Daily Times

As Aurat March looms on the political horizon, the federal minister for religion Noor-ul-Haq Qadri has requested the prime minister to ban the event of “Aurat March” and celebrate the day as “Hijab Day” instead. The minister said that Aurat March caused pain and hurt to the Muslims of Pakistan. He advised the prime minister to ban Aurat March or any other group that “ridicules, diminishes or minimizes Islamic laws, social mores, decency, or purdah or hijab.”

The minister’s rationale for a Hijab Day is to use the occasion to gain political leverage against our neighbour by using the recent hijab controversy in India. The sheer disregard for principles, morals, and justice in a religious man is demoralizing. This is hypocrisy through and through. It is also gross injustice to deprive women of the one and only day in the year, which is earmarked for them. It is a low blow to get political mileage from women. The federal minister of religious affairs should know that the Quranic verse commanding modesty addresses the men first when it says: “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and to be mindful of their chastity: this will be most conducive to their purity – [and,] verily, God is aware of all that they do.” (Quran 24:30)

Had the federal minister, the imams, muftis, televangelists of the entire community of religious scholars in the nation paid heed to this verse and instructed Pakistani men to observe modesty, many demands made at Aurat March would never have arisen in the first place. Staring at women is something very normal for Pakistani men. It is an intense stare that can make any woman uncomfortable. They don’t restrict themselves to staring, they have no issues making loud lewd remarks or catcalls. They make obscene gestures. Clips of CCTV footage with men groping and molesting even burqa-clad women are posted on social media. Our men feel no shame masturbating in public. Women do not feel safe in public spaces due to the lewdness of men. Men loitering everywhere often exhibit a pack mentality. The figures of sexual assault in Pakistan are through the roof. Such vile behaviour is never condemned by any religious authority.

Knowing the entire religious construct that our clergy has erected and upheld, we know that men are never held accountable for their actions.

The entire onus is placed on women that they should have stayed home or stepped out with a mehram. If upon the request of Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, we should celebrate Hijab Day-which is already celebrated on February 20-will he preach the lowering of the gaze to the men? Will he tell them to keep their tongues in check and restrain their hands? Knowing the entire religious construct that our clergy has erected and upheld, we know that men are never held accountable for their actions. They are given carte blanche to establish male dominance. Even if it means blatantly disobeying the Prophet (PBUH) who said: “If you have no shame then do whatever.” (Sahih Bukhari 3483)

The minister wants to use the latest hijab controversy in India, to raise a red herring-something Pakistani religious political parties love to do. They rally for global jihad to avoid deliverance in the social sector. These political leaders are not questioned when widows, orphans, and the poor in their own neighbourhood suffer starvation, sickness, and violence with no one taking responsibility for their welfare. The leaders of political parties keep all attention focussed on foreign countries by foaming and frothing at the mouth about Kashmir, Syria, Palestine, and Iraq. As part of his religious and legal obligation, the minister’s job is not to worry about other countries, but to address issues faced by all religious groups in Pakistan.

The clergy and religious political parties fail to preach virtue and condemn vice but instead, strive hard to subjugate and condemn women. Muslim men take pride in the absolute denial of public space and the infantilisation of women. A woman cannot survive alone, is a mantra chanted only in Islamic lands. Women who live like prisoners in house arrest are deprived of agency and basic human rights. Women have equal rights to public space, as shown in this hadith. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Beware of sitting in the roadways.” The companions said, “O Rasulullah!, we must have places where we can sit and talk together.” Nabi (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) said, “If you must sit there, then give the road its rights.”They asked, “What are the rights of the roadway?” He said, “Lowering the gaze, refraining from causing harm, returning greetings, enjoining good and forbidding wrong.”

(Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 2465-6229 and Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 2121-2161)

There is no imam, moulvi, mufti, or any federal minister of religious affairs who has ever mentioned the above to men, because of a self-serving agenda of feeding the male ego. This hadith explains what male conduct should be in public. This hadith needs to enter public discourse as it clearly gives women the right to public space by controlling male behaviour. Our clergy instead twists the meaning of a verse specifically addressed to the wives of the prophet (Quran 33:32-33) which tells them to stay at home as they are not ordinary women. Our clergy applies that verse to all women and tells them to never leave home. Imprisoning women, instead of improving male behaviour makes the men feel powerful. However, it has created an uncouth, intolerant, ill-disciplined, bigoted, and belligerent society that is plagued by all kinds of violence. Surely, this state of affairs is reason enough to call for a code of conduct for men. That said, the attendees and activists of Aurat March also need to show responsibility in their use of language. Memes that are relevant in American popular culture, do not translate well into ours. Using vulgar slogans and placards for shock value, are counter-intuitive, as they end up demonizing the women as rebels without a cause fishing for fame through infamy.

The writer is an independent researcher, author and columnist. She can be reached at aliya1924@gmail.com.