The opening week of March was revolutionary in terms of gender politics in Pakistan in many ways. Women leaders and activists made a greater impact than ever before for rallying for the Women’s March, and men all over the internet were triggered.
Leading the response of social conservative misogynistic Pakistani men was their patron saint, Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar. Presented by the Pakistani conservative media as an intellectual, it is their answer to the rhetoric of educated liberal and progressive women who have started pushing the narrative of feminism in public discourse.
A long time anti-intellectual, Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar had recently caught attention with a hideous woman-hating interview, and many of his plays apparently depict women in the same light. Not to take away the artist’s license, but when you pose yourself as a philosopher of life and preach about puritanical sexuality, then surely it becomes hard to separate art from propaganda. Especially when your top client is the state propaganda machinery anyway.
Khalil Ur Rehman hurled expletives and profanities at @marvisirmed and the anchorperson didn’t even stop him?!
Here is the unaired part of the Khalil ur Rahman Marvi Sarmad interaction – don’t see how anyone can still continue to support Khalil ur Rahman after this.
At this point I feel bad for him. He genuinely needs mental counselling. Aamir Liaquat is spot on,isolate him from society. pic.twitter.com/utB3brqUQ2
On a television talk show, Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar lost his temper and verbally abused and attacked feminist analyst and commentator Marvi Sirmed. All when they were discussing the Pakistani feminist slogan “Mera Jism Meri Marzi” or “My Body, My Choice.” Not only did he degraded Marvi but just like all conversations about Aurat March, he alluded to those women being sexually corrupt. Such comments were also widely made across the conservative media as well as the allegation of implementing a foreign-funded agenda.
Unfortunately, most of the people in socially conservative Pakistan believe that it is women talking about their right to have as much sex they want. While it should indeed be a part of their freedom, but it is not the only freedom indeed. Women particularly are talking about their right to be left alone, to not be harassed or raped, and yes, even to have their reproductive choice.
With the likes of Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar, even otherwise seemingly liberal figures, and unfortunately encouraged by ignorant social conservative politicians such as Faisal Javed Khan, conservative men in Pakistan have taken it upon themselves to harass women for speaking up for their rights. They have been slut-shaming the organizers and the participants of the Women’s March, and furthermore, stooping as low as to block the public space they have been trying to occupy.
آپ عورت مارچ کے سلوگنز پر تنقید کر رہے ہیں کہ وہ اسلامی اقدار اور معاشرتی اقدار کیخلاف ہے۔ خواتین کہہ رہی ہیں کہ “میرا جسم میری مرضی” ۔ وہ کسی مرد کو تو نہیں کہہ رہیں کہ “تمہارا جسم میری مرضی”۔ اس میں کیا مذہب یا معاشرتی اقدار کے خلاف ہے؟
عدالت نے بھی مارچ کے حق میں فیصلہ دیا1/2 pic.twitter.com/GAlSO6DKIU
This mindset is evident from the coverage of gotcha conservative “journalist” Yasir Shami, trying to blackmail and shame a male ally at the Aurat March by invoking Islamic traditions.
It was inspired by the same anti-intellectualism and outright bigotry that the Lal Masjid goons, the same infamous mosque in the middle of Islamabad that had threatened armed rebellion against the state, that vandalized Aurat March artwork and posters. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, an otherwise democratic politician, also threatened violence if the Aurat March materialized.
Fazlur Rehman’s threats being carried out by his workers. Insecure JUI-F men tearing down #AuratAzadiMarch posters in Islamabad & bragging about it on their fb page as if they’re doing some great service to Islam. This is #WhyIMarch & why we must all stand with #AuratMarch2020. pic.twitter.com/a0cc7gt5z4
— Ammar Rashid #StayHome #BasicIncomeNow (@AmmarRashidT) March 1, 2020
The first two are the photos of the mural which has been sprayed black by the goons of Lal Masjid in Islamabad. The city administration didn’t do anything. The police stood there watching and asking us to stop. This was painted by permission of the family. How is this okay?! pic.twitter.com/jxhcsrC0E6
Once again, the labour of love and peace was met with aggression and violence from the religious thugs…people who have forever used religion and culture to push women and their movements back.
