Adil Najam
As a rule, we try not to repeat posts too often. Sometimes, we feel that the message is either pertinent again or that the original may not have been seen by a new crop of readership. I am reposting this picture and this post, originally posted on this date last year, because the message is even more pertinent today than it was a year ago, and because I feel like I need to say it again.
For Pakistan, this has again been a year of struggles as well as achievements for women. It marked the assassination of Benazir Bhutto - clearly the best known Pakistani woman, whatever you think of her politics. It marked also an election that saw more women win on general seats than ever before in Pakistan. But there was more, much more, to the daily struggles and achievements of Pakistan’s 70 million women that we need to celebrate. Today, and everyday.
In the metaphor of the original post, the message is that we all are (not just women, but men too) crossing the road to better gender relations, but we ain’t there just yet. Not by a long shot. Read on, please, even if you have read it before. What follows is my original post from last year.
Today is March 8 - International Women’s Day. Today we wish to celebrate women in the fullness of what it means to be a woman in Pakistan. To celebrate their achievements (also here, here, here, here, here, here and here). And to celebrate their struggles (also here, here, here here, here, here and here).
I have thought much about how best to capture the meaning of this day. It seems to me that in many very important ways, this picture above does.
I have admired this picture by Jawad Zakariya (whose work we have featured before here and here) from the moment I first saw it at Flickr. I had been waiting, however, for the right time and the right context in which to use it. Today, I feel, IS that right time and right context.
There is both dignity and determination in the posture of this young woman as she tries to cross the road (Jail Road, Lahore). As in any good photograph, there are a thousand stories embedded in this one. The metaphor of ‘crossing the road’ is itself so very pertinent for today. So full of meaning.
For me, here is a woman who is not waiting for someone to ‘help’ her cross the road. She is not demanding any special treatment. Not waiting for assistance. Not invoking the chuvinism of the men around her. She is ready, prepared, even eager, to overcome whatever hurdles come in her way. She just wants to cross the road on her own; for people (mostly men) to get out of her way. That, ultimately, is what this day is about. It is not about seeking special treatment, special dispensations, special laws. It is about ensuring that women have what we men have always had. The ability to realize their own potentials. To rise to their own aspirations. To be able to cross the roads they wish to cross… on their own.
[quote comment=”37051″]i also think the cause of pakistani women will be better served if we realise that islamic societies have cultural norms which are different from cultural norms of other societies. larger awam will get alienated and get pushed into the arms of extremists if awam sees the battle for women’s rights as a battle against islam. best example of this is the forced secularisation campaign launched by shah of iran which set back the rights of iranian women by decades. also campaign for women rights should not involve foreigners as has been the case over the last couple of years. unlike english-medium-type pakistanis, awam does not think that gora culture is superior and sees foreign involvement as a backdoor means of imposing gora values.[/quote]
I totally agree, well thought and well written.
Kudos!
[quote comment=”37052″]And Saudi Arabia is NOT the yardstick of our aspirations, specially for women’s issues. God forbid if we stoop as low as them in the treatment of women, or of humans in general.[/quote]
True that Saudia shud not be our model as a whole but every society has glipmses of good here and there, if we r not able to adopt them, then atleast acknowledge them.
I liked one thing abt Saudia and I mentioned it. Doesnot mean i am considering the whole treatment of women there as our benchmark or anything.
I also mentioned India but i feel u conveniently did not mention as it would have been not in favor of bashing Saudia atleast.
As for women issues, yes they have women issues but who does not, name one country and enlighten me of such which does not have women issues whether they be their interpretations or ours.
And just in case, please don’t start the your Islam vs. My Islam interpretation debate here as I have seen some people doing it here, Islam is just one, its the Quran and Sunnah and Fiqah and Ijtama by Ulema not by us. Some things we like, others we might not like, but afterall, Islam is not made for our likings but to make His rule apparent to humanity.
[quote comment=”37054″]It was exactly this type of Saudi-imported thinking that made Maulvi Sarwar kill Minister Zille Huma
This is like saying that Muslims are terrorists, just because alqaeda blew up the wtc, the whole community is alike.
Its only now that the west has started to understand the differences between various profiles within the larger muslim community.
Now as u attribute saudi to be something bad is something what u say from outside, ive lived in the west for long as well and am still living here as well, its not a one sided bias like yours. which i say is artificial. Reason, if u can, but acknowledge the fact that people hold different values and different value systems. its too easy sitting outside pointing fingers unnecessarily at a country, even if its Saudia or US.
As for your argument that saudi mindedness made the fake maulvi kill the person, it holds no water. and u very well know it too. if somehow u feel u know the saudis well and your argument is not fallacious, wake up! Neither the Saudis nor Islam orders allows to do such crimes, Shariah punishes such people. If only u care to read it!
I wonder where u get your knowledge on Saudia, dont tell me its from the new york bestsellers list!
And I am not a big fan of Saudia, but we should attribute the good qualities who show them, shouldn’t we. or should we adopt another country’s thinking without any selection or filtering?
iFaqeer, my choice of the word “our” was deliberate. I hoped that the second sentence, calling for men and women to be together in this fight, would clarify what I meant. Certainly this is a problem that affects all of society, which includes everyone in addition to women.
Treating women nicely because they are women is also a kind of sexsual discrimination which is very prevalent in Pakistan.
What I see is a poor person, trying to cross road in a heavy trafic because maybe she is getting late for her work. I also see no respect for “right of way” for the person walking on the road as cyclists are not curteous enough to stop & let her pass.
Very well said King_Faisal.
Any movement, whether it’s democracy, women empowerment or some other cause, needs to be rooted in an indiginous logic. If it is articulated in a foreign jargon and is seen to be imposed from outside, then it is likely to create more suspicion rather than making much headway. Especially on the women issue, the way a lot of arguments end up sounding like a battle for pushing Islam aside seriously undermine the movement rather than strengthening it.
Talking of women empowerment, the 33% seats for women is also a very significant thing, especially in light of devolution. They may not be asserting themselves strongly right now, but over time as they get used to participating in active politics, we will insha Allah see a substantial change. For that matter, I think devolution itself is quite a significant step forward even for our democratic development, it should not be judged on the basis of its imediate results, but for its potential to promote democracy at the grass roots. That it has been brought by the military for motives that are widely suspected should not have become a reason for ridiculing the whole idea.
A very thought provoking article on IWD:
http://www.counterpunch.com/marshall03082007.html