Analysing Veena: If the hat doesn’t fit…
So let us assume that Veena Malik has indeed posed nude for India's FHM magazine. Who cares? PHOTO: AFP
Veena Malik has captured our attention once again. FHM, a men’s magazine, has run a cover featuring a nude Veena Malik, dexterously covering herself with her arms and legs. Malik, in turn, has claimed that the cover is morphed and is suing for damages. She has, however, admitted to shooting “bold” photos with FHM, one of which included a bikini/thong. So even if Malik readily posed naked, or nearly naked, for a men’s magazine whose profit lies in objectifying women, we ask…
So what?
There is a laundry list of complaints and insults we are prepared to throw at Miss Malik. For one:
“Mulk ko badnaam kiya hai!”
(She has tarnished the country’s name!)
Really? As if Veena Malik’s naked body is really the most controversial aspect of Pakistan’s image abroad. Last I checked, it was the corrupt government, the oversized military and oh, bin Laden’s hideout that made Pakistan look bad, not Veena Malik’s curves. She is not an ambassador of Pakistan, despite the philosophy that every Pakistani is an ambassador of Pakistan. While she is clearly a Pakistani woman in Indian territory, she is not the only one who has caused a stir there within the past year. India, and the rest of the world, knows that she is not representative of all Pakistani women. In fact, the West will experience this first-hand soon enough, with Sherry Rehman as Pakistan’s new ambassador to the US.
And then Islam comes in.
“She can’t be Muslim! She’s naked!”
Maybe she is, maybe she isn’t. But the fact of the matter remains that her religion is her personal concern, not ours. If she is to be eternally damned to hell for baring all, then it is she that must pay for her actions. Not you, not I. Perhaps we should forget about her religious transgressions and focus on our own – tall order for a country with a blasphemy law, I know.
The real point of contention is this: There has been an overwhelming response from “liberals” and feminists, both in Pakistan and abroad, praising Veena Malik’s courage and claiming her act is liberating for the women of Pakistan. Malik has been labelled a “feminist” and a “women’s rights activist” since her public lambasting of Mufti Abdul Qawi on Pakistani television. (The Daily Mail claims she is a voice for women’s rights in Pakistan!)
However, what Malik has done by allegedly posing (scantily clad or naked) for a men’s “lifestyle” magazine is completely antithetical to the idea of feminism and the fight for women’s rights. Feminism aims to fight against the ancient patriarchal belief that women are purely sexual objects, created for the carnal pleasure of their male counterparts. Generations of women, American, British, Egyptian, Pakistani, have fought to be recognized as more than just their sexual organs. Miss Malik’s choice to bare her body for the sexual arousal of men is not feminism. In fact, her “bold” choices potentially set back the fight for women’s rights in Pakistan, with the right-wing itching to point fingers and self-righteously claim that “this is what happens when you give a woman freedom!” I, for one, do not want her associated with Pakistani feminism in any way, shape or form (especially not in nude form).
We cannot neglect the fact that Malik’s scandal comes only weeks after activist Aliaa Elmahdy posted a nude photo of herself online, causing similar outrage in Egypt. Her photo, however, was aimed at forcing society to grapple with the age-old exploitation of the female body. Whether or not you support her, it is undeniable that the mentality that she attacks is prevalent around the globe; the mentality that the female body is a tool to be exploited by men, whether to satiate their lust or to assert their dominance.
Elmahdy’s choice to pose naked was to confront this outdated mentality, while Malik’s choice to pose naked was to conform to it.
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of The Express Tribune.
Now this is the perfect example of what we call propaganda!Recommend
Why do I see a feminist condemning Veena Malik’s act while simultaneously asking others to keep mum about it? Kya ye khulla tazad nahi?Recommend
Women posing naked does NOTHING positive to the society. I mean, how and why on earth do women ‘activists’ pose naked for a cause? How on earth are they even helping a cause? And if they claim they are doing it for women then I think this is the most disgraced and pathetic theory I’ve ever come across. It’s just plain stupid and it endangers other women who are not Like these misguided creatures posing naked. Anyways, Veena’s dad has just disowned her for her acts. I think that’s enough. Way to go ‘strong’ woman!!!Recommend
2011 belongs to Veena.
History will remember … in golden words.Recommend
Why is Veena’s choice to pose naked outdated mentality? Why can’t a women who is confident in her body shape show it off? Stop demonizing Veena, as if she is destroying the culture of the country. Quoting a (cheesy but true) dialogue from Dirty Picture,“Mard ko Saadhu banane ke liye aurat ko shaitan banana hi padta hai…..” A woman who is confident in her sexuality, is a force to reckon with. Who are we to judge her on that? Aliaa Ehmady disrobed for a cause. Veena might have done it for purely commercial reasons like money and fame but it still took guts to take the plunge. Maybe she enjoys the attention it gets her or makes her feel empowered. Whatever be her reasons, revel in her freedom of choice to do what she did. Not every woman in the world gets that much to make her own choices and decisions.
