To be honest, I don't know if there is a culture of child sex abuse in Indo-Canadians. There most certainly is in India as Jan Huygen van Linschoten wrote in the 16th century in The Voyage of J H van Linschoten to the East Indies: Linschoten describes the Indians as “the most leacherous and unchaste nation in all the orient, so that there are verie few women children (girls) among them of seven or eight yeares old, that have their maiden-heades.” (i.e. virginity). I'm inclined to believe that the culture that allowed such atrocities has changed very little in the 500 years since.
‘The Silent Stoning’ story about childhood sexual abuse
in Surrey woman’s new book
Jeeti Pooni has written a book that expands on her story of childhood sexual abuse documented in the compelling 2019 movie “Because We Are Girls.”
The Surrey resident’s new memoir, “The Silent Stoning,” (To Desire Press) is sold on Amazon and also jeetipooni.com.
“As a public speaker, author and filmmaker, I travel all over the world sharing my story with thousands of people, transforming their lives and guiding them on their path to hope and healing,” says a bio on Pooni’s website.
“In 2006, I broke my silence. And along with my sisters, I went on to endure one of the longest-running sexual assault court cases in Canadian history. I embraced my authentic power, discovered my inner strength and worthiness, and made it my life’s mission to stand up for change and become a voice for those who suffer in silence.”
• RELATED: Sexual assault clinic coming to Surrey in 2025.
The 251-page memoir is divided into five parts and 30 “Letters,” or chapters, about “rediscovering innocence after childhood sexual abuse,” as the subtitle suggests.
The first 22 pages of the book are posted below, as a sample of Pooni’s work.
The first two pages of “The Silent Stoning” offer testimonials from prominent people including rock musician Bif Naked, who calls the author “my hero, a living example of a warrior woman – braver than anyone you’ll ever meet.”
Pooni says she chose to self-publish the book “so I can speak my truth wholeheartedly. The book goes much deeper than the documentary in all aspects of the sexual abuse I experienced,” she told the Now-Leader.
“It truly is a book no one dares to write and I know it will impact many souls for generations to come.”
Directed by Baljit Sangra, the 85-minute movie “Because We Are Girls” documents the sexual abuse of three sisters who grew up in Williams Lake decades ago. The girls were abused by an older cousin beginning in their childhood years, but they didn’t tell the entire family about it until 2006. As their relatives and police were made aware of the incidents, a court case slowly developed, as did the film.
At times powerful, poignant, heartbreaking and haunting, “Because We Are Girls” also weaves in the moments of happiness and joy the sisters experienced as kids. In home movies, they’re shown dancing, singing and celebrating weddings. In newer footage, they return to the playground at their former school in Williams Lake.
Ultimately, the movie offers an empowering story about a conservative Indo-Canadian family coming to grips with sexual violence.
Pooni’s new book, meantime, is “the author’s true story as she knows it. It is a memoir,” an introduction notes.
“The author recognizes that others may recall events described in this book differently than she does. The author would like to thank her entire family, extended family and other people portrayed in this book for blessing her with experiences that shaped her to become the person she is today.
“This book is not intended to hurt any immediate or extended family members or any other people,” the intro continues. “The author’s intent, in publishing this memoir, is to bring to light the passed down cultural norms and beliefs that continue to hinder and suppress women.”
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