Earlier this week since the news of the rape and murder case of Omozuwa broke out, women have been protesting in many ways. Not only women, some of the astute and responsible men that have sense have been helping in this case too. People all over are voicing their thoughts, letting their voice heard, speaking up.
As a woman, I need to talk about this too
.
That inhumane act needs to stop.
Some men are like animals. How can you ruin someone's like just to satisfy your five minute desire? That desire of yours is what ruins that person's life. It scars them for eternity. How can you be that selfish?
And yet they have to guts to give excuses trying to justify their barbaric actions. She wasn't dressed appropriately, she is a prostitute, she has been throwing herself at me, she didn't say no, she didn't try to stop me, she has once irked me and I wanted revenge, it was the devils doing, I wasn't in my right sense at the moment, all that sort of pathetic excuses!
See, even if she is a prostitute, as long as she herself didn't throw herself at you, RAPE IS RAPE.
Honestly, try to put yourself in her shoes. Can you lie with the shame? The insecurity? The constant phobia? The never ending nightmares that'll be there for years to remind you of that moment you wish to forget forever.
RAPE IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF HUMAN ABUSE.
And the nauseating fact is that people rape women irrespective of age. Do you know that someone raped a three year old? A three year old for Allah's sake!? What sort of pleasure will you derive from raping innocent child that knows nothing? What is her crime? Did she throw herself at you? Did she irk you I some way? By Allah we all know there's no reason that will justify such repellent act.
She is just a baby!
A child unaware of the evils of this world.
Having no experience on how cruel the world can be, and you just taint her!
How will she live her life? She might just be a child that might not remember what happened but that will not change anything. It will not change the fact that you took her innocence away from her before she even know what it means to live a life like any other.
Someone raped a ten year old. Now how do you think she'll cope with the trauma that came with it? While her age mates are living the best of their life she's somewhere in the corner of her room all curled up into a ball bawling her eyes out, living with the constant fear that you'll come back with her.
No matter how many years passed afterwards, no matter how her life turned to, that pain will always be there. But you know what? She hides it under fake smiles that never fail to fool most. Even if the story is covered, how did you think she'll live with it even if no one knows? Because no matter what people say some people will judge her for something she has no fault over. People will judge her.
Some of these victims can't report this injustice to the law officials. You know why? Maybe they're not rich enough so they're afraid people might not believe them or they have no way of speaking up. They don't have a voice to speak up! They don't have the means to express their pain and ask for help. They have nothing!
And then maybe when you finally gain a little bit of sense you'll say you regret your actions.
That won't change anything!
Did you have pity on her when you were stripping away her innocence?
Did you listen when she said no?
No means NO!
Did you pay any heed to her when she was screaming? Pleading with you to spare her life? To let her go and have mercy?
NO!
Her screams of agony fell on deaf ears.
Pleads of pardon were shut and ignored.
Till the tears no longer fell.
Till she emotionally blocked everything out.
Till she became numb.
Not having the energy to plead anymore.
What was done has already been done.
It can't be undone.
And she'll have to live with that for the rest of her life.
And just when you think this is bad enough, you'll learn that some rapist don't stay at just raping women. Some will go to the extent of killing her! Subhan Allah just please tell me what was her crime?
They just dispose her like a used shirt.
I know some victims will prefer death than to live with that for the rest of their lives but Ya Allah that's just too much.
And you'll hear the people committing such evil acts are brothers, husbands, sons, fathers!
Have you ever stopped to think what if it was your daughter, sister, wife or mother in that situation, how will you feel? How will she feel?
Will you wish for a relative of yours to be in that situation?
Some might even say that this 'is not a big deal'. Just imagine, rape is not a big deal? Are you mad or something? RAPE IS PRETTY MUCH A BIG DEAL. IT'S INHUMANE, BARABRIC AND ATROCIOUS!
Men need to learn to respect women. Hijabi or not. A woman is a woman! And every woman deserves respect irrespective of religion, culture or skin color.
Though, yes I have to admit not all men are the same.
WOMEN KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING! WE NEED TO SPEAK UP AGAINST THIS INJUSTICE. THIS MADNESS NEEDS TO STOP.
But you know the sad truth is that no matter how much we speak up, no matter how much we try to convince the victims that they're not alone, that we understand what they're going through, that is a big fat lie.
We don't understand what they're going through because we've never been in their shoes. And we'll never understand as long as we never experience that.
We might try to think of how they are feeling, what they're going through, but we can never really understand it.
All we can do is to continue what we're doing. We need to keep spreading the word and help fight these stomach-churning acts.
We need to help our fellow sisters going through this. We need to let them know that THEY ARE NOT ALONE! We all stand by them and we will help them get through this.
And to the entire rapist out there, you'll see the consequences of your actions in your life. It might not be now but you will see the corollary of it.
Because just like you reduce someone's life to rubble yours will not be any better.
Just wait and see.
Xoxo, Jannah.