everywhere, the minds of people, especially the youth
is polluted.
With pornography and profanity changing the view of
normal and healthy sexual behavior, there are immediate risks involved. When
distorted and unhealthy view of sexuality becomes the norm, we should not be
surprised by its undesired consequences.
View on women
One of the most important social factors that can be
linked to sexual crimes is society’s view on women. Many in our society look at
women as lesser beings and objects of lust. In addition to these degrading
views on women, we also witness the rape victims being blamed for the rape. To
say “If the woman had not dressed like this or done this, she would not have
been raped” is tantamount to saying “If the shop-owner did not have supplies or
money in the cash register he would not have been robbed”. Unfortunately, the degrading
view on women and narrow understanding of sexual crimes are found at all levels
of the society. It is shocking to see learned men of high social ranking making
irresponsible and disgusting statements about women and the sexual crimes affecting
women. Entertainment industry too contributes to the disrespectful view on
women by making movies that make fun of “Rape” and justify “stalking” by depicting
it as an act of romance.
The social stigma that our society attaches to a rape
victim prevents many victims to come forward and lodge a complaint against the
rapist. The social stigma is so bad that the government has made it illegal for
the media to report the name of the rape victim. The unsympathetic attitude of
blaming and shaming the rape victim has to be changed. The burden of guilt and
shame should fall only on the assailant and not on the victim. To prevent a
continued escalation of crimes against women we have to change how women are
viewed in the society.
Law
Although the law considers rape a crime and the rapist
to be a criminal, the effect of law as a deterrent to rape is minimal. The
statistics of rape convictions in India reveal that. In 1971 the conviction
rate for rape in India was at a low 41%. If one thinks that was low, then note
that the conviction rate for rapes has become worse and was only 26% in 2010. It
is shocking to know that the conviction rate for rapes against Dalit women is only
3%. One has to wonder what message these low conviction rates send to those who
consider committing rape.
“Justice delayed
is Justice denied” is a well known principle of law. While the rate of
convictions is bad enough, the extreme slowness of the trial and the delayed
Judgments makes the situation even worse. With such low conviction rates and
delayed justice, how do we expect the rape rates to decrease?
Lack of God Consciousness
Reading “lack of God consciousness” as one of the causes
of rape may surprise many. The truth of the matter is, if someone capable of committing
sexual crimes does not have to fear the law or the society, nothing will stop
him from committing this evil act. Take for example: Power rape. The
perpetrators of such power rapes do not have to fear the law or the society, as
they go unpunished and continue to lead a normal life like any other. What then
will prevent such people from committing power rapes? Unless these people feel accountability
to God for their actions, nothing will prevent them from committing an evil
deed like rape when the opportunity presents itself.
Past attempts to find solutions
Throughout the last five decades, several learned people
have attempted to find solutions to eradicate the heinous crime and social
plague called rape. The solutions proposed have varied from stricter laws to
teaching Karate to women. Even recently, the Verma Commission report was
submitted by the former Hon. Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India, late Mr.
Verma.
If we were to carefully analyze the solutions proposed,
we can see that the proposed solutions ignore the root causes of rape and the
ways to deal with different types of rapes. Even the 600 odd page report of
Verma Commission does not speak about eradicating the triggers like alcohol,
pornography and profanity.
While we agree that each and every attempt made to
eradicate rape deserves appreciation, we need to realize that if the proposed solution
does not deal with the root causes of rape, the solution will be only as
effective as a medicine prescribed by a doctor who ignored the root causes of
the disease.
Do we have the Solution?
One might ask “Do we have the right solution for rape?” Yes!
Islam provides the solution to eradicate rape. You may think “Islam is just a
religion, what has it got to do with solutions for rape?” The answer is: Islam
is a dharma – a way of life, given by God to the whole of humanity and this way
of life includes solutions to all the problems faced by humanity, including rape.
Unfortunately there are several misconceptions and misunderstandings about
Islam, which may make it difficult to comprehend how it is truly God´s given
way of life to all human beings. Therefore, we would like to present some quick
facts to clear some of the misconceptions.
What
is Islam?
Islam is not a new religion founded by Prophet Muhammad.
Islam is an Arabic word that means complete obedience and submission to God (‘Sharanaagati’
in Sanskrit and Kannada). It is the same Dharma - way of life that God ordained
for the first human being on earth. It is the same way of life taught by all
the Prophets of God – Maha Rishis. Prophet Muhammad is the last Prophet of God
who revived the way of life ordained by God.
