Rape: offenders or victims?

Assalamualaikum, peace be upon you


Imagine one day while walking to class like any other days a group of men attack you and force you to a hidden place. There they aggress you. They hit you. You try to do something but there are just too many of them. You try to shout for help but nothing comes out. You become weaker and weaker. Then, they gather around you. Now you know that’s it: “I’m done”. They were four to rape you. Four beasts to change your life.


What would you do next?



I am certainly not wishing this to happen to any of us but I would like to share with you all about what is happening to other women out there. Women who are similar in every way to us but who do not feel the love and security that we feel now...

Almost every day, there would be a rape case in the newspapers. Everyday a woman (at least) would suffer from rape. The lucky ones would find their family and friends to support them. But for a lot of others being raped means denial, disownment, punishment and exile.

Young victims would end up unwanted because they are no longer ‘pure’ while some with no other choice left turn to prostitution to feed themselves. Those who end up being pregnant are abandoned by families. A lot of these women end up suffering throughout their entire life.

The intensity of sex violence in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo is said to be the worst in the world (Washigton Post, 2007). And like in a lot of societies today, rape victims are seen as criminals, as a disgrace and embarrassment to the family. There are about 200 000 surviving rape victims living in the country today and most of whom are left to fend for themselves. Al-Jazeera recently showed footage on the efforts done in the country to reduce rapes through education and awareness programs.

"When I found out that my wife was raped, I became furious. I disposed of her, sent her back to her parent’s home. I couldn’t face it to be sharing my wife with other men. My wife was raped by six men and I didn’t want to be the seventh. After a while, it came to me that I needed to be with her. I realized that it wasn’t her fault. She was attacked and aggressed by six men. That was what happened in the first place. I took her back. Today, I am no longer ashamed to talk about it to other men."

These are the words of a man whose wife is a rape victim. Being in a society who penalizes rape victims, this man’s words and actions are signs of bravery and I do, really do respect him. Today, his wife is still traumatized by the incident but he tries to help her in any way he can.

People have to realize that when a man rapes a woman, that woman could be someone’s mother, wife or sister. Imagine doing the same thing but to your own family members. Raping has got to stop. The society has to understand that the one who should be penalized is the one who raped and the one being raped is the victim. Rape is a serious offence. Victims of these cases need support, help and protection.

Sharing is caring right? Hehe. I’m sharing this so that we are aware of what’s happening so that we could say Alhamdulillah at every breath we take and so we could pray for our sisters in need. We should right? We really should. If you’re a man reading this then I hope that you would pray for the best too and hope that you would take good care of your mother,wife and sisters.

Astaghfirullah. Astaghfirullah. Astaghfirullah.

Be safe sisters. May Allah the Merciful protect us all.