Lal Masjid goons arrived to violently shut down a beautiful mural painting by #AuratAzadiMarch2020 artists in G-7 Islamabad because of ‘fahashi’ & ‘uncovered women’. The police arrived & asked the artists to stop & leave ‘to avoid any trouble’. Barefaced fundamentalist thuggery. pic.twitter.com/wnDEy4Tu00
— Ammar Rashid #StayHome #BasicIncomeNow (@AmmarRashidT) March 3, 2020
Lal Masjid spokesperson Haroon Rashid confirmed to SAMAA Digital that the men had been sent on Maulana Abdul Aziz’s advice. Aziz is a cleric and khateeb at the mosque. https://t.co/F30eAuHatp
And if you think that this is extreme behavior only exhibited by the orthodox religious conservatives, there is no shortage of their supposed moderate and liberal allies who are socially conservative at heart and still want to perpetuate regressive roles for women. A similar mindset was at work when a conservative lawyer filed a petition with the Islamabad High Court to block Aurat March on the charge that it was against Islamic values. Challenged by the Women Democratic Forum led by Ismat Shahjahan, the relatively liberal judge Athar Minallah threw the petition out.
It was an act of sheer courage itself that brave women political workers of the Women Democratic Front and the Awami Workers Party led by Tooba Syed went from street to street to put up posters for the March 8 event. This was probably unimaginable a few years back in the Islamic Republic but the courageous progressive women have made their presence felt on the ground in recent years.
This war of words between social conservatives and progressive women and their male allies have turned International Women’s Day into a battle of ideologies. However, the saddest bit is that in a country where vulnerable women and children have little protection from rape, the patriarchy is trying to suffocate and eliminate any dissent rebelling against their oppressive structure. At least, it had some immediate impact as Geo TV Network was forced to end their recently concluded contract with Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar.
Geo Entertainment has suspended its play-film deal with KhalilurRehman Qamar until he apologises for abusing Marvi Sirmed. He has contracts with lots of other companies so I’m going to assume he won’t care too much about this. But it’s important that Geo has set this precedent https://t.co/I8OkkVTyMp
However, none of the bullying and abuse has been able to stop these women to have their voices heard. The scenes in their press conferences chanting the slogan that has become the bane of the life of conservative men in Pakistan were surreal. The way women marched this March 8 under the banner of Women Democratic Front has probably never been seen ever since Zia-ul-Haq took power in Pakistan. Each moment of the March was revolutionary and we can hear and see the foundations of Pakistan.
I have protested and demonstrated countless times in this city but never have I seen so many people from the city coming out for a cause. The women of Islamabad you were wonderful yesterday. Anyone who wants to continue building & organising. Get in touch! pic.twitter.com/kzKymnRiz8
News stories come and go every day but there are defining points which make a mark in history. The news story by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey about the revelations of sexual misconduct and even rape against Harvey Weinstein is probably the most important piece of journalism of the year.
It can be effectively argued that the story has produced conditions that have helped encourage the victims of abuse by powerful men in media to come forward. This was a moral check that was much needed after the Donald Trump tapes and his subsequent rise to the Presidency in spite of it.
Since the Weinstein exposé, more than a dozen prominent personalities from show business have been. Roger Ailes and Bill O’ Reilly went down before that but of course “they were not one of us” and “that’s who they (conservatives) are.” This was different. This time around, it was Dustin Hoffman, James Toback, Louis C.K., George Takei, and Kevin Spacey. And recently and very importantly, it was Charlie Rose and Matt Lauer. Matt Lauer you get, but Charlie fucking Rose?
If things are this worse in the world of liberals, you can imagine how tough it must be for conservatives, who might be more resistant to progressive legislation on harassment as many conservative men. Take President George H. W. Bush as an example, who I am sure slapped women’s butts because that was normal.
Another noticeable but seldom admitted nuance of this development has been the insight it has offered into the psyche of the male gender and perhaps even male sexuality regardless of sexual orientation.
This is not just a Hollywood problem. It is pervasive all over the world. Plainly speaking, we, men, are guilty of abuse and no, we are not likely to learn despite the insincere apologies. This is probably something inherent to male sexuality, and no that is not an excuse but a helpless attempt to understand a potentially criminal behavior.
I get it that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi thinks that the Presidency of Donald Trump helped pave way for this environment instead of Harvey Weinstein but let’s not take credit away from what’s due. This new story has been historic.
