Police have launched a manhunt for 32 year old Siraj (aka Bhura) in New Delhi, India after learning the new father poured flesh-burning acid on his wife. The reason? Because she gave birth to a baby girl, defying his demands for a male child.
The attack came on International Women’s Day, in the town of Moradabad near New Delhi. 25 year old Farah was rushed to a local hospital with severe burns on her hands, body, and face.
Apparently Siraj had been under constant pressure from his family to demand that his wife approach her parents and ask for money to give them.
According to Farah’s sister, Farah and Siraj have been married for eight years, and that over the past couple years they’ve been constantly fighting because he has been demanding dowry (i.e. property and/or money brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage day). After the birth of their second daughter, their relationship became especially turbulent; the birth of the baby girl was ultimately the reason for the acid attack.
“When I didn’t oblige them, they started to beat me up. It come to a head when my second daughter was born,’ Farah said.
“I was trying to live with the daily dose of torture thinking about the well-being of my daughters. I was wondering if I part ways from Siraj who would provide for my two daughters and myself.”
I could never imagine that he would go to the extent of pouring acid on me. I won’t forgive him for this ever.”
In many cultures, people don’t know that women have no control over the gender of their children and that it’s the man’s sperm that determines the gender of the baby. Unfortunately, this lack of information allows for this form of women-blaming to persist.
This sad situation is simply another example of ways women’s right to bodily integrity and freedom are limited across the planet. Over time, however, increased attention to these traumatic situations — ranging from rape and domestic violence in all countries to more extreme forms of violence such as this one — have proven to begin processes that reduce the incidence of violence against women. Long term change takes the sustained actions of humane people who rally together for the benefit of all. Keep on!
