Mahira Khan and Sajal Aly also speak up against women harassment

ISLAMABAD: In a powerful display of solidarity, some of Pakistan’s most prominent actors have taken to social media to express their outrage over the rising incidents of harassment against women in the country. Sajal Ali, Mahira Khan, Mariyam Nafees, Zara Noor Abbas, and Faiza Saleem have demanded justice and societal change in response to what they described as alarmingly persistent harassment of women.

This collective outcry was sparked by a disturbing video circulating on social media. The footage shows a man on a motorcycle, with a child believed to be his son, brazenly groping a woman in an abaya as he rides past her. The incident has ignited a firestorm of condemnation from the entertainment industry and beyond.

Mahira Khan

Mahira Khan, one of Pakistan’s most recognizable faces both at home and internationally, took a particularly poignant approach to addressing the issue. She shared a scene from her popular Express Entertainment miniseries Razia on Instagram, accompanied by the sardonic caption, “With apologies to dogs.” The powerful scene features Khan’s character, Razia, delivering a scathing monologue that directly addresses Pakistan’s harassment crisis.

In the clip, Razia stands veiled in black, with her dress labeled with words like “mamoo” (maternal uncle), “gandi nazar” (lustful gaze), and “tharak” (debauchery). As she lifts her veil, she delivers a biting critique of societal attitudes: “We tried covering up the meat, but the dogs couldn’t stop smelling it. Following the meat’s scent, they ended up at our houses. Because the problem isn’t meat, it’s greed.”

Khan’s character challenges the dehumanization of women, stating, “Turning us women into meat, you’re willing to be called dogs? How incredible! God made you human, the noblest of all creations with a grasp of good and bad. But if you really want to be a dog, so be it. But stop attacking us like meat.”

The scene ends with a searing indictment of Pakistan’s national motto: “Unity, faith, and discipline. This nation has truly committed to this adage in one area: tharak (debauchery).”

Razia, which marked Khan’s return to television last year, has been praised for its nuanced portrayal of patriarchy’s enduring influence on women’s lives in Pakistan. The series, directed by Mohsin, has garnered critical acclaim for its blend of wit and poignancy, with Khan’s performance and Shaheera Jalil’s debut receiving particular praise.

A Worrisome Picture

Other actors have also been vocal in their condemnation of the motorcycle incident. Mariyam Nafees challenged victim-blaming culture, writing on Instagram, “And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a fully covered woman!” Her comment directly refutes the often repeated notion that a woman’s clothing choices are to blame for harassment.

Zara Noor Abbas, who recently became a mother, emphasized the generational impact of such behavior. “Raising another generation of harassers while they are on the bike. Children are puppets. They do what they see. And this man is leading by example here for the child,” she wrote, adding a controversial statement: “I wish. I wish I was allowed to murder.”

Faiza Saleem called for public shaming of harassers, stating, “Their faces should be plastered all over the internet and everywhere else too. This is the harsh reality of millions of women in Pakistan, India, and other parts of the world where any sense of shame is only associated with women, not men.”

Perhaps the most despairing sentiment came from Sajal Ali, who expressed a loss of faith in her country’s future. “It’s awful to see how common it’s become for men to harass women and children. I can’t help but feel hopeless about where we’re headed,” she wrote.

The united front presented by these influential figures underscores the severity of the harassment issue in Pakistan. Their willingness to speak out, especially through the medium of art as seen in Razia, represents a significant pushback against entrenched societal norms that have long silenced victims.

However, their impassioned pleas also highlight the frustration felt by many women in Pakistan who see little concrete action being taken to address the root causes of harassment. The incident involving the motorcyclist, occurring in broad daylight and in full view of a child, serves as a stark reminder of how normalized such behavior has become.