Skip to main content

Hameed Haroon: Pakistani media mogul rejects rape accusations by filmmaker

Hameed Haroon
Hameed Haroon (left) and accuser Jamshed Mahmood Raza

The chief executive of one of Pakistan’s most influential newspapers has denied accusations he raped an acclaimed filmmaker, in a case that has spotlighted sexual abuse targeting men and added momentum to the country’s fledgling #MeToo movement.

Director Jamshed Mahmood Raza took to social media over the weekend to allege that Dawn newspaper’s Hameed Haroon raped him 13 years ago.

In October, Raza first described the assault publicly on Twitter but referred to the alleged perpetrator as a “powerful person in our media world”.

Haroon — who hails from one of Pakistan’s wealthiest and most influential families — issued a fierce denial in Dawn, the country’s most popular English daily, late Monday, calling the accusations “simply untrue and intentionally fabricated”.

“I categorically deny the allegation of rape leveled against me,” said Haroon in a statement.

Raza later slammed Haroon’s comments, saying the statement was “nothing but a slap to all us survivors”.

READ ALSO: Okorocha’s Zuma road in Imo renamed Amechi Mbazulike

The allegations have again stirred controversy in the deeply conservative country, where most discussions about sex and abuse are considered taboo.

Some voices have called for accountability, while others dismissed notions of male-on-male sexual assault.

“I have a question: how can a grown man be raped by another individual? Couldn’t they have fought him off,” tweeted writer Salman Rashid.

Others disagreed.

“Rape is not only about physical power; it is about power in general. If a powerful person coerces you to have sex with them, that is rape,” wrote Nida Kirmani on Twitter.

The #MeToo and #Timesup campaigns have gone global since allegations of sexual misconduct by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein were made in 2017, sparking an avalanche of accusations against other powerful men.

However, the movement has been slow to catch on in Pakistan, where women have fought for their rights for years in a patriarchal society where so-called “honour” killings and attacks on women remain commonplace.

Cases and allegations involving men assaulting other men have been even more rarely discussed in the country.

VANGUARD

The post Hameed Haroon: Pakistani media mogul rejects rape accusations by filmmaker appeared first on Vanguard News.


by Emmanuel Okogba via Vanguard News https://ift.tt/2SEgsZT Best Known Member of the Cabinet Wikipedia
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

UPDATED: Nigeria’s coronavirus cases reach 1,728, fatalities 51

  By David Royal The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says 196 new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,728. NCDC also announced that seven more fatalities were recorded, bringing the total number of deaths to 51. The NCDC, in a tweet at about 11:55 p.m. on Wednesday, said the 196 new cases reported were; 87-Lagos, 24-Kano, 18-Gombe, 17-Kaduna, 16-FCT, 10-Katsina, 8-Sokoto, 7-Edo, 6-Borno, 1-Yobe, 1-Ebonyi, 1-Adamawa. The virus has spread to 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Yobe, according to NCDC report, is the most recent state to record COVID-19 case in the country. According to the agency, Nigeria now has 1,370 active cases recorded as of 11:55 p.m. on April 29, while 307 infected persons have been treated and discharged, with 51 deaths recorded. READ ALSO: US says remdesivir shows ‘clear-cut’ effect in treating coronavirus “On the 29th of April 2020, 196 ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Bolt launches in-App calling feature to enhance customer satisfaction

Africa’s leading ride-hailing platform, Bolt, has recently launched a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) feature to simplify communication between riders and drivers. This innovative feature further enforces Bolt’s commitment to safety and allows easy communication flow without extra charges to users. The new feature enables riders and drivers to utilise phone services over the internet, eliminating the cost of regular phone calls. In addition, the VoIP feature adds an extra layer of safety and assurance when riders engage with drivers. Speaking about the update, Femi Akin-Laguda, Country Manager at Bolt, shared that safety and customer satisfaction remain priorities for the company. “We are constantly innovating and identifying ways to ensure our services remain safe and convenient for both riders and drivers. “This new feature ensures extra security that secures our riders and drivers’ information and provides cost savings on airtime use. VoIP is similar to voice calls on other ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Video Apapa/Oshodi Expressway Report

CONTRARY to  claims by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment, and Secretary, Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, yesterday, that over 90 per cent compliance has been recorded following a presidential directive to truck drivers to vacate the Apapa/Oshodi Expressway and access roads to the ports, Vanguard can authoritatively report that since the expiration of the  presidential order, the trucks are  yet to vacate most of the places they occupy. Continue reading Video Apapa/Oshodi Expressway Report at Vanguard News. by adekunle via Vanguard News http://bit.ly/2wtn1Ca Best Known Member of the Cabinet Wikipedia
Post a Comment
Read more