"In the Name of Honor by Mukhtar Mai" - Book Review

Out of all of the books that I enjoy reading, my favorite genre is biographies. I read "In the name of Honor," by Mukhtar Mai. This was a wonderful fast paced book which deserves to be read more than it has been. I would recommend it for those who read stories about women and humanities. It is a better read than most of the popular books on this subject.

Mukhtar Mai is a woman living in the southern region (Sindh), of Pakistan. Her story begins when she is gang raped by males from another tribe. They have accused her twelve-year-old brother of being indecent with their sister and Mukhtar Mai has come to make amends. Instead of committing suicide, which is widely practiced after such an ordeal, Mukhtar Mai decided to report this to the police. Mai had opposition at almost every turn. She recounts her struggle and the verdict for the men. She does give some information about Pakistan, her battles with the officials and even her dealings with western media.

This is not only a story about women's plight in small Pakistani villages. Of course, Mukhtar Mai is an inspiration to all. She has risen above physical and emotional turmoil to survive. Not only is she surviving, but, she uses her experience and any funding that she receives to operate a school for girls.

What strikes me most about Mai is that she has committed to stay in Pakistan and help other girls in need. She does not do this for recognition, but to give other women opportunities. I also want to note that it is quite easy to curse the men of the story and the society that would not be totally outraged by this type of degradation. However, I wonder how many noticed that the men of Mai's family (with the exception of a greedy cousin), supported Mai. They did not try to silence her, even when they all experienced death threats. I am not commending the men, so much as I am pointing this out to prove that the attitudes of Pakistani men can also be quite varied and their love for Mai overrode any societal norms or comforts.

The only criticism is that I wish that the book had been a bit longer and detailed more of Mai's childhood and more of Mai's life after she created the school. I finished this book within a few hours. I would not mind reading fifty more pages about Mai and other women; especially when the accounts would have been true. The book was a great read. I will give it 4.7*.