The wrong kind of outrage

We are quick to express outrage. We do it over social media, sometimes in language which would appall the most hardened persons, we do so during discussions and we do so even in essays written for college or school assignments.

The reasons for our outrage are however quite often peculiar. There was for example immense outrage over a drama serial which touched upon the subject of child sexual abuse. There was similar outrage over an ad by a popular washing powder brand. The ad put up suggested popular comments made about women, suggesting they stay within four walls, asking ‘what will people say?’ – perhaps the most popular of our comments to rebuke women and girls – and others, and then having the Pakistan women’s cricket captain appear and say these were not just remarks but stains on society. It was a clever and well executed idea.

Advertising, which has shown girls overcome initial hostility to excel at cricket, have also drawn negative comment – from those who fall in line with cricketer Shahid Afridi’s stance that his daughters will never be allowed to play an outdoor game professionally. Perhaps they can excel at table tennis or badminton even if they get no sunlight or Vitamin D. The Aurat March, much commented upon already, of course drew prolonged protest and outrage with some ludicrous attempts at counter protests by men and women opposing the Aurat Marches. The entire affair also showed how much confusion exists over feminism, what it means and the role of women in any society.

Yet when Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari stated last month while launching a Child Protection Campaign that Pakistan had the highest rate of child pornography in the world, there were no expressions of anger, of shock or of religious dismay. Apparently, using children for pornography is perfectly acceptable, but allowing women to move beyond patriarchy and take control of their own lives is not. International figures also show that Pakistanis are the highest viewers of pornographic sites anywhere in the world. Interestingly, six of eight countries at the top of the list are Muslim countries. Again, this does not seem to raise many eyebrows.

We are not concerned that so many of our people, notably according to limited research young men who are uneducated, unemployed and frustrated with life, should be turning to sleazy Internet cafes to view hour after hour of graphic porn – causing damage to themselves and to the general environment in society. Technically, internet pornography in Pakistan of all kinds has been banned since 2011 and anyone engaged in viewing it or permitting it to be viewed at their cafes are subject to severe legal penalties. Of course this law is not adhered to. No one bothers, no voices are raised, even children as young as 11 or 12 have been seen sitting at cafes glued to grotesque pornographic websites.

There have been reports of major child sex abuse rings operating in Pakistan. In 2015, accounts emerged from Kasur in which hundreds of poor children had been exploited by a gang engaged in an international pornographic racket. Their pictures were sold internationally and families blackmailed for money to prevent them from being made available locally. The cruelty of the act is immense. Even today, despite some arrests, not very much has happened.

There are of course other child sex rings operating in the country. Recently from Karachi, the cyber wing of the FIA was able to arrest the leader of a gang who had been luring girls as young as 10, 11 or 12 online, persuading them to send pictures, then blackmailing them to pose in their bathrooms and using these images on various sites the gang ran. The man was arrested after police lured him to the house of one of the victims with the cooperation of her family. Few girls however are confident enough to report such blackmail and few families brave enough to take it further.

What we also need to do is instill amongst parents, teachers and children as young as nine or ten the need to ensure that they never send out pictures to persons they do not know well and never post intimate images on any social media site. It is shocking to see how many parents do this themselves, posting pictures of small girls in full makeup and skimpy dresses lisping along to a Bollywood tune and swinging their hips in emulation of the stars they are copying. This is perfect material for those engaged in the exploitation of children.

Technology today allows the images to be doctored in various ways and at any rate the blatant sexualisation of little girls we see everywhere, over the internet and in other places, should be a source of outrage as well. Such anger should not be reserved only for times when women claim their right to dress as they please, to pursue a career or sport, to work outside the home and to escape the traditions which have kept them in chains for too long. We appear even to have lost our sense of humour while locked in our world of fury.

The Careem ad which appeared a short while ago suggesting their vehicle as the means for a woman, presumably pressurised or forced into marriage, to run away from it, did not go down well at all. Of course, very few women would be able to simply order a Careem and leave behind a groom they have not chosen and have no desire to live with. But the advertisement did bring home a message which should have created awareness in society or at least be simply seen as a joke rather than as a matter which drew comments from clerics and edicts against the cab company.

While many of our television serials and movies continue to depict tradition and the long held view that ‘good girls’ do not disobey parents, meet boys at universities or engage in anything resembling fun, there has been change. More and more television productions and also advertising is showing women and girls in more active or more exciting, more non-traditional roles with support from their families.

This is a positive trend. The companies who have recognised change is on the way must be applauded for their efforts. Perhaps they, alongside film and television producers as well as writers, teachers and others with influence, will be able to convince people that in a changing world, Pakistan cannot remain stranded in some concept of religion and tradition that it has built for itself. The two do not of course always go together. The 1,000 or more honour killings carried out each year have no place in religion. But it is thinking that needs to change and the idea that women are the centre of evil, while crimes such as rape, the abuse of children, child pornography and other even more heinous offences can go without a cry being raised has to change if there is to be to be a difference.

The difference is coming and each time changes occur in society, there is conflict. We saw this in Europe in the 1960s. We are seeing this now in our own country. Others have witnessed it too. Change is never necessarily bad, but can bring with it much that is positive and much that can help create a more equal society in which both genders are respected and discrimination brought step by step to an end.

The writer is a freelance columnist and former newspaper editor.

Email: kamilahyat@hotmail.com