Shocked Muslim Woman Raped By Hindu Mob Over Release Of 11 Jailed Men India

The men were released on Monday by the Gujarat government after serving 14 years to life in prison. Under Indian law, after 14 years some prisoners can be released on parole, provided they meet certain criteria regarding age and behavior. Bilkis Bano and her husband were not informed that the men were to be released. He said the news came as a bolt from the blue and left them “numb” with disbelief. “Today, I can only say this: how can justice for any woman end like this? I trusted the highest courts of our land. I trusted the system and slowly learned to live with my trauma. The release of these convicts has taken away my peace of mind and shaken my faith in justice,” Bano said in a statement issued through her lawyer on Wednesday. The attack took place during the 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat. For Indian Muslims, liberation has brought the horror of anti-Muslim riots. In three days more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, died and hundreds of Islamic monuments were destroyed or vandalized. On March 3, 2002, a mob raped Bano in a village near Ahmedabad. She was 19 years old and pregnant. Her mother was also raped and her three-year-old daughter was killed. Bano survived only because the mob thought she was dead. In total, 14 members of her family were attacked. Only Bano, a nephew and another man survived. The bodies of six of her relatives were never found. It took a long court battle before the men were finally convicted in 2008. The decision to release the men was taken by the Gujarat government, which is run by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It has angered the opposition. For many critics of the BJP, it was another insult to Indian Muslims, who already feel marginalized and targeted by BJP and Hindu fringe groups. Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition Congress party, said the decision made a mockery of Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech earlier this week, when the prime minister urged Indians to change their attitude towards women and spoke of “nari shakti” or women’s power. “It is important in speech and conduct not to do anything that degrades the dignity of women,” Modi said. Gandhi tweeted on Wednesday: “Prime Minister, the whole country sees the difference between your words and your actions.” Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Asaduddin Owaisi, a Muslim politician, also condemned the release. “The country is watching how the BJP only pays lip service to women empowerment and respect for women. But when it comes to Muslim women, they forget them.” Some legal experts say the release runs afoul of guidelines that say the parole policy does not apply to convicted rapists and murderers. Others say all prisoners are entitled to it after serving 14 years. “This is a decision by a majority criminal state and it signals impunity for hate crimes,” said lawyer and human rights activist Vrinda Grover. “The message is clear to women – the state will unleash the wrath of the law selectively… Religion appears to be a criterion for rewarding convicts with early release.” For the Bano family, legal gray areas and political disputes are not uppermost in their minds. They wonder if they will ever feel safe again, with her rapists returning to their villages nearby. Their disappointment was compounded by the fact that the men were greeted with garlands and sweets as they left the prison. Bano said, “I appeal to the Gujarat government, please undo this damage. Give me back the right to live without fear and in peace. Please make sure my family and I are safe.”

title: “Shocked Muslim Woman Raped By Hindu Mob Over Release Of 11 Jailed Men India Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-26” author: “Beatrice Spinks”

The men were released on Monday by the Gujarat government after serving 14 years to life in prison. Under Indian law, after 14 years some prisoners can be released on parole, provided they meet certain criteria regarding age and behavior. Bilkis Bano and her husband were not informed that the men were to be released. He said the news came as a bolt from the blue and left them “numb” with disbelief. “Today, I can only say this: how can justice for any woman end like this? I trusted the highest courts of our land. I trusted the system and slowly learned to live with my trauma. The release of these convicts has taken away my peace of mind and shaken my faith in justice,” Bano said in a statement issued through her lawyer on Wednesday. The attack took place during the 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat. For Indian Muslims, liberation has brought the horror of anti-Muslim riots. In three days more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, died and hundreds of Islamic monuments were destroyed or vandalized. On March 3, 2002, a mob raped Bano in a village near Ahmedabad. She was 19 years old and pregnant. Her mother was also raped and her three-year-old daughter was killed. Bano survived only because the mob thought she was dead. In total, 14 members of her family were attacked. Only Bano, a nephew and another man survived. The bodies of six of her relatives were never found. It took a long court battle before the men were finally convicted in 2008. The decision to release the men was taken by the Gujarat government, which is run by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It has angered the opposition. For many critics of the BJP, it was another insult to Indian Muslims, who already feel marginalized and targeted by BJP and Hindu fringe groups. Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition Congress party, said the decision made a mockery of Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech earlier this week, when the prime minister urged Indians to change their attitude towards women and spoke of “nari shakti” or women’s power. “It is important in speech and conduct not to do anything that degrades the dignity of women,” Modi said. Gandhi tweeted on Wednesday: “Prime Minister, the whole country sees the difference between your words and your actions.” Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Asaduddin Owaisi, a Muslim politician, also condemned the release. “The country is watching how the BJP only pays lip service to women empowerment and respect for women. But when it comes to Muslim women, they forget them.” Some legal experts say the release runs afoul of guidelines that say the parole policy does not apply to convicted rapists and murderers. Others say all prisoners are entitled to it after serving 14 years. “This is a decision by a majority criminal state and it signals impunity for hate crimes,” said lawyer and human rights activist Vrinda Grover. “The message is clear to women – the state will unleash the wrath of the law selectively… Religion appears to be a criterion for rewarding convicts with early release.” For the Bano family, legal gray areas and political disputes are not uppermost in their minds. They wonder if they will ever feel safe again, with her rapists returning to their villages nearby. Their disappointment was compounded by the fact that the men were greeted with garlands and sweets as they left the prison. Bano said, “I appeal to the Gujarat government, please undo this damage. Give me back the right to live without fear and in peace. Please make sure my family and I are safe.”

