Cover Story 
 

Cover Story

A Futile War

A series of questions and doubts have been raised about
Cynthia Ritchie’s purported agenda. The response by feminists
and rights activists towards her claims is tepid.

By Taha Kehar | September 2020

The allegations of sexual misconduct levelled against senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) politicians by American blogger and filmmaker Cynthia Dawn Ritchie have been overshadowed by her perceived affiliation with the deep state. Inextricably linked to Ritchie’s image as a modern-day Mata Hari who is believed to have the establishment’s ear, these claims have polarized public opinion in the country.

Over the last few months, Ritchie’s allegations have been punctuated by intense political debates about the underlying friction between the ruling elite and opposition leaders. At this critical juncture, it is vital to take the issue at face value, depoliticize it and analyze it within the context of Pakistan’s Me-Too Movement. This is essential because Ritchie’s case stands out as an anomaly within the country’s social movement against sexual crimes and has elicited a negative reaction from the outset. Eliminating political biases may help us understand the impact of this case on the struggle against sexual misconduct.

On June 6, 2020, the American blogger released a video message on Facebook wherein she accused former interior minister Rehman Malik of raping her in 2011. In addition, Ritchie claimed that she was “physically manhandled” by erstwhile premier Yousuf Raza Gilani and ex-federal minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin.

At first glance, these allegations bore the same power and poignancy as the other claims that have surfaced in the country since 2017, and were fuelled by a seemingly sincere quest for justice. The reaction to Ritchie’s charges wasn’t entirely unexpected. The PPP leaders bluntly denied the American blogger’s claims and viewed them as a hostile response to the backlash against her for making scathing remarks against former PM Benazir Bhutto. As expected, a series of questions and doubts have been raised about the accuser’s purported agenda and ‘character’, which is nothing out of the ordinary in inherently patriarchal societies such as Pakistan’s. But the degree of skepticism shown by a few rights activists and feminists to Ritchie’s allegations has come as a surprising development. Many of them have either distanced themselves from the matter or categorically resorted to victim-blaming. This has raised concerns about the future direction and overall effectiveness of the country’s Me-Too Movement.

The tepid response shown towards Ritchie’s claims by feminists and rights activists marks a radical departure from the widespread notion that survivors of sexual crimes must be believed at all costs. At its core, the idea that the survivor’s testimony should be accepted is a mere political slogan that challenges age-old practices of discrediting claims of sexual violence. Though it cannot be construed as an alternative to the legal presumption of innocence, it reminds us that the accuser’s political affiliations and background as well as the timing of the allegations are immaterial to the discussion surrounding the incident.

In Ritchie’s case, this principle has been applied selectively. Articles and posts on social media have deemed the American blogger’s political differences with the PPP as the driving force for the allegations. Is it fair to deviate from the accepted principle and allow political controversies to dictate our perceptions about whether a survivor is telling the truth or not? Ideally, any attempt to undermine allegations of sexual misconduct from a survivor whose political beliefs are at variance with our own, reinforces the belief that people fabricate such claims to serve political ends.

Nevertheless, rights activists and feminists seem to have good reason to be suspicious of the timing of Ritchie’s claims. First, the PTI-led federal government has been embroiled in a long-standing conflict with the PPP-led provincial administration in Sindh over tackling the coronavirus pandemic. Amid these tensions, Ritchie’s assertions may have been viewed as a convenient strategy to undermine the Sindh government’s endeavours. Second, a sessions court in Islamabad has denied the American blogger’s request to register a case against Rehman Malik after a police report declared that the complaint was baseless. According to details of the report, Ritchie failed to provide evidence or submit a medical report to corroborate her allegations.

Even so, these suspicions are unfounded and serve to needlessly trivialize the allegations. It is difficult to accept the findings of the police report in a country where the power elite wield considerable influence on law-enforcement agencies and investigations into rape cases are often compromised due to political pressure.

In light of the surging distrust shown towards Ritchie’s case, can we assume that the country’s principled stance on the Me-Too Movement has taken a backseat to political controversies? It would be premature to consider the doubts over the American blogger’s claims as a sign of failure. Since the movement gathered momentum across the globe, analysts have found it increasingly difficult to accept the notion that allegations must be taken at face value. Many experts have expressed concerns over false allegations that are geared towards settling personal scores. The Me-Too Movement essentially provides a means to holding exploitative elements accountable for their actions. With time, the proponents of the campaign will need to develop a more nuanced method of dealing with false allegations of sexual misconduct. Silence or a blanket dismissal of claims appears somewhat arbitrary and will only weaken the cause.

At this stage, Ritchie is embroiled in a bitter war of words on social media with senior PPP politicians who have taken action against her. Interestingly, the American blogger admittedly has details about similar forms of misconduct by other Pakistani politicians. Any developments regarding this sensitive case need to be tackled judiciously by rights activists, feminists and political figures. Resorting to vitriol or victim-blaming will only be counterproductive to the campaign against sexual violence.

Read More