We need to publicly execute rapists: Iqra Aziz

Popular actor Iqra Aziz opened up about many things in a recent interview with actor and host Iffat Omar on a web show. The young starlet discussed her childhood, how she ended up in the television industry and the reaction towards her latest television serial, Jhooti.

She also talked about her marriage to Yasir Hussain, what made her fall in love with him and what needed to be done in order to empower women in our society.

Starting off with her early marriage, Iqra expressed how she had an objection with the kind of speculations that arose before she made her relationship with Yasir official. “Everyone would keep asking, ‘Are you dating? Are you together? Are you not?’ I wanted to get away from all that. And I figured that instead of craving for each other’s time we should just get married,” said the Ranjha Ranjha Kardi actor.

She then relayed how attached she is to positive energy, adding that whenever she feels the slightest negativity around her, she tends move away from it. With respect to this, Iqra revealed how at the time of her marriage she was nervous but as soon as she reached the venue she became the happiest person. “In fact, Yasir became more nervous than I was, which is a big deal was because he rarely ever is,” said Iqra.

She confessed how she didn’t even cry during the time of her nikkah or her rukhsati. “I told everyone to not play any sad music because it was a happy occasion. I come from a family where no man has ever supported us so I was never the emotional kind,” the actor revealed.

Recalling how only her mother and elder sister brought her up while she lost her father when she was 12, Iqra said, "I don’t even have a brother. I’ve been surrounded by such strong women and we all did everything ourselves. So I never had to be emotional or rely on anyone,” she confessed. Reminiscing how her mother would always prioritise her education, Iqra revealed how it took her elder sister to convince her mother to leave her studies and let her act.

“They told me I could only take a year off from my studies and in that time if I could convince everyone that I’m a good actor then I could continue,” revealed the starlet.

The Suno Chanda actor also disclosed that she has always picked the characters she wanted to play without any advice from anyone else. “I’ve always felt that the damsel in distress can never be the only representation of a girl. There are bigger, more important narratives in her life,” she said.

Presenting a reality check, Iqra relayed how in order for female actors to choose empowered roles they had to be offered those characters. And that could only happen if the writers and producers created them. “Things are changing. We are getting more important roles now. But our audience takes the characters they see on screen very seriously. You can tell from the reaction I’m getting to the negative role I’m playing these days,” said the starlet subtly referring to her character in Jhooti.

Iqra expressed how her fans are actually mixing her character with who she really is, assuming that she may be that big of a liar in real life too. “And to be honest I appreciate that, because we work really hard to bring those characters to life,” she said.

The Qurban star then explained how that was proof that a more empowered character could leave a bigger, more life-changing impact. “I believe we need to change the narrative. Instead of simply showing a husband return from work as his wife takes his briefcase, asks him to freshen up while she readies the table for him, the creators can also show her coming home from work or send her out to achieve something.”

Television aside, deriving an example from her personal life, Iqra revealed how – because she doesn’t know how to cook – Yasir often cooks food for her and doesn’t ask her for anything, especially when she is tired. “And because he never asks, I feel like doing things for him. Like I cooked for him and his friends for the first time yesterday after guidance from his sister and everyone loved it,” she said.

She revealed how several such habits of Yasir's made her realise that he was the one – especially when she went to Canada with him. “He respected me and protected me. I think it’s very important for a man to be able to protect you – not unnecessarily, of course,” she said, steering clear of the over protective kind.

When asked if it was because of this kind of protection that women required in our society that strengthened the need for events like Aurat March, Iqra agreed adding that it was precisely because of that and the bigger more serious issues. “Last year the slogan negating how women are supposed to sit became very popular in our Aurat March – and I loved it. But I feel that’s a conversation we need to have with our elders. That mindset is deep-rooted,” she explained.

Iqra then relayed how the bigger issue at hand was the abuse women faced on a daily basis, and the first thing that needed to be focused upon was their education so they could identify that abuse. “And then we need to change the law so they can take a stand,” said Iqra.

She went on to emphasise on how a rapist needed to be hung publicly so that he could be made an example of. “We need to publicly execute rapists. People may have varying opinions on this matter but I believe that a person who is capable of rape can never live among other people without being a threat.”

Iqra went on to conclude how only a public display of the consequence of a crime that gruesome could diminish it altogether. “You need to make an example of a rapist so others like him can never dare to do what he did,” she emphasised.

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