title: “Shocked Muslim Woman Raped By Hindu Mob Over Release Of 11 Jailed Men India Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-23” author: “Walter Taylor”

The men were released on Monday by the Gujarat government after serving 14 years to life in prison. Under Indian law, after 14 years some prisoners can be released on parole, provided they meet certain criteria regarding age and behavior. Bilkis Bano and her husband were not informed that the men were to be released. He said the news came as a bolt from the blue and left them “numb” with disbelief. “Today, I can only say this: how can justice for any woman end like this? I trusted the highest courts of our land. I trusted the system and slowly learned to live with my trauma. The release of these convicts has taken away my peace of mind and shaken my faith in justice,” Bano said in a statement issued through her lawyer on Wednesday. The attack took place during the 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat. For Indian Muslims, liberation has brought the horror of anti-Muslim riots. In three days more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, died and hundreds of Islamic monuments were destroyed or vandalized. On March 3, 2002, a mob raped Bano in a village near Ahmedabad. She was 19 years old and pregnant. Her mother was also raped and her three-year-old daughter was killed. Bano survived only because the mob thought she was dead. In total, 14 members of her family were attacked. Only Bano, a nephew and another man survived. The bodies of six of her relatives were never found. It took a long court battle before the men were finally convicted in 2008. The decision to release the men was taken by the Gujarat government, which is run by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It has angered the opposition. For many critics of the BJP, it was another insult to Indian Muslims, who already feel marginalized and targeted by BJP and Hindu fringe groups. Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition Congress party, said the decision made a mockery of Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech earlier this week, when the prime minister urged Indians to change their attitude towards women and spoke of “nari shakti” or women’s power. “It is important in speech and conduct not to do anything that degrades the dignity of women,” Modi said. Gandhi tweeted on Wednesday: “Prime Minister, the whole country sees the difference between your words and your actions.” Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Asaduddin Owaisi, a Muslim politician, also condemned the release. “The country is watching how the BJP only pays lip service to women empowerment and respect for women. But when it comes to Muslim women, they forget them.” Some legal experts say the release runs afoul of guidelines that say the parole policy does not apply to convicted rapists and murderers. Others say all prisoners are entitled to it after serving 14 years. “This is a decision by a majority criminal state and it signals impunity for hate crimes,” said lawyer and human rights activist Vrinda Grover. “The message is clear to women – the state will unleash the wrath of the law selectively… Religion appears to be a criterion for rewarding convicts with early release.” For the Bano family, legal gray areas and political disputes are not uppermost in their minds. They wonder if they will ever feel safe again, with her rapists returning to their villages nearby. Their disappointment was compounded by the fact that the men were greeted with garlands and sweets as they left the prison. Bano said, “I appeal to the Gujarat government, please undo this damage. Give me back the right to live without fear and in peace. Please make sure my family and I are safe.”

title: “Shocked Muslim Woman Raped By Hindu Mob Over Release Of 11 Jailed Men India Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-25” author: “William Slosek”

