One of the biggest contentions between feminist groups, according to Engle, was whether or not such rapes should be pursued as "genocidal rape," rather than rape as a war crime. Forced impregnation with intent to thin the blood lines of a specific racial, ethnic, or religious group has long been considered a potential form of genocide. So why wouldn't feminists distinguish this form of rape as different, considering "that they were a tool for the systematic extermination of Bosnian Muslims?" (Engle 779). The disagreeing feminists argue that rape in time of war is nothing new and should not be punished as such. The latter argument seems quite flawed to me--In fact, I would argue that it is downright disrespectful to the women who lived through these horrific daily rapes--to the 35,000 Muslim and Croat women who were impregnated by means of brutal rape. Could it possibly be right to downplay atrocities like this simply because they "happen all the time" in war? Is this a situation in which the importance of justice is looked over due to the misguided blanket generalization of cultural difference and the "Otherness" of Eastern European women? If this were happening in our own backyard, would we so flippantly disregard these atrocities as "just something that happens all the time in war?" I believe it is a form of discursive insecurity on the part of Western Feminists to react in such a way.
According to lauded feminist Catherine MacKinnon, ignoring the importance of these rapes as a form of genocide is an atrocity in itself. Indeed, she fought for the inclusion of genocidal rape in the ICTY and decried those feminists who disagreed as being a part of a larger feminist cover-up, one that was "useful to the perpetrators because it seems to acknowledge the atrocities--which are hard to deny (although they do that too)--and appears to occupy the ground on which women have effectively outraged against them. But its function is to exonerate the rapists and to deflect intervention" (Engle 786). Despite arguments made by those that disagreed with her that focusing on the genocidal rape of Bosnian women downplays the other rapes that occured in the war, I don't see this to be the case. At no point did MacKinnon suggest that the tribunal focus SOLELY on the genocidal rapes. And playing them down to make sure all rapes are addressed makes it seem as though the international community might feel it's necessary to take away the voices of the women in this genocide in favor of making sure other rape victims have a voice. It just doesn't make sense. Slavenka Drakulic puts it well, I think, when she states, "Of course, Croats and Muslims have raped Serbian women in Bosnia too, but the Serbs are the aggressors, bent on taking over two-thirds of the territory. This does not justify Muslim and Croat offenses, but they are in a defensive war and do not practice systematic and organized rape" (Engle 790). (emphasis mine)
Engle points out a troubling aspect on both sides of the argument, however, when she points out that both treat women as nothing more than victims of war--or objects of knowledge. In doing so, women's sexual and political agency is stripped from them. She states: "Those who focused on rape as genocide were likely to regard all Bosnian Muslim women, raped or not, as victims and as incapable of fighting in the war...Those who emphasized that rapes were committed on all sides tended to regard the women on all sides as victims of, rather than political or even military participants in, the war" (Engle 794). Engle brings up the issue of women not wanting to share their stories, not wanting their voices to be heard, due to shame and humiliation in their culture. It is a troubling conundrum, certainly, to consider what's more important: respecting the right of these women to silence or obtaining the information needed to see that justice is served.
Despite all of these arguments and issues, Engle makes it clear that there HAVE been great achievements in the struggle. "Twenty percent of all charges brought before the ICTY have involved allegations of sexual assault, and three have focused specifically on rape...the ICTY has convicted several men of rape, finding rape and other sexual voice against women to constitute torture and therefore a grave breach under the Geneva Conventions and the ICTY statue, as well as a war crime and a crime against humanity under the ICTY statute" (Engle 781). Though there are many problematic tendencies to consider, the good that has come from these trials and precedents is immeasurable.
1 comment:
Before performing the research for my project, I never realized that Rape could in fact be a form of Genocide. It indeed removes the woman from the role of the "provider" of life. Communities can not be replenished because in some cultures the woman is ostracized and aliented as a result of the rape. I appreciate you bringing this up in your post.
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