The Bush Administration has very few strong allies in the greater world, but one of the tightest is the strongman of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf. According to the calculations of our government, Musharraf - who seized power in a coup - is a necessary ally in the realm of realpolitick, a despot perhaps, President of the nation that is the seat of ease for Osama bin Laden perhaps, but a key counterbalance to radical Islam in the region (and the rising power of India, but that's another story).
And it's in keeping with the Bush Administration's blatant disregard for women's rights in the process that will yield a conservative religious constitution in Iraq, that President Bush continues to keep our nation close to regime of the man who uttered this statement to the Washington Post:
"You must understand the environment in Pakistan ... this has become a money-making concern. A lot of people say if you want to go abroad and get a visa for Canada or citizenship and be a millionaire, get yourself raped."
He was, of course, referring obliquely to the international heroine Mukhtaran Bibi, a worldwide symbol of strength and generosity - and a frequent subject for this blog. You may recall that earlier this year, the Pakistani government essentially kidnapped Mukhtar Mai, held her under house arrest, and kept her passport to keep her from a speaking tour of the U.S. and Canada in support of women's rights; and you will remember that Mukhtaran Bibi was gang-raped in an act of punishment sanctioned by her village elders. Expected to commit suicide in shame, she pursued a criminal and civil case, won a judgement, and used the money to open schools to educate the poor children of her region. Illiterate herself, Mukhtar Mai is a student in her own school - as are the children of those acused of raping her. He was also referring (possibly with more directness) to the lesser-known case of Dr. Shazia Khalid, who was raped and then chased from her country by the Pakistani government.
Of course, now he is saying in the eastern press that he was misquoted. Uh-huh, yeah. Post staff writers Glenn Kessler and Dafna Linzer got it wrong. Right. The tape malfunctioned.
Musharraf has been rightly pilloried by the international press - led by New York Times columnist Nick Kristof and many members of the British media - and he has felt the heat on occasion. But it has clearly not changed his mindset: he is a rabid anti-feminist, a medieval man of small tolerance. He resents Mukhtar Mai as a symbol, and as a woman.
Here in the U.S., it might be tempting to say: well, that is exotic Pakistan; we in the west cannot understand their ancient ways, and it may be arrogant to suggest a change in their long-held tribal customs.
Bullshit.
Pakistan is a rising power in the world, with a near-first class military and the clear, eminent desire to grow its technology and outsourcing sectors to take advantage of the global economy, and sit astride the far east and the far west in a position of power and profit. Musharraf himself is given to rhetoric about modernity and liberalism, and postures his regime as a bridge for his country to a more open future. Further, he is a beneficiary of American technology and military aid, despite the presence of the killer bin Laden in his provinces.
Every few months, when concern mounts for the future of women in the former Iraq - women who held more rights under the oppressive Saddam than they do now under the priests and acolytes - we trot out Laura Bush or some other functionary to say we care. Well, now is the time for the Administration to show action: it must condemn Musharraf, demand freedom and justice for women in Pakistan - and withhold all American aid until the strongman relents.
UPDATE: From tomorrow's Post - in an article quoting Musharraf as claiming the paper misquoted him - comes a round-up of the blow-back, including a formal protest from Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin (nothing from the U.S. yet). The article includes this paragraph:
The interview was conducted by three Washington Post reporters and was tape-recorded. A review of the recording yesterday confirmed that Musharraf -- who was surrounded by aides who took notes and also recorded the interview -- was accurately quoted.
