Art Curator Beaten By Pakistani Police For 'Indecent' Behavior

A female curator was allegedly beaten for 'indecent' behavior by a police station supervisor in Lahore, Pakistan on August 2, at an art gallery owned by well-known Pakistani architect Nayyar Ali Dada. The offending behavior included wearing sleeveless clothing and interacting with men.

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the officer and his subordinates entered the gallery without a warrant and began harassing female guests. The curator was "brutally assaulted," and, according to an Express Tribune blog post, "her colleagues who came to her rescue were taken to the police station and booked under an obsolete ordinance."

Nairang Art Gallery is known locally as a destination for left-leaning intellectuals, the sort of clientele that is generally less inclined to strictly observe Sharia law. Zee News quotes eminent Urdu writer Intizar Hussain, who said, "This is the only place left in Lahore where intellectuals can sit for a while."

So far, no action has been taken against the policeman, the Station House Officer of Lahore's Shadman police station, though it has been condemned by human rights groups and local commentators.

Below is a video from a previous exhibition at the gallery.

Comments

[ipolitics123]

06:49 PM on 08/27/2011

OK, all you liberals and feminists who have been defending Islam on the grounds of "religious freedom," let's hear you defend this....

(crickets)

[eidas]

10:18 AM on 09/08/2011

What some of these devils do in the name of Allah does not have anything to do with religion. I bet Allah is getting really pissed.

[scoobanchi]

05:16 PM on 08/14/2011

Flintstones, meet the Flintstones, they're a face right out of history... from the town of Lahore... This is actually very sad and tragic. I hope she got in her car and drove home... oh, wait, thats right...

[iLdoRight]

10:24 PM on 08/12/2011

Don't they know beating up on girls is not manly ?

[ipolitics123]

06:47 PM on 08/27/2011

Yes, but it's VERY Islamic.

[outgrowingfear1]

02:24 PM on 08/12/2011

She must behave well in order for her to go to paradise and turned 'miraculously' into a virgin for the men.They are just making sure their property gives them 100% value. This is beyond primitive behavior. There's no word for it, even in the allah's chosen language, arabic. Even a caveman wasn't this jealous!!! Well, what do we expect when muhadmed himself, the last prophet, or should I say allah in the koran says that no man should marry his numerous women after his death that allah will not be pleased. Wonder whether allah will send the guys to hell? How come you tasted what he tasted!!!
No wonder when the somailian women are dying of hunger and carrying their half breathing babies in their hands for miles unend, real issue in life, they still have to cover from head to toe.
These are sad moments in life when man's plights are imposed through brainwashing and deep rooted ignorance.

[Sunwyn Ravenwood]

01:28 AM on 08/12/2011

I feel a deep sadness whenever I think of the plight of women and children in barbarian backwaters like Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. However, there is nothing we can do about it. The best thing for us to do would be to stop sending these barbarians $ billions in aid (or in oil money), bring all our troops home, and mind our own business.

[karen lyons kalmenson]

02:47 PM on 08/11/2011

the pakistani police, the strong arm of intolerance and hatred:(

[YourNewNeighbor]

11:29 AM on 08/11/2011

Let's establish a Jeffersonian Democracy over there.

[Oblongato]

03:21 PM on 08/13/2011

An excellent idea. We can start by taking a razor and cutting all references to the supernatural out of the Quran in order to produce a "Jefferson" Quran in the tradition of the Jefferson Bible. We should also cut out all of the parts condemning disbelievers or implying women, disbelievers or homosexuals should not have the same rights as Muslims.

[Inannawhimsey]

08:26 PM on 08/13/2011

I'm programming the nanodrones that will do that :3 Here's to freeing religious believers from organized religion's hold on them.

Oh wait, then we'll also have to use those nanodrones to do some neurosurgery on certain extremist religious authorities. Man, busy busy busy :3

[ArthroughpadNY]

08:31 AM on 08/11/2011

Maybe it was a hairy arm? Ya think?

[Erewhon7]

05:55 AM on 08/11/2011

No big surprise there majority of Pakistanis are hidebound Islamo--fundamentalists.

[sensimilla]

12:01 PM on 08/11/2011

no not really, they are just the one's we hear about. For every 1 islamofundy, there are 1000 normal, average people that just want to live their lives and take care of their families.

Now, America is the place with the fundies, who subvert our rights and spread hate at every chance.

[Erewhon7]

04:18 PM on 08/11/2011

Nonsense.

Back to reality
Pew Research. Pakistan:
"78% favor d e a t h for those who leave Islam;
80% favor whippings and cutting off hands for... theft and robbery;
83% favor stoning adulterers."
Majority also favor segregation of genders in a work place and Shariah courts for all.

Got it?

[Doug Sandlin]

10:12 PM on 08/10/2011

There's a modern, secular vibe arising among the people of Pakistan that ultra-conservative (whether in police uniforms, or with Taliban beards, or whatever) don't like even a little bit.

Like conservatives everywhere, in situations like this, they've already lost.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woknwNs0ah0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBBQQ6dGhGc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2gmk8zzS7I

[Erewhon7]

05:54 AM on 08/11/2011

"Editor" of your own website.
Reminds of that New Wave song: "I am the operator of my pocket calculator." lmao

[HaleemK]

02:14 PM on 08/13/2011

It is amazing you believe your own propaganda stuff lol.

[Doug Sandlin]

10:05 PM on 08/10/2011

Pakistanis are planning a protest against the police action, this coming Saturday.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C08%5C09%5Cstory_9-8-2011_pg13_2

[ipolitics123]

06:55 PM on 08/27/2011

Yeah, it looks like the demo attracted a whopping four people. No news on how many were beaten and arrested:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C08%5C14%5Cstory_14-8-2011_pg13_5

[randallr01]

10:04 PM on 08/10/2011

Is anyone surprised? How wonderful this thing called Religion has turned out to be!!

[Deckard1138]

09:02 PM on 08/10/2011

All of you God people are indeed VERY special - now get back on that short bus before things get out of hand.

[Yorksgal]

08:25 PM on 08/10/2011

And if some had there way, we would be doing that in this country too.

[bongstradamus]

07:15 PM on 08/10/2011

I'd rather be Gay in Irvine than Female in Pakistan. At least the Irvine Police would arrest someone.