Haroon Riaz
The Truth Journal 
Aurat March Exposes a Moral Crisis in Pakistani Men
The opening week of March was revolutionary in terms of gender politics in Pakistan in many ways. Women leaders and activists made a greater impact than ever before for rallying for the Women’s March, and men all over the internet were triggered.
Leading the response of social conservative misogynistic Pakistani men was their patron saint, Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar. Presented by the Pakistani conservative media as an intellectual, it is their answer to the rhetoric of educated liberal and progressive women who have started pushing the narrative of feminism in public discourse.
A long time anti-intellectual, Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar had recently caught attention with a hideous woman-hating interview, and many of his plays apparently depict women in the same light. Not to take away the artist’s license, but when you pose yourself as a philosopher of life and preach about puritanical sexuality, then surely it becomes hard to separate art from propaganda. Especially when your top client is the state propaganda machinery anyway.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
On a television talk show, Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar lost his temper and verbally abused and attacked feminist analyst and commentator Marvi Sirmed. All when they were discussing the Pakistani feminist slogan “Mera Jism Meri Marzi” or “My Body, My Choice.” Not only did he degraded Marvi but just like all conversations about Aurat March, he alluded to those women being sexually corrupt. Such comments were also widely made across the conservative media as well as the allegation of implementing a foreign-funded agenda.
Unfortunately, most of the people in socially conservative Pakistan believe that it is women talking about their right to have as much sex they want. While it should indeed be a part of their freedom, but it is not the only freedom indeed. Women particularly are talking about their right to be left alone, to not be harassed or raped, and yes, even to have their reproductive choice.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
With the likes of Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar, even otherwise seemingly liberal figures, and unfortunately encouraged by ignorant social conservative politicians such as Faisal Javed Khan, conservative men in Pakistan have taken it upon themselves to harass women for speaking up for their rights. They have been slut-shaming the organizers and the participants of the Women’s March, and furthermore, stooping as low as to block the public space they have been trying to occupy.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
This mindset is evident from the coverage of gotcha conservative “journalist” Yasir Shami, trying to blackmail and shame a male ally at the Aurat March by invoking Islamic traditions.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
It was inspired by the same anti-intellectualism and outright bigotry that the Lal Masjid goons, the same infamous mosque in the middle of Islamabad that had threatened armed rebellion against the state, that vandalized Aurat March artwork and posters. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, an otherwise democratic politician, also threatened violence if the Aurat March materialized.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
And if you think that this is extreme behavior only exhibited by the orthodox religious conservatives, there is no shortage of their supposed moderate and liberal allies who are socially conservative at heart and still want to perpetuate regressive roles for women. A similar mindset was at work when a conservative lawyer filed a petition with the Islamabad High Court to block Aurat March on the charge that it was against Islamic values. Challenged by the Women Democratic Forum led by Ismat Shahjahan, the relatively liberal judge Athar Minallah threw the petition out.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
It was an act of sheer courage itself that brave women political workers of the Women Democratic Front and the Awami Workers Party led by Tooba Syed went from street to street to put up posters for the March 8 event. This was probably unimaginable a few years back in the Islamic Republic but the courageous progressive women have made their presence felt on the ground in recent years.
This war of words between social conservatives and progressive women and their male allies have turned International Women’s Day into a battle of ideologies. However, the saddest bit is that in a country where vulnerable women and children have little protection from rape, the patriarchy is trying to suffocate and eliminate any dissent rebelling against their oppressive structure. At least, it had some immediate impact as Geo TV Network was forced to end their recently concluded contract with Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
However, none of the bullying and abuse has been able to stop these women to have their voices heard. The scenes in their press conferences chanting the slogan that has become the bane of the life of conservative men in Pakistan were surreal. The way women marched this March 8 under the banner of Women Democratic Front has probably never been seen ever since Zia-ul-Haq took power in Pakistan. Each moment of the March was revolutionary and we can hear and see the foundations of Pakistan.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
At least, their morals have been laid bare for the whole world to see.
That’s why women say, “Mera Jism, Meri Marzi.”
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Filed under: Commentary | Tagged: anti-intellectual, Aurat Azadi March, Aurat March, Awami Workers Party, conservative, feminism, gender politics, Geo TV, ideology, International Women's Day, Ismat Shahjahan, Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar, liberal, masculinity, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, men, Pakistan, religious conservative, show business, social conservatives, Tooba Syed, violence, women, Women Democratic Forum | Leave a comment »