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A few months back, I watched a special screening of 'Supernova: The Music Festival Massacre' organized by a leading Jewish organization. The audience saw some never-before shown footage and gut wrenching interviews of Israeli victims — mostly women who hid in portable toilets and bomb shelters, packed like sardines —  who somehow managed to flee sprays of bullets and lived to narrate the horrors. 

The details of the assaults and the intensity of this documentary shook everyone to the core. For about an hour, we were transported to the scene and experienced the worst of Islamist terrorism and hatred. Hamas’ rapes, sexual violence and atrocities targeting Israeli women and girls on and since October 7th are inexcusable human rights violations. 

Yet, you will see too many women activists completely ignoring these crimes and worse, sympathizing with terror groups and their ideologies. 

As a woman, I find this not only perplexing but also defying logic. It is mind boggling to process the fact that many women and women-led groups chose to turn a blind eye to these horrors. This sheer hypocrisy of downplaying something as serious as rape and sexual assault by these so-called feminists is not only a shame but also in my view, one of many reasons why many developed countries are yet to see women leaders shatter glass ceilings and lead the nation.

Here, women don’t support other women. They refuse to stand up for others on serious issues that should have every female regardless of political inclination or faith become outraged and support each other in solidarity. Yet, the reality is the opposite!

I am one of those fortunate women who was raised in a family where girls enjoyed tremendous freedom and were considered equal to men — actually in many ways had more rights to make key decisions. 

When I was child and a teen, I was inspired by female leaders all around me, in my own family, at my school and also in my city, in politics. Thanks to these role models, standing up for my rights as a girl initially and later on as a woman was something that came naturally to me -- like breathing in oxygen. I didn’t have to be taught to defend, rise or lead.

As I walked out of the theater, I wondered how many of these women activists organizing rallies today asking for a free Palestine supported and stood in harmony with Iranian women and men who demanded justice when one of their own, Mahsa Amini was bludgeoned and brutally killed in police custody when she opposed mandatory hijab wearing? Nearly 600 deaths of innocent people followed this barbaric act of violence by a radical Islamist government, yet the groups you usually find camping on college campuses supporting terrorist groups like Hamas remain oblivious to such atrocities! Hypocrisy, anyone?

If you are wondering where these so-called feminists are when minor Hindu girls in Pakistan are being kidnapped, raped, threatened and forcibly converted to Islam by men, often two to three times their age, everyday, you will definitely not find them in city council meetings yelling at elected officials demanding justice. You will also not see them block freeways or organize protests in educational institutions. You will certainly not find women reporters researching and reporting these horror stories of desperate families crying for their girls and begging for help. 

The fact is that Hindu girls and their plight doesn’t matter. Whether it is Kashmir, Bangladesh or Pakistan, Hindu women were and still are sexually abused, raped, assaulted in the most horrible ways and in many cases left to die. 

Yet, the world at large has remained silent and turned a blind eye to these human rights nightmares, leaving it up to Hindu advocacy organizations and a handful of individuals to highlight these crimes. And often, for taking up such causes, Hindus endure organized resistance and anti-Hindu hate, just for demanding equal rights and justice for these Hindu women and girls. Hindu women advocates are routinely gaslit and silenced to prevent sharing the truth.

Those who have been trying to raise awareness have observed two reactions from these pseudo women’s rights activists, policy makers and journalists: 1) Denial that these crimes exist even when you have solid data and real reports documenting these crimes, or 2) Complete silence and deliberate ignoring of these crimes. 

Unless we choose to treat all female lives as equal and acknowledge that there is divinity in all girls and women, especially the hapless ones that have no voice, we cannot realize our full potential and accomplish greater things. 

Shakti (divine feminine energy) is a gentle but powerful force that is characterized by empathy and a strong connection with others and the world. This powerful shakti that flows within all women wields the power for transformation and positive change. 

Can all women challenge themselves to get out of their comfort zones and safe cocoons? 

Can women stand up for all women who depend on our collective voice and action to survive and live with dignity in this world?

Like Audre Lorde rightly said “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own”.

 

The author is the Director of Community Outreach at the Hindu American Foundation.

(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of New India Abroad)