Rape As A Weapon
June 20, 2008, Matthew Good Yesterday, after literally millennia of its use as a ‘war tactic’, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to finally classify rape as a ‘weapon of war’. In this day and age rape is primarily employed as a terror tactic, and has, as such, been in direct contravention of the UN Declaration Of Human Rights since its inception. Of course, those that employ rape as a tactic don’t commonly adhere to the tenets of the UNDHR, so it’s somewhat of a moot point.
Women and boys have suffered the wrath of rape at the hands of armies and raiders since the human race first discovered that the horrors of conflict could be refined. In centuries past rape has been used as an incentive with regards to placating the base common urges of fighting men pressed into service. It was regarded by many as a spoil of war, one enjoyed by everyone from Roman Legionaries to Christian crusaders to British Redcoats. Along with the personal and monetary plunder of those conquered or defeated, rape was a commonly included spoil of war enjoyed by soldiers in the aftermath of battle, the age of the victim usually being of little concern.
Throughout history, conquests that involved mass enslavement and rape have also led to the significant alteration of the cultural and racial compositions of societies. The Moors in Southern Spain, the Romans in Gaul and Britain, the Turks throughout the Balkans, and the Spanish and Portuguese throughout Latin America (just to name a few). Not only were the religious and cultural aspects of the conquering power infused into such societies, but those that occupied or settled such lands also contributed to the thinning of the racial purity of their indigenous peoples. In some instances, the racial transformation of societies was a stated goal of the occupying power.
Rape as a weapon is nothing new. In fact, it is one of the oldest byproducts of conflict. That it has taken this long for the United Nations to actually condemn it as a ‘war tactic’ seems odd to me. One wonders if the action was taken to draw attention to the fact that it is something that has, for example, been brutally employed by the likes of the Janjiweed in Darfur, or because it is a truly universal problem – one that has even reared its ugly head in Iraq at Abu Ghraib, Mahmoudiya, and elsewhere. It has reared its ugly head in Afghanistan as well, with Canadian Forces even being told to mind their own business if they happen to see Afghan troops engaged in it.
In the end, and no matter the period of history, women have always paid a very hefty price in defeat. While they have rarely taken to the field, the field has always been able to find them no matter.
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In conflict there are such a vast array of weapons which one could use, but there is something about rape that seems crueler. You see ‘rape’ is the act, while the body is the weapon, and when you use your body as a weapon it becomes just that much more personal. Firing a gun from a distance or dropping a bomb from a plane causes a sense of detachment; not as quick to clue into what they’ve actually done… but raping someone shows something much more vile…
It’s about time rape was considered a ‘weapon of war’, now I just hope it becomes a more important issue; not something to ignore.
I don’t think you’ll ever stop rape being committed by invading armies. Many men in the midst of war turn into animals.when given the chance to take advantage of woman without recourse it’s obvious what they do. If anything I see the U.N. rule as being bad because soldiers might be tempted to kill victims after the fact so as not to be found out.
Soldiers raping women and children of the other side in my oppinion is just a symptom, the actual desease being to consider wars an appropriate matter to enforce interests or end conflicts. Constantly being under the stress of fighting and killing eventually liquidates any sense of wrongdoing and humanity, especially if you’re an unstable or sensitive mind. That being amplified by the fact that there is actually done very little to - in terms of psyche - prepare soldiers for what is going to come up to them in the war. Considering the actual practices of the US army of recruiting very young people in particular, one has to say that sending these kids to war is simply irresponsible, being that they haven’t yet developped full social skills and personalities and that process being interrupted appruptly when sent to war.
This is how we create manipulated, hate-filled young fighting-machines that might possibly consider a rape a “legal tactic of war”.
Nonetheless I welcome the voting of the SC. Though I have to agree in part to what Mike Florek came up with assuming tendencies of soldiers killing their victims after having raped them to make sure no one will find out.
I’m affraid, as long as one votes for leading wars in general one has to deal with the depths of human character as an outcome of it.
