Women, transgender people, nonbinary people, and men marched across the country on Sunday 8th March to commemorate Worldwide Women’s Day and support their worldwide fight for equal rights for women. Aurat March demonstrations and gatherings were conducted in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta, Multan, Sukkur, Hyderabad, and other places by such a broad collection of persons beyond race, ethnicity, or skill to raise the problem for women as well as other gendered groups. Several people gave powerful statements and hold signs or thought-provoking posters to draw attention to the grave concerns of stereotype abuse, such as professional rape culture, underground hatred, as well as the authoritarian attitude that dominates the culture.
On March 8, 2018, International Women’s Day, the first Aurat March took place. Since then, irrational hatred and subjugation of women have grown more common. In publications, particularly the media channels, we frequently see the same examples of news blogs and columns about the Aurat March with horrible names like “Be Haya,” “Ikhlaq Bakhta,” “Fahasha,” and others. The Aurat March expanded into a larger movement that includes transgender people and calls for stricter enforcement of already existing laws, improved laws to protect women, as well as raising awareness and altering attitudes. But they are not delivering the messages correctly. The word they are using in their banners becomes controversial and this has a very bad impact on the lower community ladies. Instead of giving rights to them, their men judge the ladies of the women’s March are compare them with their ladies. That if they give them the right to speak for themselves they will do the same activities as shown in such rallies. Also, the slogans they use are interpreted very differently. People take them as nudity in society.
This year’s march also featured the much-despised phrase “mera jism, meri marzi” (my body, my choice), which has received massive criticism. Sophia Hasnain claimed that the slogan meant that women had control over their own bodies and may decline physical contact whenever they choose while carrying one of the several banners announcing this. She argued that “no one has the right to impose themselves upon us.” The above-mentioned slogan, according to actor Mohsin Ahmed, was misunderstood and made public in an effort to divert attention from the women’s demonstration and lessen its impact. The slogan “ Mera jism meri marzi” means “ my body my violation” but people interpreted that the Aurat March was promoting prostitution in an Islamic country and demanding sexual activities claimed by men. One of the girls from the Aurat March defined that:
As Bina shah says ‘..the real meaning of Mera Jism Meri Marzi boils down to a single word: consent. Giving permission for something to happen. The women who talk about this slogan are referring to women having control over their own bodies..’
Narratives of Haya March:
Jamiat Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, Jamaat-e – Islami (JI), and other religious organizations have announced hosting the Haya March in opposition to the Aurat March. The religious groups said in a statement that they oppose Aurat March by holding peaceful Haya Marches in various parts of the nation. But rather than having a peaceful rally, they attacked Aurat March. An event from the Aurat march was relayed on Twitter by another user, Amna Khan. The calm “Haya March” yelled, “In auroton ka sar tan se juda kar daingay,” which she said was the sole inflammatory slogan she heard at the Aurat March today. Is this not a call to violence, Government of Pakistan?
These types of sentences made chaos between both the Marches. It made a clash between them. Is the Islamic Republic of Pakistan where we are fighting with each other? We are becoming each other’s enemies. Rather them dealing with our problems patiently people are making controversial scenarios in front of the other world. We already have a reputation as terrorists in front of the world. Such cases make it more violent.
The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan women’s branch of the Islamist political party tweeted, “As Muslim Women, we strongly oppose the absurdity of Aurat March. halt the spread of obscenities. A picture with the caption “These few financed women are surely not the representations of the Pakistani Muslim women” was also shared by the group. We take great pride in our steadfast adherence to every Islamic law and believe that no other religion in the world could ever treat women with the same respect as Islam does lay, Zahoor, a different Twitter user, shared images of the “Haya March,” a protest where women wearing burqas are seen holding signs in their hands. “This is the actual women’s day march,” is the caption for these images.
Extremism:
Both parties have shown extremism in the debates. The women who are protesting in the women’s March are those women who are totally independent. They have a perfect job, understanding partners, loving parents, and independent life. They can do whatever they want to do. They can go anywhere, they have the right to speak, the right to wear, the right to choose their spouse, the right to education, and the right to social life. The question is what they are protesting for. The answer is that they are protesting for those who can’t come out and ask for their rights. But the slogans they use shows different meaning and this cannot help those women who need their rights. Instead of that, they faced criticism for what they have not done. Their men assume that they will do the same if they give them equal rights. And those women have to face more strictness. The slogans which are making problems in their lives are:
• “MERA JISM MERI MARZI”
• “MAA KA NANI KA DADI KA SAB KA BADLA LAN GA”
• “TMHARA BAAP KI SARAK NI HAI”
• “AGR MERI NOSI PIN SLUTY HAI TU TMHARA DEMAG TA**I HAI”
• “MERA GAR MEIN TALWAR NA DALO”
Such slogans directly hit the people’s egos and they make the clash among women. The basic aim of the women’s March was to protect women and not putting in danger. The individuals of the women’s March needs to think before writing any kind of slogans. Because to them it’s just a sentence of words but for others, it’s a debate against women who actually need help.
