New Trend Magazine (www.newtrendmag.org)

From the Holocaust in India: A woman's cry of Anguish
RAPE USED AS A WEAPON TO DESTROY VICTIMIZED MUSLIM COMMUNITY

(The messenger of Allah, pbuh, never raised his hand against a woman.) (Hadith)

A joint committee of Concerned Women, of various faiths, has investigated the suffering of Muslim women in the refugee camps in Gujarat, India following the holocaust of oppressed Muslim masses carried out recently by Brahmin caste racist gangs supported by the Indian government and police. The CONCERNED WOMEN have issued a 60-page factual account of the suffering of these Muslim women which makes horrific reading. Here is an excerpt from the account of one rape victim, BILKEES of Randhikpur village, district Dahod which was recorded on March 3, 2002:
[Background: Twenty-one year old Bilkees was five months pregnant. When Muslims homes were attacked on February 28, 2002 by a mob of upper caste Hindus from her own village and some outsiders, she and several of her family members fled. For two days they ran from village to village. At a mosque near Kuajher, her cousin Shamim delivered a baby, but there was no respite for them. They had to leave immediately, including Shamim who could barely walk, carrying her newborn baby. Here are her words in translation:]

"On March 3 we had started moving towards Panivela village, which was in a remote and hilly area. Suddenly we heard the sound of a vehicle. A truck came with people from our own village and outsiders too. We realized that they had not come to help us and then the madness started.

They pulled my baby from my arms and threw her away. The other women and I were taken aside and raped. I was raped by three men. I was screaming all the time. They beat me and then left me for dead.

When I regained consciousness, I found I was alone. All around me were the dead bodies of my family, my baby girl, the newborn baby, their bodies covered with the rocks and boulders used to kill them. I lay there the whole night and most of the next day. I do not know when I was conscious and when unconscious.

Later I was found by a police squad from Limkheda police station. I was taken to the hospital and brought to the Godhra (refugee) camp."
[With thanks to: Radiance Viewsweekly, New Delhi, India
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New Trends comment:
TO ALL DECENT PEOPLE: Why are the exponents of women's rights silent?
To Muslims: Is there a Muhammad ibn Qasim among you? Do modern Muslims even know who was Muhammad ibn Qasim.
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Jamaat al-Muslimeen is working for the rights of women in America.
Contact
Sis. Ashira at: ash era22@aol.com
To help in the struggle against domestic violence contact Baitul Salaam at:
haleem1@aol.com
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2002-06-01 Sat 22:59ct