Although I would have admired her more if she openly admitted she did it and with no regrets,mullah brigade be damned !
‘Recommend
Indeed the cover is morphed.. She shed it all and she din’t cover up.. but the published version hides her assets with her arms folded and a leg in front!
She ought to file for damage.. her claim stands valid! Boo FHM… enough of doin’ dirty pictures!Recommend
What I don’t understand is, that if you guys really think that Islam is anti-women, and your so called feminism promotes ‘equality’ and oh what not…then why not simply side step from Islam and openly proclaim that you’re not a Muslim any more…after all, how can you think that Islam is THE true religion on one hand, and believe that you or your feminism counterparts know what’s better for men and women more than God himself?….what a trash!Recommend
Great article Ms.Hafsa! too bad you’re addressing the wrong audience here.Recommend
@Indi-pop
Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. Posing naked makes some women feel empowered? Really? Out of all the things to do in this world, shredding your dignity and getting cursed by people is the only way to feel empowered? I think what it actually shows is that if you let women free this is what you get. You won’t get something which is beneficial to society, but you will get something which is a shame and will cause public outrage. Oh God. Where the he’ll is this world headed? First it’s corrupt mullahs and now it’s corrupt misguided womenRecommend
Feminism comes in sorts of different forms. I think it’s different depending on social stigmas. For example, in the U.S., feminism usually manifests itself as the fight for equal pay, a voice in politics, and sometimes, posing naked. In a different culture, it may be the fight to work or travel alone or form sports teams etc. It really depends on the case. But, in all cases, the ultimately point of feminism is the choice of the woman. It’s about having the choice to do whatever’s been barred off from the female population. I think posing naked is a controversial way of joining that fight and she definitely could have selected a method less rash…but, it is, in a way, a pat of feminism. Of course, at first glance the first thing we can all think is immodesty, rebellion, trash etc. But, really, she’s doing what she wants and that’s the overarching point of feminism. Women doing what they want (within boundaries of course; you can’t kill people or anything like that). Everyone up there is in the other comments is kind of pissy but let’s all try to think about her perspective for a second. I think putting yourself (really, really putting yourself not thinking, “I wouldn’t do that!”) helps you understand the reasoning behind the action. I don’t know what or why she did it but if it’s what she wanted, and it was her choice, I’m happy she did it.Recommend
She posed nude because she wants money…why bring religion and patriotism in between….for her money is bigger than former twoRecommend
@Modazul
Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. Posing naked makes some women feel empowered? Really? Out of all the things to do in this world, shredding your dignity and getting cursed by people is the only way to feel empowered? I think what it actually shows is that if you let women free this is what you get. You won’t get something which is beneficial to society, but you will get something which is a shame and will cause public outrage. Oh God. Where the he’ll is this world headed? First it’s corrupt mullahs and now it’s corrupt misguided women
This is response is pretty typical of someone who derives a woman’s primary value from her appearance. I’ve always been adamant about the fact that I believe primary value should come from intellgence and productivity. “Dignity” is basically just a social construct that was created to control other people so I’m not even going to get into that. And all the terminology used in your response implies that same notion; that woman should be controlled. Who the hell would use the words “if you let women free”? You’re pretty much admitting you’re a misogynist. So, this is the “true” nature of women? I don’t agree with that but let’s pretend it is….what’s really wrong with that? What damage physical damage is she doing to the country. None. In the end she has a right to do whatever she wants with HER body and frankly, it’s a really minuscule issue compared to the ridiculous amount of suffering that’s happening in the region.Recommend
I don’t understand why would one need to bare it all to say that the society is mistreating women. Do men pose naked to be taken seriously?
Secondly, Faith is not only personal, it is also collective and its expression makes it survive in the next generation. I can understand when someone atheistic expresses that faith is personal, it is because he is proselytizing for their own religion which is atheism. When believers of one religion say this, it becomes hypocritical because on one hand they say they are believers and on the other they kill the tree of religion by saying it is personal choice how one lives.Recommend
if nudity,”Battameezi”(while talking),ridiculing islamic scholars is to b considered as “women Equality”,then veena malik has acheived it…!congrats to her…!i hope n pray no indian muslim girl especially my Hyderabadi girl would indulge in such acts..!MazAllah..!Recommend
@The reader – oh plz ! you call this propoganda ? Probably the most sensible piece i’ve seen on ET. oh, you must one of the commentors on the religious blogs. You wont understand these issues.Recommend
A good / sensible one. Best thing is to ignore and move forward. It could be a mutual stunt of Magazine and Veena to earn cheap popularity and become controversial for fame.Recommend
Well said Hafsa.
I seriously still don’t get how you can fight for women’s rights by just shedding off all your clothes.Recommend
Amazingg piece of writing.Recommend
Isn’t it “if the shoe doesn’t fit”…?
