Killing of infants on the rise in Pakistan

[Nagishkaw 510]

Karachi, Pakistan (CNN) -- At a morgue in Pakistan's largest city, five linen pouches -- each the size of a loaf of bread -- line the shelf of a walk-in freezer.

Wrapped inside each small sack is the corpse of an infant.

The babies are victims of what one relief agency calls Pakistan's worst unfolding tragedy -- the killing and dumping of newborns.

"Sometimes they hang them and sometimes they kill by the knife, and sometimes we find bodies which have been burned," said Anwar Kazmi, a manager at Edhi Foundation, Pakistan's largest privately run social service and relief agency.

Records at Edhi Foundation show more than 1,200 newborns were killed and dumped in Pakistan last year, an increase of about 200 from the previous year.

Families view many of these children as illegitimate in a culture that condemns those born outside of marriage.

Statistics show roughly nine out of 10 are baby girls, which families may consider too costly to keep in a country where women frequently are not allowed to work.

The babies are usually just days old. Their corpses are often dumped in Karachi's sprawling garbage dumps, where they're sometimes mutilated by street animals, Kazmi said. He estimates hundreds of baby corpses are never found.

The head of Edhi Foundation, 83-year-old Abdul Sattar Edhi, said he blames Pakistan's crippling poverty and a government that, for decades, has failed to educate the masses, generate jobs and provide citizens with the most basic needs.

"The distribution of resources by the government is wrong," Edhi said. "Many people don't pay taxes; there's no charity, and what you get from the government is all based on your wealth."

The Pakistani government has said it's improving education, but 55 million Pakistanis remain illiterate, according to the United Nations. And the government is billions of dollars in debt while entangled in a costly fight against the Taliban and other Islamic militant groups.

The killing of newborns gets little attention in Pakistan, and rarely are they investigated by a police force that's often poorly trained, lacks resources and stays focused on what's perceived to be more important crimes.

In many parts of the world, female infanticide is still practiced through direct violence but also by intentional neglect, according to the World Health Organization.

In some Asian countries, infanticide of girls is enough to skew the population figures in favor of males. The United Nations found, for example, that there are 130 boys to 100 girls in parts of Asia, especially in countries with extreme poverty and overpopulation such as China and India.

"Girls are seen as a burden, seen as a property which belongs to somebody else so people see that as a waste of money and the wasting of an education of a girl," said Bhagyashri Dengle, executive director of Plan India, a nonprofit for children. "Then when the girl gets married, the families have a big heavy dowry. So that is one of the reasons here."

Dengle said awareness and education at the grass-roots level are ways to combat this practice.

"I think we really need to reach out to young people (to) create an awareness, to change attitudes and dispel the notion that having a boy is better than a girl," she said. "We launched this program 'Let Girls Be Born' -- that campaign is reaching out to masses using televisions, through newspapers and through (the) Internet. What we are trying to do is positive messaging on the girls. That girls aren't a sect -- they are as good as boys."

In Pakistan, until things improve, the Edhi Foundation said it will keep more than 300 cradles in front of their offices throughout Pakistan, where families can drop off unwanted newborns. The foundation cares for them and puts them up for adoption, no questions asked.

"It's for awareness -- that please don't kill your innocent babies," Kazmi said.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/07/20/pakistan.infanticide/index.html

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I don't why you bolded the above, when this clearly points to the cause of the problem.

The head of Edhi Foundation, 83-year-old Abdul Sattar Edhi, said he blames Pakistan's crippling poverty and a government that, for decades, has failed to educate the masses, generate jobs and provide citizens with the most basic needs.

"The distribution of resources by the government is wrong," Edhi said. "Many people don't pay taxes; there's no charity, and what you get from the government is all based on your wealth."

"Girls are seen as a burden, seen as a property which belongs to somebody else so people see that as a waste of money and the wasting of an education of a girl," said Bhagyashri Dengle, executive director of Plan India, a nonprofit for children. "Then when the girl gets married, the families have a big heavy dowry. So that is one of the reasons here."

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

I don't why you bolded the above, when this clearly points to the cause of the problem.

She is well within her rights to comment on the manner in which these babies are murdered and disposed of, she did not emphasize the cause of it. That is something that you did. In any event, the murder of one innocent child is bad enough, irrespective of manner. It does take a certain mental state to murder a baby by any method, let alone burning the infant, hanging the infant or stabbing the infant and subsequently throwing the infant out like trash.

[natty bumppo 297]

I don't why you bolded the above, when this clearly points to the cause of the problem.

