A photograph published on March 30 caught my attention. It shows a group of women activists in Tunisia demonstrating to demand the resignation of Women Affairs Minister Sihem Badi, who has allegedly decided to support a kindergarten where a three-year-old girl was raped. Just a few days back, three UK citizens of Pakistani origin on their way to Gaza via Libya and Egypt on a humanitarian mission were abducted at a check post near Benghazi.

These unfortunate women activists were allegedly raped by soldiers at the check post. It’s reported that father of two activists was also accompanying the humanitarian mission group. News reports coming from Egypt are also not very promising. This January United Nations expressed “deep concern” after more than two dozen women were sexually assaulted in Tahrir Square during the demonstration to mark the second anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution.

Later Egyptian government-run Human Rights Commission blamed the women for these assaults questioning why were they present at such a spot. What is all this? Is this the revolution for which Arab world was waiting for decades — armed goons to rule and justify their acts of shame.

Perhaps no more comments are required on such a low level of governance in countries wherein the Arab Spring is now a pestilential wind. — Masood Khan, Jubail