Who
is a Muslim?
Anyone who obeys God and lives a life of obedience to
God is called a Muslim in Arabic. A person does not become a Muslim because of
his name or because he is born in a particular family. If you obey God and
worship Him alone, you are called a Muslim in Arabic.
Who
is Allah?
Allah is not a Muslim God. “Allah” in Arabic language
means “The God”. For example: Water is English. Paani is Hindi. Neeru is
Kannada, Moya is Arabic. Same way, God is English, Ishwar is Hindi, Devaru is
Kannada and Allah is Arabic.
Coming back to the topic of solution to rape, some might
ask “As intelligent beings, can’t humans decide for themselves what is right
and what is wrong and come up with solutions for our problems? Why should we depend
on God to find solutions for matters like rape?” It is a very valid question. Let
us think about this.
Only God can provide us with Perfect
Guidance
The manufacturer knows best about the product he manufactures.
To give an example; vehicles work best with the oil, spare parts etc
recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. Even if it is a simple thing like air
pressure of the wheels, we follow what the manufacturer says. One wonders why?
It is our vehicle. We own it and we use it. Why not use it the way we want? Why
not change the air pressure of the wheel depending on our mood that day?
We would not try changing it based on our whims and
fancies, because we trust that the vehicle maker knows what is best for the
vehicle. We trust the manufacturer of the products even for trivial things. If
this is the case with manmade products, how is it rational to make decisions
about our lives without looking for guidance and instructions from our creator
(our manufacturer), God Almighty?
If we may call human beings a machine, we are the most
complex machine on earth because of our emotions and capability to think. God
being Our creator, knows exactly what is good for us and has prescribed a way of
life which was taught to us by the Messengers of God and the scriptures
revealed by Him. Going astray from the guidance of God, would lead to chaos and
destruction and that is exactly what we are experiencing today.
Islam’s solution to Rape
The solution proposed by Islam deals with all the root
causes of rape and other sexual crimes. This is exactly why it is the best
solution. If adopted by humans throughout the world, the Islamic solution would
decrease these horrible crimes in a profound manner. As you will see below, Islam’s
solution to rape eliminates all the triggers to rape.
1. Prohibition of Alcohol
God prohibits alcohol in the Quran in Chapter 5: Verse
90 where it says “O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling,
[sacrificing on] stone and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of
Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful”. Prophet Muhammad (peace be
on him) said: “Alcohol is the key to all evils”. There is absolutely no
place for alcohol in a state or country where the Dharma of God is established.
2. Prohibition of Profanity and Pornography
God prohibits all shameful deeds and there is no place
for profanity and pornography. To watch pornography or be part of any
profanity, either to watch, listen to or speak, is strictly forbidden in Islam.
God says “Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to
relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression.” Quran,
Chapter 16: Verse 90.
3. Respectful view on women
Islam teaches humanity to respect and honor women. There
are critics who claim that women in Islam are oppressed. On the contrary, a
careful reading of the Quran and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be on
him) would show that Islam liberated women and granted them rights that were
not even thought of 14 centuries ago.
The degrading view on women starts with the parents’
dislike for female children. God in the Quran admonishes people who dislike
female children.
“And
when one of them is informed of [the birth of] a female, his face becomes dark,
and he suppresses grief. He hides himself from the people because of the ill of
which he has been informed. Should he keep it in humiliation or bury it in the
ground? Unquestionably, evil is what they decide.” Chapter 16: Verses 58 and
59.
God in the Quran teaches that women complement men.
“They (women) are clothing for you and you
are clothing for them.” Chapter 2: Verse 187.
God speaks about the responsibilities and actions of men
and women in equal terms.
“Never will I allow to be lost the work of
[any] worker among you, whether male or female; you are of one another.”
Chapter 3: Verse 195.
About the rights of women, Prophet Muhammad (peace be on
him) said “Fear God regarding women. You have got rights over them, and they
have got rights over you" and he declared that the best are those who
treat the women in the best manner by saying “The best of you are they who
behave best to their women".