She is well within her rights to comment on the manner in which these babies are murdered and disposed of, she did not emphasize the cause of it. That is something that you did. In any event, the murder of one innocent child is bad enough, irrespective of manner. It does take a certain mental state to murder a baby by any method, let alone burning the infant, hanging the infant or stabbing the infant and subsequently throwing the infant out like trash.

5 ...

nagi highlighted simply because she could ... and she did

[Ban Hammer 13,335]

sickening.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

She is well within her rights to comment on the manner in which these babies are murdered and disposed of, she did not emphasize the cause of it. That is something that you did.In any event, the murder of one innocent child is bad enough, irrespective of manner. It does take a certain mental state to murder a baby by any method, let alone burning the infant, hanging the infant or stabbing the infant and subsequently throwing the infant out like trash.

We've been here before but I'm sure Nagi is perfectly capable of speaking for herself.

Personally, if you aren't willing to discuss the reasons why this takes place, then you're missing a key part of the picture and all you are left with is a frankly useless display of sentiment.

Yes, it's horrible - but it's indicative of a situation that has existed in that country for decades. In that respect, the perspective of the commentator is far more insightful.

[^_^ 5,021]

We've been here before but I'm sure Nagi is perfectly capable of speaking for herself.

Personally, if you aren't willing to discuss the reasons why this takes place, then you're missing a key part of the picture and all you are left with is a frankly useless display of sentiment.

Yes, it's horrible - but it's indicative of a situation that has existed in that country for decades. In that respect, the perspective of the commentator is far more insightful.

I am well within my rights to set my ####### on fire and goshdarnit how dare you tell me it's a bad idea!

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

5 ...

nagi highlighted simply because she could ... and she did

HI NATTY!!!!

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

We've been here before but I'm sure Nagi is perfectly capable of speaking for herself.

Personally, if you aren't willing to discuss the reasons why this takes place, then you're missing a key part of the picture and all you are left with is a frankly useless display of sentiment.

Yes, it's horrible - but it's indicative of a situation that has existed in that country for decades. In that respect, the perspective of the commentator is far more insightful.

No, Duncan YOU'VE been here before, ad nauseum.

Edited July 20, 2011 by IR5FORMUMSIE

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

No, Duncan YOU'VE been here before, ad nauseum.

There's a topic to discuss here and it's not me. So let's not start with the personal attacks.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

There's a topic to discuss here and it's not me. So let's not start with the personal attacks.

It's about you and your desperate attempts to tell others what they can and cannot post. This is your modus operandi, had you stuck to the topic at hand, your frailties would not have been exposed.

Edited July 20, 2011 by IR5FORMUMSIE

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

It's about you and your desperate attempts to tell others what they can and cannot post. This is your modus operandi, had you stuck to the topic at hand, your frailties would not have been exposed.

I haven't told anyone what they cannot post. But you sure seem to be trying to tell me...

As I said, I am not the topic of this thread. If you don't want to discuss the topic, perhaps you should find a different thread?

I'm sure Nagi wouldn't want you to be ruining her thread (especially on a topic such as this) with personal BS. I know I don't.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

We've been here before but I'm sure Nagi is perfectly capable of speaking for herself.

Personally, if you aren't willing to discuss the reasons why this takes place, then you're missing a key part of the picture and all you are left with is a frankly useless display of sentiment.

Yes, it's horrible - but it's indicative of a situation that has existed in that country for decades. In that respect, the perspective of the commentator is far more insightful.

Actually far longer--that situation predates even the births of the country's "ideological fathers" Iqbal, Jinnah and Rehmat Chaudry.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

Personally, if you aren't willing to discuss the reasons why this takes place, then you're missing a key part of the picture and all you are left with is a frankly useless display of sentiment.

I thought that we could post without limiting our right to discuss whatever aspects of the matter we wished. I had no idea that you were so powerful, Omnipotent one tell me what I can post so as not to draw your anger.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Actually far longer--that situation predates even the births of the country's "ideological fathers" Iqbal, Jinnah and Rehmat Chaudry.

I wouldn't be surprised. From the article it doesn't appear to be restricted to Pakistan but other parts of Asia (including China and India as well). I guess it happens for similar reasons?

I thought that we could post without limiting our right to discuss whatever aspects of the matter we wished. I had no idea that you were so powerful, Omnipotent one tell me what I can post so as not to draw your anger.

I am not the topic of discussion, nor an "aspect" of it.

I don't see why this is difficult to understand. It seems pretty clear cut to me.

Edited July 20, 2011 by fishdude