Unidentified men deface Noor Mukadam’s poster in Sialkot and Twitter is in tears

Reportedly, a group of unidentified men vandalised Noor Mukadam’s poster in Sialkot yesterday. Displayed at the Ghanta Ghar, the poster that depicted Noor against a mural she painted herself, has now been defaced.

After a local magazine shared pictures of the marred poster on Instagram, several took to Twitter to question how the face of a woman, who was so brutally tormented and murdered, could have bothered certain residents so much that even her poster had to be vandalised?

A user tweeted, “Noor’s poster against a Mural she painted herself has been vandalised in Sialkot. It’s painful to see how people can project their hate on an innocent woman." The added, “A woman who was a victim to such a gruesome crime, God knows what kind of society we are breathing in.”

Another chimed in saying, “This is ridiculous, shame on you people! [You] can't even bear a poster...”

The majority felt we had failed Noor as a nation, especially since we could not even protect her memories after her grotesque slaughter. “Again, we failed as a nation, such a shameful act. The poster of #NoorMukadam displayed at Ghanta Ghar, Sialkot has been demolished.," read another tweet.

A user questioned, “This Noor Makadam Solidarity poster was vandalised in Sialkot and then you ask why we need an 'Aurat March'?” Another user shared a series of photos of the poster tweeting, “And then we claim that this country gives dignity and respect to its women!”

But for the majority, this was just another sign of hopelessness, shame and the prevailing misogyny in Pakistan which does not seem to be losing grip.

The late 27-year-old and daughter of a former diplomat, was found beheaded in a posh neighbourhood of the capital on July 20. Police charged Zahir Jaffer, a US national and scion of one of the wealthiest families, with murder, reported Reuters.

Investigators say the two were friends, and Jaffer lured Mukadam, the daughter of Pakistan's former envoy to South Korea, to his home, held her there for two days, and then brutally murdered her.

Noor's murder has become the most keenly reported femicide in recent history. Social media erupted with furious disgust, and there have been protests and vigils in major cities, as well as among the Pakistani diaspora as far away as Canada and the United States.

Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.