Karachi is an urban centre that tops the list of most literate district in the country
LAHORE: The reactions to the electrocution of teenagers in Karachi who eloped to get married of their own free will shows how little people realise the dynamics of the society they live in. One of the many reactions besides condemning the brutal act ordered by a Jirga to protect its community’s honour, was how could something like this occur in a modern metropolitan city like Karachi.
Karachi is an urban centre that tops the list of most literate district in the country. It has a growing middle class and a diverse population of 15 million people. But literacy, diversity and progress doesn’t necessarily translate into a mindset free of any cultural constructs. And failing to identify that lets customs like these being practised right under our noses.
Many people were also of the view that migrants from other regions bring along their own customs and fail to adapt to their new environment. But such an argument only manages to create a divide of ‘us’ and ‘them’, making the former appear ‘better’ and fails to identify the real issue at hand: honour killing. The idea of honour isn’t limited to a certain class. It is being taught to us through our socialisation in schools, TV and movies, among other things, irrespective of where we reside. To be able to eradicate such a misconstrued concept, we need to avoid getting into a class divide and focus on how we could better the society together.
Ramsha Nasir
Published in The Express Tribune, September 16th, 2017.
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