4. Islam enacted laws
that suit the nature of men and women
The principle of enacting rules and laws that suit the
different genders is well understood. Example: We never demand or expect a
female athlete to compete with a male athlete in a 100 meters race. The same
holds good with other sports that involve physical activities. None of us call
this as inequality or discrimination of sexes because we all understand the
difference in the physical nature of men and women. Unfortunately, in the name
of liberating women and granting them equality, many modern societies have
shown a reckless attitude by nurturing environments and enacting laws that do
not take into consideration the difference in nature of men and women. This has
led to severe consequences like increased sexual crimes, broken families,
abortions, marital infidelity etc.
Amnesty International stated in a 2004 report entitled
“Stop Violence against Women” that every 90 seconds a woman was raped during
that year. According to the organization RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National
Network), which is the largest American national organization against sexual
assault, every two minutes there is a sexual assault in America, which means
that sexual assaults in one year numbers 2,07,754.
Islam enacted laws that suit the nature of men and
women. It is important to note that while Islam treats men and women equally, it
does not consider them to be identical. Men and women are different physically,
psychologically and emotionally. Hence, the famous author John Gray wrote “Men
are from Mars, Women are from Venus”.
God says in the Quran “And the male is not like the
female.” Chapter 3: Verse 36.
In aspects where both men and women are equal, Islam
treats them equal by instituting identical laws and in aspects where men and
women are different, Islam has instituted laws that suit the nature of men and
women and thus nurturing a balanced and healthy society.
5. Strict Moral Codes for both men and women
Islam prescribes strict moral codes for both men and
women and holds each of them responsible to guard their chastity. God says in
the Quran,
“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze
and guard their private parts (from committing fornication, rape and adultery).
That is purer for them. Indeed, God is well aware of what they do.” Chapter 24: Verse 30.
“And tell the believing women to lower their
gaze and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that
which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their head
covers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their
husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’
sons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their women, that
which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical
desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women.” Chapter
24: Verse 31.
As you can see from the verses above, God instructs the
men first before He instructs the women. Many think dress code is only for
women and not for men. God prescribes dress codes for both men and women and
instructs them to dress modestly.
Dress code for men and women:
God instructs both men and women to wear dresses that
are:
1. Loose and not figure revealing or ‘Skin-tight and
body-hugging’.
2. Not transparent or see-through.
3. Not imitating the dress of the opposite sex or cross
dressing.
4. Decent and covers the body parts that need to be
covered.
While the first three points mentioned above are common
for both men and women, the extent of body that requires to be covered (point 4)
is different for men and women. A man is instructed to mandatorily cover from
navel to knees while a woman is instructed to mandatorily cover her whole body
except her hands and face.
The reluctance for the acceptance of the Islamic dress
code for women (Hijab) is because many consider it to be:
1) A symbol of oppression and degradation of women.
2) A dress code that prevents the progress of women.
3) A dress code that allows differential treatment
between men and women.
Before we analyze the reasons for the Islamic dress code,
it is important to understand that Hijab (a dress that covers the whole body of
the women except the face and the hands) is not a symbol of oppression or
degradation of women. We are quite aware of the dress of Catholic Nuns.
Example: Mother Theresa. The dress of Mother Theresa covered her whole body
except her face and hands, which is exactly what the Hijab does. Have you read
or seen anyone claiming that Mother Theresa and the Catholic Nuns are oppressed
and degraded? On the contrary, Mother Theresa is revered and honored. This
shows the double standards of the people. Moreover, the dress that Mother
Theresa wore (Hijab – whole body covered except the hands and the face) did not
prevent her from serving the humanity or receiving the Nobel Peace Prize and
Bharat Ratna. The same holds good with Muslim women as well.
A Muslim woman or any woman for that matter can be
successful in the society by wearing a dress that covers her whole body except
her face and hands. Tawakkol Karman, a Muslim Human Rights Activist, was
awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2011. She wears Hijab and that did not
prevent her from contributing to the society or being successful or becoming
the youngest Noble Prize winner in the history. This shatters the myth that
Hijab prevents the progress of women or women have to be dressed ‘liberally’ to
achieve success.
Regarding the reasons on why God instructed women to
cover more than what men cover, we did discuss earlier that the laws enacted
should take into consideration the nature of men and women. Everyone will agree
that body parts that are to be covered for a woman are more than a man.
Example: The women in the swimming competition are covered more than the men. A
man during hot summer can sit in the living room without a shirt or an
under-shirt. We would not accept a woman sitting like that. So we all agree
that women do need to cover more than men. The only point of difference is the
extent they need to cover themselves. We say, we will let God decide the extent
as He is the Most Knowing about His creations.
