Playwright and lyricist Khalilur Rehman Qamar’s regressive views about women and feminism that he shared in a recent interview have landed him in trouble.
Supermodel and actress Eman Suleman, who is known for her bold personality, shared a clip of her interview with Iffat Omar, in which she is speaking about feminism.
“There’s a misconception about feminism. So people think if a man slaps you, women have to slap him back too. But no, we just don’t want men to slap in the first place.”
“Very simply put, for you to understand, here’s a relevant small clip from my interview, you know, because Khalil-ur-Rehman,” the Zindagi Tamasha actor wrote on her Instagram.
Singer Meesha Shafi used her sense of humour to slam the writer with a Tweet.
Shafi had replied to Rabi Pirzada’s tweet, who bashed Shafi by calling her #MeToo a publicity stunt. The singer had replied with her views about feminism.
One person had replied to her tweet, “Oh, big drama you are!”; to which Shafi replied:
The singer had earlier questioned why there was no response to Qamar’s statements.
“Ummmm and how many actors, actresses, producers/directors and channels will put their foot down in response to these views and send a message of resistance here?” she wrote.
Many other celebrities have also shared their views about the Kaaf Kangana director’s problematic remarks.
Qamar got a little too candid in an interview with Entertainment Pakistan while talking about his drama Mere Paas Tum Ho, which revolves around a woman who cheats on her husband with her boss.
Singer Meesha Shafi used her sense of humour to slam the writer with a Tweet
The writer said that through his dramas, he is fighting for the “good women”. “You can’t find a bigger feminist in Pakistan than me,” the screenwriter proclaimed.
Qamar said loyalty is solely a woman’s duty, adding that he believes in equal rights for women, but still on the lower level. He remarked: “A woman’s only beauty is her self-respect and honour.”
However, the interview went even more downhill from there. Here’s what the Kaaf Kangana director said next: “When people ask me about equality, I ask them if they have heard the news of five men kidnapping a woman, to which they reply yes.”
But then I ask them if they have heard the news about five women kidnapping a man,” he said. “If women want equality, they need to do the same things men are doing,” he added. “Go and rob a bus, abduct a man and gang-rape him. Only then I would know there is equality.”
The writer went a little too far with his misogynistic remarks. “Women don’t know their rights, they want a share of men’s rights, which they can never have,” he said, adding, rather strangely, that they will “never be allowed to wear shorts in the Subcontinent”.
Qamar also believes that it is never a man’s fault and it is the woman who tempts men into cheating on their wives. “A woman lures a man into an affair and it is the woman’s fault that she is ruining other people’s marriage.”
He also believes it is impossible for men to say no. “If a man is looking at you, then don’t respond. A man doesn’t have the ability to ignore, but a good woman definitely does,” he added.
Qamar’s statements have sparked backlash on social media, where men and women both want to boycott his work and are calling him a huge misogynist. The screenwriter was aware that his opinions will land him in hot water. “There are specific groups who will tweet about me but there is nothing else they can do,” he said during his interview.