[quote comment="56103"]I don’t think you’ll ever stop rape being committed by invading armies. Many men in the midst of war turn into animals.when given the chance to take advantage of woman without recourse it’s obvious what they do.[/quote]
Yea good point. Maybe the ones in charge of the offenders might take it a little more seriously? Like, maybe it will make the difference between turning a blind eye or punishing those responsible since their butt might be on the line a little more? I don’t know much about the military chain of command or about UN policy, but I hope so.
Another rule to abide by - human rights are just that - basic rights one would expect (hope?) to have.
Thousands of years of turmoil in a world society proves this basic statement incorrect. Human beings are all born with a common characteristic - the ability to choose. Choices made are based on circumstance.
Torture is a similar example - inherently wrong and yet we still see it throughout the ages and sadly to this day.
Putting it on paper is good no doubt - making it illegal also a step forward. Catching and prosecuting people even more productive. The root of the problem as with all problems - people.
Educate and promote a higher level of thought - give people the tools needed to make good decisions.
A vision I know I will never see in my life - still one can dream.
Peace.
Sadly, rape is too effective a “tool” in that it is a sinister combination of pyschological and physical abuse for it to ever go away. It’s effects go beyond the specific victim and instill fear and panic into combatants and non-combatants alike. It says “this is what we do to our enemies and we’ll do it to you once we get our hands on you - beware and be afraid - to the victors go the spoils” .
When we start to dehumanize other people and start thinking of them as “the enemy” rather than as fellow human beings, we lay the groundwork for this to happen - and sometimes allow ourselves or excuse ourselves from what we know is right and humane.
From Le Monde Diplomatique on atrocities in Sierra Leone:
“According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the majority of crimes were perpetrated by rebels from the RUF and the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (2). Government forces and their allies, including the Civil Defence Forces, also committed serious crimes, although on a smaller scale and of a different nature. Children were used by all sides during the 11-year conflict: “Forces failed to distinguish between civilians and combatants. Families were gunned down in the street, children and adults had their limbs hacked off with machetes, and girls and women were taken to rebel bases and subjected to sexual violence” (3)”.
[quote comment="56103"] If anything I see the U.N. rule as being bad because soldiers might be tempted to kill victims after the fact so as not to be found out.[/quote]
Sadly some rape victims may welcome death after that experience. The trauma of the actual act, plus the rejection they may face from society. Not to mention the possibility of transmission of disease and pregnancy.
In a lot of ways I see rape as being worse than murder (depending on how one is murdered, of course). With rape, a victim has to live through the entire painful experience as it happens, and then live with the psychological and physical scarring once it’s over. I think it’s similar to torturing someone to death because the person committing the act is there and aware of what they are doing to the other person the entire time. Shooting a person is instant. As far as the victim goes, it is less cruel in my opinion.
I don’t know if that makes sense to anyone other than myself….
Incidentally, today (June 20) is World Refugee Day. A useful like:
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/events?id=3e7f46e04
I just saw a documentary on Darfur which included Mia Farrow interviewing women who were raped. These women have lost all hope. You can see it in their eyes. I later read on Mia’s website that one woman was raped by 15-17 men (cowards) who tied her arms and legs to a tree and made her husband watch. It has been estimated that 100% of the women in the refugee camps have been raped.
As long as women are treated like second- class citizens in societies, rape will continue.
[quote comment="56131"]I don’t know if that makes sense to anyone other than myself….[/quote]
nah, I can totally see how a person could view torture/rape as worse than killing a person. Might be more humane to kill them afterwards so they wouldn’t have to live with the after-effects of those sort of things… I dunno. I couldn’t imagine having to do that.
Rape is most definately a weapon…not only used in war. Unfortunately, it is common to rape and pillage during a war once a ‘village’ has been conquered, but it’s used all around us, in this beautiful country we call home as a common place control tactic. 1 in 4 girls/women are reportedly raped, according to statistics, but the likelihood is actually greater. I’m for one, extremely glad it is being considered a weapon of war, but I hope the trend continues and that rape cases are taken more seriously in the courts at home.
