Only a mental person would say punish rape victims, says Abu Azmi

After a furore over his comments, Maharashtra Samajwadi Party chief Abu Azmi has said that his remarks on rape victims were distorted and that he had not asked for rape victims to be punished. According to a report on IBN-Live, Azmi said that he had not advocated punishment for a rape victim and that rapists should be handed out the strictest punishment. Azmi said, “They had asked me if rape victims should be punished and I had said no. I had never said that a victim of rape should be punished. A mental person would say that. I didn’t say that.” He added, “If women want to have consensual sex, then later they shouldn’t file false complaints.” Azmi was also quoted in the Times of India as saying that he hadn’t committed a crime, and that he had done the interview in the middle of campaigning for the elections and may have said something that was misinterpreted. [caption id=“attachment_1478687” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Abu Azmi in this file photo. IBN-Live [/caption] On Friday, Mid-day had reported Azmi as saying that both men and women who cry rape should be hanged. Azmi was quoted as saying, “Rape is punishable by hanging in Islam. But here, nothing happens to women, only to men. Even the woman is guilty. Girls complain when someone touches them, and even when someone doesn’t touch them. It becomes a problem then… If rape happens with or without consent, it should be punished as prescribed in Islam.”  Azmi was also quoted as condemning ‘modern culture’. According to PTI, Azmi had said, “In modern times, people have forgotten our culture and religion. Religion is important in India and no Hindu or Muslim will tolerate unmarried men and women cohabiting and doing things only married couples are supposed to do.” Azmi’s son Farhan Azmi had tried to defend his father’s comments saying they need to be understood in the right context. Farhan came out in his father’s defence saying his viewpoint needs to be understood in the Islamic context, as the religion prohibits pre-marital sexual activity. “He is only trying to say an Islamic point of view. I feel that the entire country is being run by courts, by the constitution of our country and not by everyone who follows Islam. I respect the rule of Islam and I believe that Islamic rule if implemented, we must hang the rapist,” he said. Farhan further noted that consensual sex is a matter which is private between two adults. “I think they are free by the constitution and they are free to do it barring in the public domain. Consensual sex cannot be acted upon,” he said. “Islam is against sex before marriage and I think it is an important view with which all the Muslims would agree with, but to wrap the entire country under that rule will not be correct,” Farhan added. Farhan’s wife and actor, Ayesha Takia had also criticised the remarks, and said that they were ashamed of the comments attributed to Azmi. Azmi’s comments had come a day after party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had said that rape was a mistake and that boys tend to committ them at times and they shouldn’t be hanged for it. With PTI inputs