If some were to still argue that women need not be
covered fully, we present this example. Two twin sisters, who are equally
beautiful, walk down the street. One of them is attired in the Islamic Hijab
i.e. the complete body is covered, except for the face and the hands. The other
sister is wearing western clothes, a mini skirt or shorts. If there is a
hooligan or rogue around the corner, whom will he tease? Will he tease the girl
wearing the Islamic Hijab or the girl wearing the skirt? Naturally he will
tease the girl wearing the skirt. Women dressed modestly refuse to be viewed as
an object of lust and demand people to see her personality and inner beauty.
Some may argue, why should women let go of their freedom
to dress ‘liberally’ just because some men are bad? People who make this
argument forget the biological fact that IF a man wants to rape a woman, he can
do so without her consent and cooperation, whereas a woman, no matter how
attracted she is to a man cannot indulge in the act unless the man consents and
cooperates. That is why we never hear of cases of men being raped by women. As
they say “People who stay in glass houses do need to take care”.
Some may argue that women are also equally attracted to
men. This is a valid point. What we forget is, while women are attracted to
men, they are not attracted in the same way as men are attracted to women. For
example: have you ever seen female crowds in the theatres which play “Adults
Only” movies? This is because; most women are not attracted the same way most
men are attracted to women who wear seductive dresses.
Some may argue, women’s freedom to dress the way they
want should not be restricted since not all men are bad and not all women who
are dressed “liberally” are raped. True, not all men are bad. Most men who look
at scantily dressed women stop with sight. Some go beyond the sight and
fantasize. Some may pass some lewd comments. Some will go beyond that by
stalking and if the situation favors them some will molest and rape. It is
those few men whom we are worried about. To give an example: we lock our houses
when we go out of town. Why do we do that? Is it because we think our neighbors
and all who walk by our streets are thieves? We all know that majority of the
people are good and the robbers are few, yet we lock our houses to protect it
from those few robbers. What would you think of a person who asks “Why
should I spend on locks to protect my house because of some robbers? Just
because my house is open does not mean they can rob?” Will you call this a
sane argument? If no, why not a modest dress which protects the women’s honour
from the lustful and lowly eyes of those few men?
We assure you that the obligation of Hijab in Islam is
not because Islam accuses every woman who does not wear Hijab of being immoral,
or because all men will look at her as a focus for their wickedness and
desires. But Islam does not look only at the majority of people; rather it pays
attention to the fact that there are also a small percentage of evildoers. In
order to protect the well-being of the majority from the evil actions of the
minority, it has enacted moral guidelines that will significantly reduce these
undesirable occurrences of sexual crimes.
The father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhiji said “I
don’t mind any women, even my wife, breaking stones and cleaning latrines, but
I certainly want none whatsoever to cast a lustful eye on my sister or mother”.
- Public meeting in Pune on 5/3/1927.
6. Prohibition for a woman to be alone with
a man who is not her close relative
Islam forbids a woman to be alone with men that are not close
relatives like her father, brother, uncle, husband etc. Prophet Muhammad (peace
be on him) said “Whenever a man is alone with a woman (he is not related to
or married to) the Satan (Devil) is the third."
According to the organization RAINN (Rape, Abuse and
Incest National Network), approximately 2/3 of rapes were committed by someone
known to the victim. If every woman were to follow the guidance of God by
avoiding being alone with a man (even if she knows him well), the risk of rapes
committed by an assailant known to the woman is heavily reduced.
Sexual harassment happens everywhere from schools to
courts. No industry is spared from this evil. Hence, we read and hear every day
about sexual harassment by colleagues, superiors, teachers and even Judges. Award
winning US documentary called “The invisible war” (it was nominated for Oscars)
captures the monster of sexual harassment and rape in the US Military. The
documentary estimates the incidents of sexual harassment and rape in the US
Military to be at 19,000 in the year 2010 alone, while the Department of Defense
processed only 3,198 with just 244 convictions. Even the prestigious regiment
“Marine Barracks”, which guards the ‘White House’ was not spared from this evil
of rape. If this is the plight of military women who are trained in
self-combat, one can imagine the situation of women in schools and workplaces. Islam
deals with this by prohibiting unnecessary mixing of women and men whether it is
at school or work place and thus reducing the opportunities that may lead to
molestation and rape.