As for it perhaps being ‘more humane to kill them afterwards so they wouldn’t have to live with the after-effects of those sort of things…’ as a survivor of both child molestation (NOT by a relative or friend), and rape (college), I’d have to say NOT. I’m very happy to be here, regardless of the fact that one remembers each and every detail, and carries the weight of it for a long time. If my rapist were more ‘humane’ I wouldn’t have the incredible husband and 2 beatiful children that I have now. It’s a horrible thing to have happen to you, for sure, and dragging/re-living it during the court process is no bed of roses either, but it’s simply a bump in a long road that we call life that some of us have to endure. We would be unable to teach others that they can survive, that they too are strong enough, to have a voice for women and our daughters if we were ‘humanely’ killed every time one of us was raped.
as someone who has experienced rape and assault I couldn’t even believe that these types of control and fear instilling methods were still being looked at with a blind eye. Although, it would make sense that that would still be the case, I really hadn’t put too much thought into it before. Thanks for sharing.
So will the Canadian troops be allowed to intervene now that rape is being classified as a weapon under the UNDHR??? or will everything just go on as if nothing has changed??
Something about the term “Weapon of War” that has me puzzled. It sounds like it could be manipulated to justify the rape.
I’d rather hear UNSC classify it as “Torture”
Bullets and bombs for the body, rape and torture for the soul…
It’s good that the UN is at least recognizing the significance of the use of rape in conflicts…doing something effective to limit it is another issue.
arat, I see your point that some people may be able to get past these things better than others. I guess I can’t really judge as such a thing has never happened to me. I wasn’t trying to say that anyone who is raped should be put to death & silenced so that no one could ever hear that these things occur.
Mr. Good said: “In the end, and no matter the period of history, women have always paid a very hefty price in defeat. While they have rarely taken to the field, the field has always been able to find them no matter.”
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Will you write another book please.
One has to ask what these transgressing soldiers believe they are fighting for in the first place.
[quote comment="56145"]
As for it perhaps being ‘more humane to kill them afterwards so they wouldn’t have to live with the after-effects of those sort of things…’ as a survivor of both child molestation (NOT by a relative or friend), and rape (college), I’d have to say NOT. [/quote]
Obviously it isn’t true in all cases. Being raped in Canada is very different from getting raped in other countries though, as far as what a woman faces afterwards.
(I certainly not trying to downplay the horrible experiences of rape victims in our society, just to make that clear)
To Antisocial chick…no worries. I guessed you hadn’t experienced it (lucky girl), but just wanted to let you know there is definately life after rape for women.
To So Tragedy…I can’t say being raped is good in any country. Wouldn’t matter where or HOW (guns are often used in such situations to mutilate women). Either way, it’s a frightening, humiliating experience. WHY? Because if there is an audience, they are usually participating and therefore will not speak up on your behalf, and also, if there is no audience, you are left very much alone. No matter the support you think may exists in Canada, truth is, it doesn’t, and when you try and jail your assailant it becomes a ‘he said, she said’ situation in a very male-minded court system, and is a two year process. If you call the rape hot-line, you have to choose immediately (while your still struggling with what happened, and sometimes what to ‘call’ it), whether you wish to press charges. If you are unsure of whether you wish to press charges, guess what? You are hung up on. That’s right, they hang up. The only support system you may have in this 1st world country will in fact hang up on you. So, some women go very much into a silent shell, that may take years, if ever to crawl out of, and some women become promiscuous in order to ‘get back’ their dignity or to punish other men and take control of their sexuality. Either way it is an incredibly long, difficult struggle. Economics, nor global position makes it any easier to overcome..it’s simply who you may have in your life that accepts you for you, no matter the bumps, that allows one to heal. Finding a good support system is not always easy.
It is very nice that you added on that you did not wish to downplay the experience, and I’m sure you are somewhat correct in that being in a war-torn environment may exacerbate the mental effects of rape, but to all women, our daughters and our sons that are raped, ANY WHERE, it is our job as a society, not just a government or the United Nations to protect the survivors. It is a very personal, lonely, healing, that carries a heavy stigma no matter where you are.
