Bearded Hypocrisy

Pakistan has always been a patriarchal society, but the misogynist attitude is mainstreaming to the extent that it’s becoming obviously oppressive. We have evolved into a society with a looming systematic bias against women. We are often reminded of things that a man can, and a woman “can’t” do; latter is enforced rather than reminded.

A country where a 25-year-old woman is stoned to death by her family outside the Lahore High Court, in a so-called “honour” killing for marrying the man she loved, or a 17 year old female cricketer who commits suicide because her accusation of being sexually harassed by the officials of the Multan Cricket Club, is left unnoticed by the authorities, where acid has been thrown on countless faces by coward spineless men who couldn’t get their ‘way’ with her, and at such a time comes a well renowned man like Junaid Jamshed and he displays his misogynistic mindset on national television without an ounce of guilt or shame, that too, to a woman hosting the show.

On one side, he claims that his personal religious intervention wasn’t forced on his wife or mother, yet he requests all men who are listening to him, to never teach a woman how to drive because if she goes out of the house once, she will get used to it and won’t like staying in the house again!

Does he have some screws loosened up there in his head? Or is he just being a plain hypocrite? The singer turned mullah and a former metrosexual symbol is forcing his misogynist mindset in the later guilt-ridden, born-again-Muslim stage of his life.

There are numerous women struggling in our country. Wives, daughters, mothers, sisters who have lost male figures in their lives, and they have no option other than to become the man of the house and deal with any pressure that comes their way. Hasn’t he seen any single mother raising her children on her own? Or should a woman bury herself along with her husband or even if any other male member of her house dies? How can Junaid Jamshed, who many believe is a very ‘moderate’ Muslim, claim this to be a hypothetical statement when such a question is thrown his way?

And even if this isn’t the case, even if no woman ‘has’ to fend for herself, why is it necessary that a man dictate her on how to live her life? Can’t she go out when she wants to for whatsoever reason? Why some men want to be controlling and dominating? Why such insecurity?

Coming back to religion, what sort of a religion does Junaid Jamshed follow? He talks excessively about the Prophet (PBUH) & his wives yet he forgets Hazrat Khadija (RA) who was a successful merchant and it is said that Hazrat Khadija (RA)'s trade caravan equaled the caravans of all other traders of the Quraish put together. Our beloved Prophet (PBUH) loved her the most. Was he wrong in marrying and loving an independent & successful merchant?

Isn’t this example enough for Junaid to understand what stature women had for the Prophet (PBUH)? How can he ask men to keep their women inside their houses as it’s in a women’s nature to go outside more and exhibit herself!

Yes, that’s what the latter part of his interview on Nida Yasir’s morning show says. That a man wants to stay in the house more, whereas it’s natural for a woman to expose herself and venture outside!

This perhaps is the most abstruse statement I have ever come across.

If we put religion aside here, why does a man think he’s in charge of a woman? Why does pretentious men like Junaid Jamshed think that this is a man’s world only and a woman should be under his wing all the time? The world is rapidly changing. Women have become equal to men in all fields of life.

In our society unfortunately, when a daughter is born, from day one her mind is infused by thoughts of her being less than a man. She grows up with an exceedingly closeted mindset and as she’s told repeatedly the things she can’t do, because that’s a “man’s” job. Then she ends up having not enough confidence to handle calamities if they come her way.

Blessed are those daughters, whose parents, especially fathers made sure their daughter is able to handle everything, from paying bills, to changing a light bulb, to fixing a flat tyre.
Life is unpredictable. Not only a man, but also a woman should be well equipped to cope with all the tests and trials that come her way. Though it’s a very unrecognized term in Pakistan, but we all are born with equal ‘human rights’, be it a man or a woman, we are all entitled to live the way we wish to. This obsession with dictatorship and domination by men has to end.

I’ve come across a couple of angered responses by men over this particular video as well, which is a great solace to know that even men find Junaid Jamshed’s views about women rubbish. I also hope that men having some religious fervor don’t start locking up their wives, sisters, daughters & mothers at home considering the ‘self proclaimed’ religious scholar’s claim, as true and holy.

May sense prevail in this withering country of mine!