The men were released on Monday by the Gujarat government after serving 14 years to life in prison. Under Indian law, after 14 years some prisoners can be released on parole, provided they meet certain criteria regarding age and behavior. Bilkis Bano and her husband were not informed that the men were to be released. He said the news came as a bolt from the blue and left them “numb” with disbelief. “Today, I can only say this: how can justice for any woman end like this? I trusted the highest courts of our land. I trusted the system and slowly learned to live with my trauma. The release of these convicts has taken away my peace of mind and shaken my faith in justice,” Bano said in a statement issued through her lawyer on Wednesday. The attack took place during the 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat. For Indian Muslims, liberation has brought the horror of anti-Muslim riots. In three days more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, died and hundreds of Islamic monuments were destroyed or vandalized. On March 3, 2002, a mob raped Bano in a village near Ahmedabad. She was 19 years old and pregnant. Her mother was also raped and her three-year-old daughter was killed. Bano survived only because the mob thought she was dead. In total, 14 members of her family were attacked. Only Bano, a nephew and another man survived. The bodies of six of her relatives were never found. It took a long court battle before the men were finally convicted in 2008. The decision to release the men was taken by the Gujarat government, which is run by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It has angered the opposition. For many critics of the BJP, it was another insult to Indian Muslims, who already feel marginalized and targeted by BJP and Hindu fringe groups. Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition Congress party, said the decision made a mockery of Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech earlier this week, when the prime minister urged Indians to change their attitude towards women and spoke of “nari shakti” or women’s power. “It is important in speech and conduct not to do anything that degrades the dignity of women,” Modi said. Gandhi tweeted on Wednesday: “Prime Minister, the whole country sees the difference between your words and your actions.” Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Asaduddin Owaisi, a Muslim politician, also condemned the release. “The country is watching how the BJP only pays lip service to women empowerment and respect for women. But when it comes to Muslim women, they forget them.” Some legal experts say the release runs afoul of guidelines that say the parole policy does not apply to convicted rapists and murderers. Others say all prisoners are entitled to it after serving 14 years. “This is a decision by a majority criminal state and it signals impunity for hate crimes,” said lawyer and human rights activist Vrinda Grover. “The message is clear to women – the state will unleash the wrath of the law selectively… Religion appears to be a criterion for rewarding convicts with early release.” For the Bano family, legal gray areas and political disputes are not uppermost in their minds. They wonder if they will ever feel safe again, with her rapists returning to their villages nearby. Their disappointment was compounded by the fact that the men were greeted with garlands and sweets as they left the prison. Bano said, “I appeal to the Gujarat government, please undo this damage. Give me back the right to live without fear and in peace. Please make sure my family and I are safe.”

title: “Shocked Muslim Woman Raped By Hindu Mob Over Release Of 11 Jailed Men India Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-12” author: “Nathaniel Robertson”

The men were released on Monday by the Gujarat government after serving 14 years to life in prison. Under Indian law, after 14 years some prisoners can be released on parole, provided they meet certain criteria regarding age and behavior. Bilkis Bano and her husband were not informed that the men were to be released. He said the news came as a bolt from the blue and left them “numb” with disbelief. “Today, I can only say this: how can justice for any woman end like this? I trusted the highest courts of our land. I trusted the system and slowly learned to live with my trauma. The release of these convicts has taken away my peace of mind and shaken my faith in justice,” Bano said in a statement issued through her lawyer on Wednesday. The attack took place during the 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat. For Indian Muslims, liberation has brought the horror of anti-Muslim riots. In three days more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, died and hundreds of Islamic monuments were destroyed or vandalized. On March 3, 2002, a mob raped Bano in a village near Ahmedabad. She was 19 years old and pregnant. Her mother was also raped and her three-year-old daughter was killed. Bano survived only because the mob thought she was dead. In total, 14 members of her family were attacked. Only Bano, a nephew and another man survived. The bodies of six of her relatives were never found. It took a long court battle before the men were finally convicted in 2008. The decision to release the men was taken by the Gujarat government, which is run by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It has angered the opposition. For many critics of the BJP, it was another insult to Indian Muslims, who already feel marginalized and targeted by BJP and Hindu fringe groups. Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition Congress party, said the decision made a mockery of Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech earlier this week, when the prime minister urged Indians to change their attitude towards women and spoke of “nari shakti” or women’s power. “It is important in speech and conduct not to do anything that degrades the dignity of women,” Modi said. Gandhi tweeted on Wednesday: “Prime Minister, the whole country sees the difference between your words and your actions.” Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Asaduddin Owaisi, a Muslim politician, also condemned the release. “The country is watching how the BJP only pays lip service to women empowerment and respect for women. But when it comes to Muslim women, they forget them.” Some legal experts say the release runs afoul of guidelines that say the parole policy does not apply to convicted rapists and murderers. Others say all prisoners are entitled to it after serving 14 years. “This is a decision by a majority criminal state and it signals impunity for hate crimes,” said lawyer and human rights activist Vrinda Grover. “The message is clear to women – the state will unleash the wrath of the law selectively… Religion appears to be a criterion for rewarding convicts with early release.” For the Bano family, legal gray areas and political disputes are not uppermost in their minds. They wonder if they will ever feel safe again, with her rapists returning to their villages nearby. Their disappointment was compounded by the fact that the men were greeted with garlands and sweets as they left the prison. Bano said, “I appeal to the Gujarat government, please undo this damage. Give me back the right to live without fear and in peace. Please make sure my family and I are safe.”