Dr. Aisha Sethi is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at the University of Chicago Medical Center and a member of the steering committee of the Global Health Initiative. Dr. Sethi has done fieldwork in Pakistan, St. John’s Institute of Dermatology and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in London, and the Regional Dermatology Training Center (RDTC) in Tanzania. She has recently returned from a medical flood relief mission to Pakistan.

Diskord recently had the honor of talking to her about the relief mission, her candid impressions of the trip, and the importance of medical diplomacy programs.

Dr. Sethi, thank you for taking time out for this!
To start off, can you tell us where in Pakistan you travelled to and what compelled you to embark on this trip?

I was actually planning to go Malawi, Africa, for my Global Health work, when the floods happened. I lead medical students there every year, but I immediately requested vacation time to go to Pakistan and got in touch with my local contacts. They are dermatologists in Pakistan. I constantly heard that skin diseases are one of the most common conditions being encountered in flooded regions. My area of interest is exactly that: infectious skin disorders, tropical skin diseases, or diseases that affect populations once calamities hit. So, I talked to my family and got in touch with the Pakistan Society of Teledermatology. There are two doctors, Dr. Ijaz Hussain and Shahbaz Janjua who have been instrumental in all of this – they have been organizing mobile skin clinics throughout the different affected points, from the north to the south. Together, all of us travelled to Multan and then to an area near Muzaffargarh, which is six hours from Lahore.

What were some of the most common diseases you came across?

The most common skin diseases we saw included scabies, impetigo, superficial fungal infections, and a lot of ulcers due to bad food and water hygiene. We also saw some chronic skin diseases, like psoriasis, that people just had not gotten checked out or treated because there was no doctor in the area.
A lot of the skin disorders are easily diagnosable; we don’t need complex procedures to identify them. That’s the thing about dermatology, you can instantly diagnose by looking for patterns. You can [sometimes] immediately cure something. During our time there, we were not just treating people, we were also educating them.

During my first quarter in college, I had a conversation, with a senior, about the awkward social interactions that UChicago’s environment can foster. His response baffled me at that time:

“No, it’s not that bad. I just make it a point to go to the library every day. The Reg’s the most social place on campus!”

In high school, the library was a place of uncomfortable fidgeting and pin drop silence; a place of infrequent, short-lived visits. Just how any library could serve to be more than that, and become a part of a lifestyle, seemed to be an alien concept. Therefore, a group of friends and I decided to dissect the culture of the Regenstein, and we noticed right away that it was a world within a world. Some common patterns (listed below as common occurrences) became obvious from very early on, and although we have many examples of each, we have listed just one with every pattern, to keep our observations short and succinct.

Subject of Inquiry: The ‘Reg Culture’

Parameters of Observation: 1100 East 57th Street Chicago Illinois 60637. B-level to the fifth floor of the imposing, gray structure known lovingly as the Regenstein library.

Some Noted Colloquialisms:
“Reggin’ it”
Translation: Studying at the Reg, for an extended period of time.

“Secret Garden ”
Translation: Referring to the couches positioned behind the ground floor bookstacks, often obscured from common view.

“Jock floor”: Second floor of the Reg, scattered with group tables. It is considered louder and more social than most of the other floors (with the exception of the A-level).

“Caffiee” A mixture of the words ‘coffee’ and ‘caffiee’. Mostly uttered by sleep deprived students, dragging themselves to Bart Mart, or Ex-Libris.

Common Occurrences:

1. Domestic Disputes:
Observed: A college couple peacefully studying on the fifth floor. Suddenly, bickering ensues and the girl is seen snatching the papers from her partner’s hands and flinging them into the air. He, in turn, starts violently shaking her. Other students around come to life and intervene. Boy and girl collect things, walk out (together) while the fifth floor looks on, cell phones in hand.

2. Student-Staff Squabbles
Observed: Student attempts to walk in to the study space of the Reg with banana in hand. Member of the staff angrily tells her she cannot enter with a piece of fruit (although students are often seen devouring pizza and other edibles). Loud argument interrupts the ground floor studying and goes on for a good ten minutes. Finally, student heatedly throws banana into the trash bin and storms out.

3. Morning After (all-nighter) Rituals:
Observed: Girl with two large duffel bags positions herself in front of the mirror in the A-level bathroom. Takes out many, many bottles of product, and slowly goes on to wash hair in the sink, brush teeth, apply makeup – all the while remaining oblivious to the growing knot of people whispering around her.

4.Finals Week Retreat
Observed: As soon as the week begins, a tent is put up in the A-level. Inhabitants are seen taking sporadic naps within, whenever their schedule permits. Other students are seen camping at the A-level in different ways. Some sleep under the tables, while others on top of the tables. There is a mass exodus on Friday of that week, and the Reg is at once reminiscent of a forgotten graveyard.

