Pakistani Religious Leader Uses Rape as a Threat on National TV

We live in a time where Muslims are being scrutinized and their actions are being nitpicked and dissected.
At a time like this, Muslim leaders should be stepping up and leading by example.

We live in a time where Muslims are being scrutinized and their actions are being nitpicked and dissected. At a time like this, Muslim leaders should be stepping up and leading by example.

Just over a month ago, on Friday, June 10, a human rights activist and a television program analyst, Marvi Sirmed, was verbally abused by one of these so-called leaders.
Hafiz Hamdullah, the verbal abuser, is a Pakistani Senator and a representative of the religious political party Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F).

During the month of Ramadan, while much of the Muslim population is fasting and trying to grow in their spirituality, a female activist is being told by a religious Pakistani leader that she is a “whore” and that if she doesn’t respect him that he will “remove her trousers and her mother’s too.”

During the month of Ramadan, while much of the Muslim population is fasting and trying to grow in their spirituality, a female activist is being told by a religious Pakistani leader that she is a “whore” and that if she doesn’t respect him that he will “remove her trousers and her mother’s too.”

Let’s just take a moment to really understand why this is so disturbing on so many levels.
This comment took place while the show was being broadcasted to discuss the ongoing debate on honor killings. So he literally dishonored a woman while trying to defend the outrageous viewpoints of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) that is drafting a legislation which dictates it is permissible for husbands to “lightly beat their wives.”
Coincidentally, Hamdullah sits on the Senate’s Religious and Interfaith Harmony Committee chair for the CII.
During the heated argument, Hamdullah told Sirmed to “act like a woman — not like a husband,” among many other offensive and derogatory statements.
It’s extremely alarming and sickening to witness a lawmaker and spokesperson disrespect and belittle someone he is supposed to represent. It is one thing to use religious references to comb one’s way through an argument, but to make sexist comments in a violent and demeaning tone is simply unacceptable.
By using a disgusting and derogatory remark and using rape as a weapon to retaliate and shut down a debate with Sirmed, he is actively enabling this behavior. To threaten rape and attempt to assault her is completely and totally and grossly unacceptable.  It doesn’t get more messed up than this.

To threaten rape and attempt to assault her is completely and totally and grossly unacceptable.  

Religious leaders have the responsibility to show fairness and support to all sides of the argument, and be a voice of reason.

Religious leaders have the responsibility to show fairness and support to all sides of the argument, and be a voice of reason.

Hamdullah should not be anywhere near the Pakistani senate.
It is people like him that allow patriarchy to become a part of a culture that women then have to become accustomed to. It is because of leaders like him that women are blamed for being victims of rape, and supposedly bringing dishonor to their families. In a society where women are scrutinized — and sometimes killed — for being victims, we need leaders that’ll support us — not threaten to rape us. let alone on national television, sending the message that this behavior is okay.  It’s not okay, and it never will be.
In a country like Pakistan, among many other countries around the world, women are expected to stay quiet. Their voices are considered background noise. This needs to stop. Women are taken advantage of, not only inside their home, but also now on live television, while trying to defend the brutal murders of innocent girls.

In a country like Pakistan, among many other countries around the world, women are expected to stay quiet. Their voices are considered background noise. This needs to stop.

We understand that gender equality is something countries struggle with — but to be victimized by a lawmaker is a heinous act of disrespect, and absolutely demoralizing. It not only portrays Mullahs as hypocrites in the limelight, but also contradicts their title as preachers and religious representatives.

We understand that gender equality is something countries struggle with – but to be victimized by a lawmaker is a heinous act of disrespect and absolutely demoralizing. It not only portrays Mullah’s as hypocrites in the limelight, but also contradicts their title as preachers and religious representatives.

These types of disparate treatment toward women on national television further enables men to continue with abuse toward their wives, daughters and sisters. When they are told they are allowed to lightly beat a woman, when they hear a man like Hamdullah say he will take off another woman’s trousers and motion to hit her on camera… Men like Hamdullah are enablers of patriarchy and do not emulate the essence of the types of Islamic leaders we need to lead the Muslim leaders.
Rape has become such a normalized attack towards woman that a religious and political leader can use it as a tool to threaten a woman on television while defending his viewpoints on honor killings.
Let’s just let that sink in for a second.

Rape has become such a normalized attack towards woman that a religious and political leader can use it as a tool to threaten a woman on television while defending his viewpoints on honor killings.

This is what it has come to, and it is contributing in the mental development of the people watching and witnessing this type of behavior.
It should come as no surprise then to see someone defending his viewpoint advocating violence against women with violence against women.
Hamdullah outrageously personally attacks Sirmed, but isn’t even the slightest bit outraged when it comes to speaking up about the four woman that were burned alive that brought this panel together in the first place.
A religious leader who also plays the role of a political leader must be the voice of reason. Their priority must be fairness, as well as to speak out against acts of violence against woman while promoting gender equality.

A religious leader who also plays the role of a political leader must be the voice of reason. Their priority must be fairness, as well as to speak out against acts of violence against woman while promoting gender equality.

Muslim women in countries like Pakistan should have a female voice representing them against male leaders like Hamdullah who thinks it’s okay to “lightly beat a women.”
Besides treating women in an abhorrent manner, this also does a disservice to men, as it affects all Muslims everywhere, and allows Islamophobes to utilize examples like this to say that Islam is dangerous and violent, and oppressive towards women.
This man and men like him — this is not Islam.
 
Submitted by Maham Khan.