Meanwhile the participants of HAYA MARCH, rather than trying to explain the individuals of AURAT MARCH fight against them and if they want to convey their point, they need to deliver it with patience. But they stand against them and attacked them. The slogans of HAYA MARCH also show extremism for example:
• “KHALILUL REHMAN KI JURAT KO SALAM”
• Ume Hassan talk that “ WE REJECT THE WESTERN IDEOLOGY. THESE WOMEN ARE TRYING TO LEAD A MOTTO THAT IS LED BY THEIR WESTERN BOYFRIENDS”
• “IKHLAQ BAKHSHA”
• “FAHASHA “
• “AZWAJI NAZAM ZINDA BAD, BEHAYAI MURDABAD”
Personal reviews:
Now I am going to take and give my reviews about such revolutionary marches.
This review will revolve around my one and only personal understanding statement which is: PLEASE BE A HUMANIST IF NOT FEMINIST.
As societies always evolve through new discussions, new discourses, and new discoveries; about ourselves, our relationship with each other, and with nature. Those who are adamantly remaining rigid and stagnant, and denying the ever-evolving human society, it’s itching their fully grown bodies but not-so-grown conscientiousness that MERA JISM MERA IKHTIYAR HAY then we are in great trouble. Because these marches, slogans, and discussions will eventually help us to understand “WHY EVERYDAY WOMEN ARE BEING RAPED, BURNED, and KILLED BY THEIR SO CALLED “PROTECTORS” in our highly sensitized Pakistani “Islamic” society. WHY I AM BEING CATCALLED, STALKED, OGGLED WHEN I SIMPLY GO OUT TO “BUY” something NOT TO EXHIBIT MY BODY AND FACE. I THOUGHT I WAS COVERED”. Then why?! If you accept this is wrong and still say that we should not be supporting any new discourses then we are too naive to understand how societies actually change.
Another important thing that has been shared by so-called “saviors” of “hmara muaashara ijazat nahein deta” that God own our bodies. No doubt, (Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Allah we shall return’). But what makes us “Ashraf ul Mukhlooqat” compared to the other equally highly intelligent, adaptable species living with us? What was the reason Adam and Eve were thrown out of heaven? What is the basis of all religions?
That what makes us human is the CHOICE! Between right and wrong. To be or not to be. We are not responsible for the sun to rise but we are responsible to wake up with it. A CHOICE to what to WEAR, what to SEE, and what to IGNORE. As a human, we are just like any other animal. Beyond this is our humanity and struggle to reach the level of “ashraf-up-makhlooq”.
But when women are considered just pieces of flesh. Not only by men but by themselves as well then when we’ll be evolved to reach the level which Allah asks us to be through His books and prophets. If another side of the grave is so important then why Quran emphasized life on earth? A code to live a life? Till this point if we are thinking “wahi tau Islam ney aurat ko sab kuch dey diya,” then I would say human beings are so damn complex, we interpret religions and holy texts according to our own psychic, mentality, and our not-so-evolved minds, where we see Quran only addressing women “how to dress up and behave well with men,” only. And we are not thinking or talking much about another perspective which says that men also need to respect women.
Many terrifying stories of acid attacks, burning alive, honor killing, divorced/killed the next day of marriage because she didn’t bleed her first night, unsure of her virginity, divorced or killed only because she was being looked at and approached for her looks as she was held responsible to attract men. So many such backward and insane ideas based on brutal realities that I hope they might get the slogan of HUMANITY FIRST. If words are the issue here, I guess realizing that we are NOT ENOUGH HUMAN should sound more SHAMEFUL than “Mera jism, Meri marzi”. And this does not direct towards any specific gender at all, THIS IS NOT WAR OF MEN AND WOMEN, THESE ARE APPEALS TO TREAT HUMAN AS HUMAN, it goes for all those who have been a part of these brutal acts of inhumanity. And let’s not ignore the fact that Men and women both HAVE BEEN involved, kept silent, ignored, didn’t let her speak up for the tragedies of her life, and made her live with them as this was their fate for ages.
“Feminism isn’t about making women strong. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.” –G.D. Anderson
These are the commonly practiced realities yet at this modern and so-called evolved age. These are the examples of common violence against women I myself am afraid of such violence, this should be afraid too, these are the examples of violence we too MUST stand against for! We really need to raise our voices against all of these scenarios which have been taken for granted. We need to raise our voices for HUMANITY! Humanity has been switched for a long while.
As a human let’s be human; complex, troubled, full of animalistic desires, but always evolving, changing in order to survive, document the history of its own evolution. It’s time to decide to be evolved as a human on this type of complex issue. Let me bring some light on some of the incidents of HAYA MARCH. The massive crowd convened beyond the Press Conference in Islamabad, while Jamia Hafsa students, activists, and followers of religious organizations reportedly assembled to organize an attack dubbed the ‘Haya March.’
Although the authorities installed shelter between certain two demonstrations to establish a boundary, male Haya March activists assaulted some other side using bottles, rocks, and even boots. First, before authorities had sufficient to convey the problem under control, at minimum 1 Aurat March member was hurt. Some coordinators of Islamabad’s Aurat March voiced their concerns with the government’s failure to provide the security they had been promised.
“Where is the promised security?” says the narrator.
They tweeted, “Where were the promised police?”
Kindness and Sabr are taught in our religion. If someone holds a different viewpoint, this does not imply that maybe we should use violence. We belong to a faith in which our beloved Holy Prophet (PBUH) aided those who had wronged them. As just a reason, it is prohibited to throw stones and sticks at unarmed persons with whom one happens to disagree.
