The illusion of ‘honour’

“When he is best he is a little worse than a man, and when he is worst he is little better than a beast.” - William Shakespeare

The intolerance in our society is not new; it has always been there. No opportunity is lost in taking a human life under the shield of honour and faith. Slain model and social media activist Qandeel Baloch’s life may have appeared to be free from all traditional and cultural constraints, but her murder reinforced the social reality of Pakistani culture. It is ironic that the establishment of our ‘honour’ depends upon another person’s breach of it.

Qandeel Baloch used her body as weapon to protest against the injustices of society — her condition can be seen as a case of depression and mental disorder. Yet it would appear that our society as a whole has been driven to desperation on the back of socio-economic challenges. In this aspect, one could say that she was, to an extent, a personification of the ills of our society.

Qandeel’s rightful aspirations to liberation from conventions were abruptly brought to a halt by the horrendous actions of her brother. We had also learnt of her trauma caused by the abuse and torture administered by her despotic husband. Yet it is her father who must be blamed for being the first man to scar this sensitive and intelligent young lady, by forcefully marrying her off at an early age without understanding her needs.

We must admit that our society is confused and unbalanced. Pakistanis cannot even make up their minds about where they belong and who their heroes are. The education system has done a great harm too, by cooking up history. Humanity is lost and extremist religious views have taken hold. It was not Qandeel’s brother who committed an honour-killing. It was our society. How can a murder be associated with honour?

We need to learn a lesson from Qandeel’s tragic death and help the upcoming generations resolve their internal and external conflicts. We need to teach them to think rationally and come up with scientific solutions. It is easy to use culture and religion to justify extreme, emotions. Many of us, instead guiding our youth on how to lead contented lives, generate fear and confusion in their minds. This does not encourage critical thinking.

There are hundreds of girls like Qandeel who are the sole bread-earners for their families, but they keep a low profile. The media must refrain from putting their lives at risk by wrongful exposure.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 31^st, 2016.