Letters To The Editor


“Make your life a masterpiece; imagine no limitations on what you can be, have or do.” – Brian Tracy



Ban on Aurat March

Last week, a man named Munir Ahmed filed a petition at LHC against the organisers of the Aurat March which is celebrated every year on the International Women’s Day. As a result, the Lahore High Court issued notices to the federal and provincial governments on an application seeking a permanent ban on the Aurat March for being “anti-state” and “un-Islamic.” Women in various cities of Pakistan come on streets as part of the Aurat March to mark International Women’s Day. The manifesto for the march is based on a wide array of issues pertaining to gender inequality and social injustice. But men tend to ignore the demands raised and instead, question the content of the placards on display at the march, deeming it “inappropriate” and “vulgar.” In my opinion, the reason why a petition was filed against the march was because misogynists feel uncomfortable with such a massive show of strength from women. Because masculinity is so fragile; a woman only needs to hold a placard to hurt it.

Zainab Khan,
Karachi.

No honour in “honour” killings

Women around the world are made victims of so-called “honour violence” at the hands of relatives, usually male, in an effort to reclaim family “honour.” If a woman or girl is accused or suspected of engaging in behaviour that could taint her family’s status, she may face brutal retaliation from her relatives that often results in violent death. Recently, a man killed his wife and her friend in Multan’s Basti Malook neighbourhood after seeing them both sitting together. Honour crime is rooted in a global culture of discrimination against women, and the deeply rooted belief that women are objects and commodities, not human beings entitled to dignity and rights equal to those of men. Large sections of our society share traditional conceptions of family honour and approve of “honour” killings to preserve that honour. That’s the narrative that is used to justify these brutal attacks on women and girls. Make no mistake: there is no honour in violence against women, and no cultural, social, or religious belief is ever a valid reason to commit violence against people, or deprive anyone of their fundamental human rights.

Amna Munir,
Lahore.

Basant: the good, the bad and the ugly

With the arrival of spring season, Basant preparations are on the rise. Basant is a historic spring time kite flying festival celebrated every year in Pakistan. Many of us are stuck between the thought of whether to fly a kite or not, and our government is also confused whether or not to allow the festival but despite all of this, one cannot ignore the beauty and charm that is associated with this colourful festival. It is such a lively event in which people usually dress up in bright yellow colours and organise gatherings with music and delicious food to complement the celebration. The colourful kites decorate the sky and make the sight worth capturing. But unfortunately there is an ugly side to this joyful festival. The kite line is very sharp and when it is not held with care, unfortunate events may occur. When one kite’s line cuts the other one, it starts to fly away until it finally reaches the ground. While it makes its way to the ground or some other place, there is a chance that the line gets in contact with someone’s neck or hand or any other body part and may result in death. Many cases have already been reported where especially children lost their lives by coming in contact with the kite line which is made of wire. This is the reason why I can never advocate the continuation of this festival, despite the joy and colour it brings.

Maaz Ahmed,
Karachi.



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