1. Men blaming us for not representing other women 2. Men calling us out for not being able to tolerate domestic violence 3. Men incapable of learning from us about women. 4. Telling us what and how to speak about our own issues
After an overview of the hostility and hate speech on Aurat March, I am convinced each year there are more rallying men under the disturbingly aggressive Twitter threads dedicated to passing conclusive social legislation about the vulgarity slogans & women are getting out of hand
Truthfully, writing that last sentence shot my BP enough to forget that I am still at work. I put in the hours, pay bills bro - but we all know my female body is politicised, commodified & enslaved by all social agencies that privilege men every single day of the -ing year. SIGH
No matter what "class" a man belongs to here in Pakistan, women are considered to be second class citizens. We will be gawked at, followed, casually harassed on the street by anyone - BECAUSE the law is made to favour men. If you do not see this inequality, you are blind friend.
When I wanted to explore public spaces in Pakistan as a teenager. I deeply felt the realisation that I am not a welcomed presence. My interactions with men are forced, guarded and careful. You want us to stationed as guards and takes punches. Start by letting us out of the house.
Start by acknowledging that the few empowered women in our country struggled for their success and independence. We are still in the dark ages where our value is attached to carrying on the line of succession. We don't need permission to Aurat March, this is our right to speak.
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Workflow Jams: This album listening cant wait either guys, I could stay an hour longer at work to listen to this properly.
15 minutes of bliss.
VIP - Midnight (Live)
Workflow Jams: Album Listening Party
I attended the last VIP gig in Islamabad. truly the best the city had to offer. An incredibly special evening of gorgeous compositions, shiny people & warm smiles. Wishing for more
Tourism in Pakistan: Historical sites have been whitewashed or destroyed. The Galiyaat are overcrowded, badly designed hotels that are overpriced. That's the truth, it's not the booze, not the lack of roads. We litre & are only good for breaking the natural ecology of the land.
Every year it gets worse, every year I ask why doesn't the government privatise the garbage picking and actually give these thekas to the local people of the area. Every year I shudder at the rapid urbanisation of my favourite valleys. You have no idea what you are asking for.
Pakistani tourism enthusiast thinking the problem is booze, no its Savour Foods palao boxes made of styrofoam that people pack in dozens to take with them to the north and dump them on the roadside. Soon, it will all the masks lying on the side of the road collecting bacteria.
When you log in to write about what incredible trailblazer & vibrant performer @itsmeeshashafi has been this week!! Find that she is already trending! BUT NO its the same dead carcass dragging her down
You are an absolute rockstar! Made from lightning and thunder! #MeeshaShafi
The Artist: - Thread -
The duality, hypocrisy, unwilling to understand each other highlights our limited ability to value music and perhaps women. A glaring societal split is toxic and unbearable.
Listen: Abdullah Siddiqui, Meesha Shafi - Magenta Cyan
Contd: One of my favourite songs of all time is Mela Kariyay. Understanding the artist involves knowing the value they have brought to an industry fraught with conflict & manic egoisms. You gotta fight for what you love! sigh.
A Thread: The constant undermining of female intelligence in this country begins at home. Assume your female counterparts don't know because it makes you feel superior. Shame on you. The simplistic view of male exposure grants them "know better" than everyone else needs to end.
Instead of providing support - men pity themselves. They'll break us down to feel powerful in an argument. When men claim they know how I feel living in this country, I want to literally spit water in their faces because that's how we females live every second of every day.
And then they come at me for being reactive somehow ruining everything in their fragile house of cards reality. Give me a break. At least you have the ability to create your own reality. We barter, haggle and borrow a sense of self because we aren't permitted to have our own.