Note to Diskord readers: Send us any new colloquialisms you note, or any recurring patterns you observe! The Reg culture, like all others, is also an evolving one, and we would like to keep out studies updated.

As the Provincial Minister of Women Development in Sindh, Pakistan, Ms. Bhutto is in a unique position today – a position from where she not only has a clear view of the problems women face in a patriarchal society, but also the ability to address these problems within the larger political framework.
Disclaimer: This interview was originally conducted by a Diskord writer for the intent of publication in War Against Rape’s newsletter.

INTERVIEW
Q. In simple terms, what is the definition of rape in Pakistan?
A man is said to commit rape who has sexual intercourse with a women under circumstances falling under any of the five following description:
• Against her will.
• Without her consent.
• With her consent, when the consent has been obtained by putting her in fear of death or hurt.
• With her consent, when the man knows that he is not married to her [while] she believes herself to be married.
• With or without her consent, when she is under sixteen years of age.
*Note that the Minister has not mentioned the rape of men in this definition at all.

Q. What are you working on related to rape, in your capacity as Minister? Are there any strong projects in the pipeline?
As regards to my self as Minister of Women Development, we are working on the mandated as well as the national focal machinery to proactively take initiatives, for women’s empowerment in the country is extremely challenging. The Women Development Department is committed to work towards the protection, advancement, development and empowerment of women in all spheres. The Department, despite being constrained by many challenges is currently focusing on several key areas that are central to gender equality. These include social protection, legislation/policy initiatives, administrative/institutional restructuring, training and empowerment, and establishment of interdepartmental, inter-ministerial and NGO/CSO’s.

Question: What is the sentence for someone convicted of rape?
Whoever commits rape shall be punished with death or imprisonment [for a term] which shall not be less then ten years or more then twenty-five years and shall also be liable to fine.

When rape is committed by two or more persons in furtherance of common intention of all, each of such person shall be punished with death or imprisonment for life.

Q. Many rape cases go unregistered because of social notions. How can we, as a society, overcome these mindset barriers? What is your stance on the social taboo that is created for a rape victim, and do you think that rape reform is necessary?
A very large number of people do not want to get registered the case of rape committed against their female relative. In a conservative society, rape of a girl brings a bad name to the girl. It becomes a matter of shame not only for the victim but also for her entire family. She will find it difficult to move in society or even go to her friends and relatives; parents will find it move or less impossible to get her married. She becomes a social out cast.

Perhaps out of 100 rapes, barely 10 are reported as FIRs. And the conviction of rape being less than 10%, THERE IS HARDLY ONE RAPIST OUT OF 100 WHO GETS CONVICTED. And the trial also takes several years.

Therefore, law for rape is there, but with 1% conviction, one can say that the law is there but not implemented.

As a society and especially as an Islamic Society, it is absolutely essential to take the following actions to provide justice to rape victims:
• We must as a society, condemn in very strong teams, this heinous crime perpetrated against women and girls and express our support for the victims and their families.

• In discussion programs on T.V. and Radio and also in seminars, religious leaders and scholars should be invited to give their views on this crime and for their support for the victims and their families.

• It will greatly help the victims and their families if the Imams in their Friday Khutbas (sermons) condemn the rapist and the crime in very strong terms and come out in support of the victims and their families. The Imams have great influence on people in their areas and their views in favor of the victim and their families will greatly help in changing the mindset of the people in their areas.

• Political parties should include in their manifestos, their resolve to help the victims and their families to continue their lives without being made out cast in their localities.

• Civil Society Organizations should come out aggressively in support of the victims and condemnation of the culprit.

• In police stations, there should be separate women sections with female police staff to deal with criminal complaints of women.

• Media should be [encouraged] to play a leading role in changing the mindset of people through discussion, talks with political religious and civil society leaders, and also through dramas and plays.

• Ministers, Parliamentarians, religious leaders, civil society Organizations and local leaders should visit the homes of the victims expressing their whole hearted support for the victims and their families and helping them to adjust themselves in the changed circumstances.

• FIRS of rapes should be promptly registered and trained and educated police officers should investigate the crime and present ‘chalans’ in courts at the earliest.

• The Chief Justice may be requested to get the rape cases disposed off within a month or two with day-to-day hearing.

• There should be victims and her family’s protection programs so that the offenders do not intimate them.

Q. What are the immediate resources the government offers to rape victims?
Victims [can refer to] the revolving fund for the release of female and juvenile prisoners through payment of fines, bail sureties and transportation. [Also, as per President's directives], a revolving fund for Rs. 20.00 million has been established in the Women Development Department for providing legal assistance to poor women pursuing their petitions of defending themselves in courts. [They are] defended free of charges by lady lawyers engaged by the Government.

The effectiveness of Rape law in Pakistan is evident by the Minister’s responses and she herself admits that there are severe problems with implementation. However, the country has seen worse – the present situation is a far cry from the controversial Hudood Ordinance of 1979, in which rape victims had to provide four male witnesses to the crime.