It is truly my wish that whether it be classified as torture, or as a weapon, that heavy consequences toward all perpetrators follows.
Thank you Matt, for bringing this subject to light…even if it was manipulated toward home by me.
Matt, as you know by reading some of my previous posts, that I have witnessed this *tool of the trade* first hand.
For those that dont know. I come from Iran and I watched as my Grandmother and Aunts were raped as the men in our family had to watch..then they were killed.
Its a gross indifference to human life and frankly sickens me to no end when the Military ( doesnt matter whoms) uses excuses to not see what is happening to these men.
In the Congo the rise in rapes has increased so much so that the women who have not been raped are now the minority in the country. The men who commit these viles acts excuse their behaviour by stating that the government keeps them in the bush for so long that they have to do it or their fight will be cursed.
In Iran ( most Middle Eastern countries) rape is used to shame families. Many women will be killed after words so that they do not bring *shame* onto their families.. Its backwards, disgusting and frankly I think that all acts of sexual violence should be met with the utmost direst of penalities. There is no excuse for it.. None on the least. And I can speak from being a rape survivour, that you never forget what was done to you.. I was raped as a small child, I am now in my mid 30’s and I still have nightmares.
I also want to add my thanks to you for being so vocal about this. It really means a lot to know that people do care, and use their talent and stage ( position) in life to make known the acts the most people dont take the time to invest their time into reading.
Rape and sexual assault are an issue in every country. No matter the circumstance it is a tool that one person uses to humiliate and take away the power of another person. Having volunteered in a sexual assault center for several years i know that there are resources available but many survives are too ashamed to speak out and therefore carry that shame and pain alone.
Arat, having a person on a rape line hang up on you is terrible, but it i think that that is an isolated case and denouncing the resources that are available hurts your cause. The people who volunteer for those positions, including myself, are given training to provide what ever kind of support the surviver needs, even if it is just to talk. They want to help.
Sex is such an important part of human development and bonding. When the loss of trust and security that is innate in the experience is lost it is truly a tragedy. Though i am not sure if the classification of rape as a ‘weapon of war’ will do anything to change the fact that it occurs, it is a step in the right direction to acknowledging just how prevalent it is.
Ashes…My rape took place approximately 15 years ago, so perhaps things have changed. It is most certainly NOT my goal to denounce the centres out there, are you kidding? They are a glimmer of hope when you have none. Unfortunately, the reality was, at that time, that the entire centre was not allowed to obtain too much information or they would press charges for you. So, as soon as you say ‘I was raped, or I think I was raped’…too much information and they warned you if you continued speaking, they would have to hang up or press charges on your behalf and to ‘think about it’. Not very supportive. I called 5 times before I went down and physically spoke to someone at the rape crisis centre…i ended up pressing charges, but believe me, it was difficult (not to press the charges, but reliving the experience for police, lawyers, etc.). Although I had support at that time, and a fabulous attorney and police officer on the case, both that were extremely passionate about my case, when it got to the court room…it was pure hell. All you are trying to do is protect people in the future from this monster of a person from re-commiting this crime on another soul, and you are called a liar, a slut, a whore, a daddy’s girl (that’s the angle they used on me) and told that one new years eve, you dressed too nicely to go out (????) and that you asked for it. I have friends that have given their lives to working in the crisis field, and even they say that it is not worth the emotional roller coaster one must go through to press charges.
It is my hope that the entire mindset (GLOBALLY) changes and that people see women and children (I must include children here) as the glorious beings that we are, not to be hurt, emotionally or physically, but to be revered. I really do hope that the rules were isolated to the crisis centre I went to, and that that is indeed not the norm. And kudos to you for volunteering, what a compassionate soul you must be.
to Hope for change…my god, I can only imagine…no, I can’t. I really can’t. Thank you though for being an outspoken survivor with a different point of view, and for sharing your experience. My heart goes out to you.
Thanks again Matt, this is an important forum and for using your position to bring up so many important topics. It is clearly a global issue…hopefully, with all of this opening up going on, small steps are taken toward great change.