Canada's Fifteen Minutes

Canada made the lead story on the front page of the world papers the other day; including here in the undisclosed Middle East.

The story was the reaction—of universal condemnation—Pakistani President Musharraf. He had apparently made the mistake of suggesting that Pakistan’s rape statistics may be inflated by false claims. Many women believe, he said, that claiming rape gets them a visa to Canada and makes them wealthy.

The outrage has continued ever since, with one figure after another chiming in. Musharraf now denies ever making the comment, and claims it must have been said by someone else standing beside him at the interview. He has himself now condemned it as “stupid.”

In all the thousands of words of outrage, I have not seen one commentator who dared to ask the obvious question: could it be true?

Indeed, why couldn’t a Pakistani woman claim rape, and then argue before a Canadian refugee board that by remaining in Pakistan she risked an “honour killing.”

Would her word be questioned?

Surely not.

Look what happened when someone dared. Even someone as powerful as the dictator of Pakistan. He defied popular opinion to join the US against the Taliban. He is defying popular opinion again by talks with Israel on mutual recognition. But he does not dare question that, if any woman says she was raped, she was raped.

The opportunity for abuse is obvious.