7. Prohibition for women to travel long
distances without a male relative
Upon reading this, many might think this restricts the
freedom of a female. We have to ask ourselves when a woman is the most vulnerable.
Is it when she is in a familiar place or unfamiliar surroundings? Is it when
she is alone or has the company of a male relative, for example her father or
husband? The answer is of course a woman is most vulnerable when she is alone
in unfamiliar surroundings. The prohibition to travel long distances without a male
relative like husband, father, brother, uncle etc. is to protect her from
situations that can be potentially dangerous to her. The laws of Islam came to
protect women's honor and modesty and not otherwise.
8. Focus on God Consciousness and
Accountability to God
Islam instills God Consciousness by teaching that each
one of us is accountable to God for our actions in this world. Islam teaches
that the world will come to an end one day. All the human beings from the first
man to the last will be brought back to life on the Day of Judgment and will be
questioned for their deeds. God will weigh our good deeds against our bad
deeds, and pronounce His judgment on us accordingly. Even the smallest of our
deeds will be taken into account on the Day of Judgment.
Only fear of accountability to God will prevent someone
from committing such heinous crimes at all times, even if the situation favors
them. If military men, police, and the people who indulge in rapes during riots
have the fear of accountability to God, would they dare to commit this heinous
act? Fear of accountability to God will make them realize that though they may
get away with their evil act in this world, God will bring them to task and
punish them on the Day of Judgment. Only God consciousness can reform a person
to the fullest and prevent him from committing power rapes.
9. Harsh punishments
Despite the implementation of all the solutions
mentioned above, if a person dares to commit the evil act of rape, Islamic law
punishes the rapist with death penalty. Islam prescribes swiftness of the
trials in the court, thus ensuring that the judgment is pronounced and executed
as soon as the crime is proved. The death penalty is to be witnessed by the
people in the society. This clearly shows the seriousness of rape in the sight
of God.
Some may feel that death sentence is barbaric and there
are many who call for the abolishment of death sentence. To know the necessity
of death sentence, we need to understand the objectives of punishment. We all
know that punishment will not undo the suffering of the rape victim. Then, why
do we punish the rapist? Punishment is pronounced for three main reasons:
1) Punishment should prevent the rapist from committing
the rape again
2) The threat of punishment should deter people from
engaging in rape
3) The victim should feel that there was retribution to
the rapist and she was rendered justice.
Let us see if the Islamic punishment for rape (death
penalty) serves the above objectives.
Punishment should prevent the rapist from committing the
rape again – This is met as the rapist will not live to commit rape again.
The threat of punishment should deter people from
engaging in rape – This is also met as the severity of the punishment, the
speed of the trial and the manner of execution will definitely act as a
deterrent for others.
The victim should feel that there was retribution to the
rapist and she was rendered justice – This is definitely met as the rape
victims ask for death penalty for their rapists. Example: Mumbai Journalist
Rape victim and the parents of Delhi rape victim.
One has to wonder if other forms of punishment for rapes
meet the objectives mentioned above. For sure, life sentence does not deter
people from committing the crime and the victims are left unsatisfied with the
punishment. God forbid, if the rape victim were to be you or your mother or
sister or wife, will you accept if the government uses tax money to: feed the
rapist three times a day, provide him free medical treatment and entertain him
with one movie a week? If your answer is no, then that is exactly what happens
in the prison for a rapist who serves life imprisonment.
Our Final thoughts
God, Who has Infinite Knowledge about His Creations,
prescribed laws and guidelines that give solutions to all the problems faced by
mankind, including rape. The Islamic solution to the problem of rape is
practical and yields results. You may disagree with the solution proposed by
Islam and it is your privilege to do so. We just ask, do you have an alternate
solution that is better, practical and that can yield results?
After the Delhi rape incident, many raised voices to
punish the rapists with death sentence. Islam too prescribes death sentence for
rapists but there is a difference of chalk and cheese between the two. Islam prescribes
death penalty for rapists after enacting laws to close all the doors for rape, while
people want death sentence for the rapists who live in a society that has opened
all the doors to rape by turning a blind eye to its root causes. Which solution
is more rational and just? You be the judge.
The solution is easy to implement - it is to live our
lives in the way instructed by our Creator God Almighty. We would like to thank
you for taking the time to read this booklet.
“What is the meaning of Swaraj (Independence), so
long as a single woman is dying of starvation, so long as she can be robbed of
her honour by any common man?” – Mahatma Gandhiji
