By Angelina Duaa
Another day, another case, another hashtag. It’s a never-ending cycle. People wonder what hell might be like, but the women here in Pakistan don’t have to wonder. They are living it. I am traumatized and I can’t even think straight.
It’s impossible to recuperate from such nightmarish news, because it has no end. It happens everyday. The fact that this incident occurred on Independence Day at minar e Pakistan exemplifies azadi for women in this country.
Firstly, women are not allowed to leave their houses on this day because of the crowd of outside. Which consists of all you MEN. And if a women dared leave her house on a day that is suppose to be her independence day as well, this is what happens to her.
Tum mardoun ko hi tumhari azadi Mubarak ho.
To all the women in this country, just run from here, run for your lives. This is no place for a woman, for children, for daughters, for corpses and even animals.
Whenever I step out of my house alone, I always wonder if I’ll make it back alive or not. Every time this thought crosses my mind, do you realize how deplorable that is? This is how every woman in this country feels. There is always this fear of getting raped, groped, assaulted, and murdered by these men. Put them all on a fucking leash, cage them, and see how the crimes rate in Pakistan drop. Kill them all for all I care.
How do people still have the audacity to blame the women! 400 men weren’t the problem, but yeah that one woman who just wanted to celebrate Independence Day and make some tiktok was the one at fault. “Why did she leave the house” “women are advised to stay inside their homes, according to Islam” “there is a reason why women are told to stay inside, this was bound to happen” I cant wrap my head around these comments, I cant help but quaver and cry right now. Why do you men hate women so much? What do you want from us? How on earth do you call yourselves human? How on earth do you have the audacity to bring religion into this! Manipulate it to your advantage and always ALWAYS blame the women in the end. A women out on Independence day, oh god how incongruous, so these men take it upon themselves to ruin her life, traumatize her for life and enjoy their independence day! Because how dare a woman leave her house Azadi kay din?
Where are the Mullah’s now? I don’t see them crying on national television now and saying “Qoaum kay betay kharab ho gaye hain’
Yes, not all men. Just 400 of them against one woman. I feel sick to my stomach. I am outraged, disgusted and terrified. Terrified to even leave my house.
To all the men, stop turning a blind eye towards the barbarisms that take place here, crimes committed by men. It is always the women who are fighting, because yeah it is easy for you to move on. You are not being beheaded, raped, groped, assaulted and stripped naked my men. It’s us women. The effect it has on the women is something that you will NEVER be able to comprehend. The very least you can do is to reach out to the women in your life, and ask them if they are okay. Because none of them are, show your support, raise YOUR voice. Yeh sirf aurtoun ki larai nai hai!!
Don’t say ‘you understand’ because you don’t. You never will. And if you still stand by your stance of ‘not all men’ then you are no better than all those 400 men.
Shame on all of you men. All of you. Every single man out here is part of the problem. If you think you’re better than the rest because you are not out there assaulting women, and so you don’t have to raise your voice. Then you’re part of the problem.
To all those men who were out their celebrating 14th august while their mothers, sisters, female friends and daughters stayed inside because its not safe for them, how do you go on celebrating this day? Doesn’t it ever occur to you that this is not only your country, where all the women you know in your life are caged on this day you find it perfectly normal and acceptable to go out and celebrate. Because yeah, tum tou ho na azad. Kesi azadi hai yeh? Mubarak ho tum sab mardoun ko yeh mulk.
To all the men justifying ‘not all men’ you are part of the problem. You want people to give you a prize because you act like a decent human being? NO! That’s how you are supposed to act.
Make yourself better. For once! Take it upon yourself to fight against these brutalities; it is your gender that is culpable. YOU have the responsibility to make it better.
We women are exhausted, totally drained from fighting and remonstrating. Nothing changes around here, and at this point I have little to no hope left. There is no changing this society; there is no changing these men. This is not about lust; it’s the entitlement they feel, the power they wield, and the need to exercise that authority repeatedly against the ‘weaker’ gender. These miscreants always get away with it, they know they rule this country. They know a woman here is helpless. I am done with this country, I hate it and I hate all the men here. You win, I give up.
