Saving Face : True Stories on Channel 4 - Acid Attacks

jaffacakesyum

Anyone else watching this on Channel 4 at the moment? Only 15 minutes in and I'm finding it difficult to watch. It is about a surgeon from Pakiston who works in England as a plastic surgeon. The program looks at women who have gone through acid attacks in Pakistan and who are seeing this doctor for plastic surgery.

It really opens your eyes to feminist issues in the Western world - sure we have inequalities but what women have to go through in their own homes in Pakistan is sickening :mad:

Whispered

I didn't see it until the very end. Did it give any indication as to why it's so common? Punishment? Or to stop other men looking at them?

How common is it?

I know 2 Pakistani men and both are absolute gentlemen.

General Relativity

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Lunni

Whispered wrote: »

I didn't see it until the very end. Did it give any indication as to why it's so common? Punishment? Or to stop other men looking at them?

How common is it?

I know 2 Pakistani men and both are absolute gentlemen.

But how well do you know them? Most abusive men, Pakistani or not, appear perfectly pleasant and charming on the surface. My ex used to emotionally abuse and occasionally hit me and everyone else thought he was wonderful.

* Not implying that all Pakistani men are abusers, but just making the point that 'gentlemen' are sometimes anything but behind closed doors.

Whispered

Lunni wrote: »

But how well do you know them? Most abusive men, Pakistani or not, appear perfectly pleasant and charming on the surface. My ex used to emotionally abuse and occasionally hit me and everyone else thought he was wonderful.

* Not implying that all Pakistani men are abusers, but just making the point that 'gentlemen' are sometimes anything but behind closed doors.

I was just adding my personal experience, small as it is, to the thread.

leahyl

I watched it - it was a very disturbing programme but an eye-opening one also. I was nearly crying at the end when the lady's husband got 2 life sentences - that was an amazing victory for her - finally, justice was done.

I just don't understand the mentality of these men - it is just shocking that women are still being treated like this.

cdaly_

Whispered wrote: »

I didn't see it until the very end. Did it give any indication as to why it's so common? Punishment? Or to stop other men looking at them?

How common is it?

One of the women started divorce proceedings as her husband would beat her. He attacked her with acid outside the courthouse. AIUI it came down to "If I can't have you I'll make sure nobody else wants you". Her daughter spoke of being villified rather than receiving sympathy because of it.

Another was acid attacked by her husband, had petrol poured on her by her SIL and was set alight by her MIL. As she couldn't care for her kids alone, she had to return to live with them. Her surgery was put off as she was pregnant (by her husband long after the attack). I didn't hear the 'excuse' for this attack.

According to the survivors' support group there would be maybe 120/year that they found out about and who knows how many more.

banquo

I saw part of it. Couldn't watch the rest of it.

jaffacakesyum

The one positive thing I learnt from it though was that a law was passed unamiously for life imprisonment for acid attacks. I just googled there, and the law was passed in May 2011. I wonder is it enforced though. I wouldn't be surprised if there were legal loopholes or, more likely, simply the men are not found guilty.

The man I found most disturbing was the younger man who had thrown acid on his wife and did not get punished but was later arrested on suspicion of kidnapping a 13 year old girl. He was sort of....smiling when interviewed and was most obviously lying but showed no remorse whatsoever...I mean, I'm no interrogator but this man's facial expressions when he was coming up with the story of how is wife got burnt...he was clearly bullsh1tting and had no problem going on tv saying that.

I know the Western world has it's horrible stories (abuse in the Catholic church comes to mind) and I'm NOT generalising all of these countries, but it really disturbs me that women are treated like inferior beings in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, India etc.