Pak rape victim Mukhtar Mai to tell her tale at a symposium in US

Pakistan's rape victim Mukhtar Mai, who has attracted much media attention over the past few years because of her strong resolve to fight back the conservative Pakistani society and bring her culprits to book, is likely to fly to the US today to attend a symposium at the Johns Hopkins University on Monday.

The University has arranged the 2007 foreign affairs symposium titled "From Victim to Activist: The Changing Face of Women's Rights in Pakistan" in which Mai will address the audience about her victimisation and struggle for improving the lot of Pakistani women, reported the Dawn.

Mukhtar Mai recently got the attention of the US media because an American columnist, Nicholas Kristof highlighted the issue of her security and harassment allegedly by Pakistan's federal government.

In his article published in The New York Times, Kristof wrote: "Mukhtar is a hero of mine. But, her work has earned her many enemies, particularly among the feudal lords - and even in the government of President Pervez Musharraf who fears that Mukhtar displays Pakistan's dirty laundry before the world.

So the Pakistani authorities are harassing Mukhtar, trying to break her organisation which helps women and the poor in distress."

Meanwhile, according to report in the Daily Times, during her stay in the US, a film "Shane" based on Mai's story would be screened at the ongoing "New York's Tribeca Film Festival".(ANI)

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