Therefore, although there is still a long way to go before rape victims can feel protected judicially, the steps being taken seem to be in the right direction.

A battle rages on in Kashmir, with no end in sight. It is a land cursed by its very location – cruelly sandwiched between three nuclear states: India, Pakistan, and China. Their political tug-of-war of greater powers has torn apart the Kashmir region, and its people.

The centerpiece of the conflict is a territorial clash over the northwestern-most area of the Indian subcontinent. In 1947, when British rule of India came to an end, the partition of land created two new nations – India and Pakistan. This partition is widely believed to be at the root of the Kashmir conflict. Although claiming, as the BBC article Partitioning India Over Lunch in 2007 did, that only a few influential people decided the fate of millions over a meal may appear excessive, it is not mere hyperbole. The British, drained of their resources after World War II and apprehensive about the freedom movements swelling in their colonies, were in a hurry to leave and created a severely problematic demarcation of a sensitive area – a decision at once careless and cavalier. Both India and Pakistan laid claims on Kashmir, which straddles the demarcation line. It was clearly sought after because of its ideal climatic conditions, sound agriculture, and healthy tourism economy. Moreover, the Kashmiri area incorporated into India had a predominantly Muslim population but a Hindu ruler, and this added more fuel to the political agitation. Since then, radical Islamist elements that believe Muslim majority areas automatically belong to Pakistan – a nation created in the name of Islam – have been active.

Astonishingly, aside from those directly involved or affected, the majority of the public does not realize the catastrophic nature of the conflict. Major Western newspapers often do not publish articles focused on Kashmir for weeks, whereas ‘peace in the Middle East’ is covered on a daily basis. Political Science major Jenny Castellana, a sophomore at the University and a regular reader of the New York Times, says she was shocked to learn of the excessive violence and human rights violations in Kashmir.

“One would think that World History or Globalization classes in high school would at least touch upon this issue,” she said. “Yet, we never covered it at all. Not once. The Western media hardly ever portrays it as a significant crisis”.

This lack of knowledge and the apparent censorship of the media seems troubling to Jenny:

“I definitely think that a conflict such as this needs to be addressed properly. If we are to be responsible world citizens, we have to know of world issues.”

As of now, the chances for a definite resolution appear slim. The Line of Control, the military-enforced border between Indian controlled territory and Pakistani controlled territory is still not a legally recognized international boundary. In many ways, it mirrors the unstable, volatile nature of the Kashmir state as a whole: a game reminiscent of the Devil’s Arithmetic, where numbers of how many ‘militants’ are caught crossing over keep fluctuating while brutalities keep increasing.

One fact is tremendously disconcerting: with the passage of time, even the residents of India and Pakistan are entering a numb state, where news of everyday atrocities seems less and less noteworthy. Bollywood depictions often lighten the intensity of the issue, for although they attempt to highlight terrorism, love stories frequently mesh with the plot and steal the spotlight. Films like Roja, LOC: Kargil, and Fanaa (to name a few) have emphasized the growing militancy in the area, but do not explore the historical context of the conflict. The result is a distortion of the history and the culture. Most filmmakers are interested in depicting Kashmir as the land of picturesque gardens, lakes and beautiful women, a land where the patriotic Hindu hero is able to marry the Muslim girl. However, the stark truth is this: this is a region where 11.6% women suffer from sexual abuse, one of the highest rates in the world, and where the Armed Forces, the protectors of the people, are feared more than revered.

Something has to be done. In an ideal world, the Kashmiri would be taken into account and India and Pakistan would reach a full and final decision. Yet, six decades of fighting have proved that we do not live in an ideal world. Despite countless resolutions, the people of Kashmir remain uncertain of their fate. Although US intervention has more often created problems rather than resolving them, is this one case where an active, powerful mediator like America is required? In spite of advice against it, and even a few threats, Barack Obama has expressed an interest in resolving this issue once and for all. How he plans to go about it remains unclear, but many are rooting for a politically binding treaty.

This issue may not have escalated to the degree of the Israel-Palestine conflict (as yet), nor does it hold any symbolic connotations that generate wide religious appeal, but the Kashmir conflict is very real, and challenges the world to take action in the name of humanity.

Mr. Hilal-ud-din Siddiqi, a ninety-year-old Pakistani citizen who fought in the wars of 1947 and 1965 against India, correctly points out: “It is ridiculous how long this issue has been stretched. We thought we were fighting for a solution, an ending to this problem, and now it seems like we all [Pakistanis and Indians] fought in vain”. Dejectedly, he adds, “It is a matter of the Kashmiri people, and yet they are the last ones who are being taken into account. Can they govern themselves? Are they ready for that? I don’t know. Yet, do we have a right to leave them crushed between hostile nations? Certainly not.”