Thread by @fariha1a

#AuratMarch2022 Some thoughts.

(This will be my simultaneous defense and critique of #AuratMarch. Hoping for a patient read)

1) "AM only talks about petty problems and not the big problems faced by women."

'Big problems' almost always stem from ignoring the 'petty problems'.

Rape culture stems from trivializing harassment; harassment stems from male entitlement; male entitlement is fed when men are not even expected to heat their food or keep their socks.

To overturn an oppressive system, you have to aim at its roots. 'Petty problems' are the roots.

A doctor wouldn't refuse to treat your high blood pressure because people are dying of aneurysms. He would treat it precisely because people can die of aneurysms.

Also, AM does talk about big issues too.

#AuratMarch manifesto 2022 talks about gender pay gap, unpaid labour, domestic & informal workers, food, climate & economic crisis (from which marginalised groups, like women, are always more affected). Also highly stresses the plight of the khwajasira community.

2) "AM is against religion"

Men have long pretended that criticism of them & their actions is criticism of religion. Telling women to stay within religious bounds when religion has been the single biggest tool used to oppress them is ironic. From marital rights to careers....

...from court testimony to leadership, every women-related issue has been soaked in patriarchy. If you actually care about Islam, you should be working to expunge Islam of such wrongful patriarchal beliefs.

3) "Mera Jism, Meri Marzi kyun? Mera Jism, Allah ki Marzi"

The oppression women face doesn't come from God: It comes from Society. The assertion of body autonomy is not before God: It's before Society. This slogan is not meant to challenge God: It's meant to challenge society. This entire protest is not against God: It's against SOCIETY.

4) "AM is just a bunch of angry slogans"

Anger comes from a long history of being wronged, violated & stifled. Anyone who has reflected on the double standards our society has for men and women would be equally angry or at least understand where this anger is coming from.

5) "AM is foreign-funded"

In its manifesto, AM blatantly & repeatedly calls out the economic & environmental injustices being done to our region by the developed countries a.k.a the Global North. If that's where their funding is coming from, they'll lose it pretty quickly.

Now some small reservations:

The overall narrative feels alien. To influence someone's opinions, you need to understand their frame of reference & bring arguments from within that. Invoking one's innate pride & loyalty to one's culture is more effective. @TMItalks does it well.

Culture doesn't mean the environment we saw in the 20-30 years of our lives. It means the centuries old tradition of a region. Our culture is filled with examples of empowered women - much more than current times - that we can leverage to bring change.

https://twitter.com/fifiharoon/status/1500723713871859713?s=20&t=s5umri3NXeXQ-fkD8Ofxeg

The manifesto starts with death penalty & why it should be outlawed. This feels as if that's the central idea of the manifesto & everything else is an afterthought.

I fully agree with the shortfalls of our current justice system & the need for an alternative justice system...

... that addresses the root cause of the issues & works to reform criminals. I believe most can be reformed.

But the manifesto doesn't explain the accountability procedure for violent criminals who are beyond repair, since the manifesto dismisses prison sentences too.

The manifesto acknowledges that the survivors of patriarchal violence should not be burdened to work for the reformation of the perpetrators. But I feel it doesn't realize that most of us ARE survivors or witnesses. If we aren't supposed to help reform (rightfully), who would?

Those who are not affected by patriarchal violence, why would they be interested in helping reform the perpetrators? Who should be responsible then? Manifesto mentions local bodies but how can we ensure local bodies don't become just as corrupted as the current players?

It all feels vague. And any discussion I've seen happening around it ends with "I don't have all the answers". Such half-baked ideas should not be the central point of the manifesto. Perhaps this is why parts of the manifesto feel detached.

Anyhow, Aurat March is immensely important and the bravery of the organizers in continuing to do so in spite of all the threats, is unquestionable. I fully support this cause and hope to see a very successful march this year & all the coming years.