I feel that a woman has the right to be comfortable in her own body, but in the context of her cultural background, obviously her actions will affect the status quo for women in South Asia.Recommend
Now what should I say?
strong textIf you see something wrong happening and can’t stop it then at least speak against it..!!!! can’t stop something..!!!!!Recommend
@Indi-Pop:
you might consider yourself a feminist, or you may not, but your views about women are just plain sad…why does a woman need to strip naked in order to feel empowered or to get attention??? a woman does not have to be a sex tool in order to order to become a ‘force to be reckoned with’ either. This is simply the objectification of women…be it the case of Veena or Ms.Ehmady, don’t you think its just a wee bit pathetic that these ladies have to lose their clothes just to get their points across?you do realize don’t you that these magazines are ‘MEN’ magazines? they have nothing to do with the empowerment of women!! Its idiots like you who are led to believe that this is gender equality…How many men have you seen doing the same thing just to feel a sense of empowerement??Recommend
@ Hafsa Ahmad
She can’t be Muslim! She’s naked
lol. Excellant wit. tickled my funny bone. Are muslim women born with a Burqa?
I think Veena is a very serious feminist. She adopted a poor kid from India. Very few people know this. I think she went too far ahead with her ” burning the bra ” feminist stuff, She literally overdid it- she burned off all her cloathes.Recommend
first of all…
i would greatly appreciate if Hafsa Ahmed can respond on this and not just write an article and leave the responses of the general masses…
We live in world surrounded by notions, radical or liberal it may be…
but the reality of it remains…
No wonder, woman who dress up shalwar kameez in Pakistan generally are more tuned to wearing jeans abroad….
the question is why???
after getting to know answers…i came to the conclusion that it matters where you live, the surroundings matter…
we ourselves would not leave our cars unlocked in Pakistan but if we were living in Florida for instance, then we would…
Now don’t question the intensity of the situation but just focus on the situation and how the surroundings create a difference in how we perceive and act in a certain surrounding.
If Veena acts the way she is and is praised for her feminism…
so should people start drinking publicly then…is that not freedom?
we ought to have pubs and discs as well…why shouldn’t people party openly???
Yes, there are many issues which surround our country today…
There was a time, when people did not consider a neghbor a considerable person if he/she earned through bribes…today the evil is not considered an evil anymore and people welcome such families with open arms…
“OUR ACCEPTABILITY TOWARDS CERTAIN EVILS”
“HAS IT MADE US BETTER OFF OR WORSE OFF”
a simple question…Recommend
the fight for woman rights…
cannot be won in such immature ways…
i would want to say something here which i mention to a lot of people…
we are “immature liberals”, having almost no idea of intellectual wisdom while we take decisions considering that they will be better off for us…not even thinking for a second what the repercussions of them might be…
let’s not think about just ourselves…but the future which will come after us…
I would not want my children to take bribes…
I Would not want my children to become slaves in a bureaucratic nature…
likewise, i would not want my children to be nude in public…
May it be for any reason what so ever!!!
Let’s see who who wants these things to happen to their children
And please don’t relate this religion…this is simply humanity which i talk about…Recommend
@yasmeen
When I said “if you let women free” I meant it for those families who don’t let their daughters and sisters get education and let them go out alone in public and Don’t even provide them with a little bit of freedom because they assume that giving them freedom will lead to bad consequences and shame for the family. If you read the article even the author mentions it that Veena’s act will be used by some men to show what happens to women if they get freedom. Im supportive of women trying to make a name for themselves by actually doing something constructive and beneficial for the society. But I don’t see anything positive about what Veena did.Recommend
Well when you have Veena, you dont need Mullahs for propaganda! The way she behaves and the way liberals jump to defend her, only feeds all the stereotypes people have about liberals and secularists. SO as usual in this country liberals are their own worse enemies and have a habit of shooting themselves in the feet.
I live abroad and I know for a fact that even westerners AND liberals look down upon page 3 girls. Also real feminists completely condemn the objectification of women in magazines, films and society today. It’s not just nudity, airbrushing of models in magazines, super thin models on runways, overt sexualization of women on TV, theses issues are raising serious debate and concern among not just women rights groups but even doctors, lawyers and politicians about the impact of such commodification of women on society.
But I guess in this society liberals have their priorities specific: ANYTHING that offends the so called morality brigade should be defended and celebrated in the name of freedom. No wonder they are in such decreasing minority and are not taken seriously here. They have no coherent intelligent agenda or purpose!!Recommend
Feminism is about women making their own choices. The End. That’s what Veena did.
On the contrary, telling Veena what she’s supposed to do, even if it means sacrificing her own passions, is against the very heart of feminism.
She’s a model, and if the author’s version of feminism takes hold, the modelling industry in its entirety (which is dependent on men and women showing off their physical beauty) can be kissed goodbye.
If that isn’t what the author intends, then she’s merely haggling over the extent to which female entertainers can please their male fans, while the idea of pleasing male fans itself is not objectionable. So let a woman select her own moral boundaries, because neither you nor Veena have the right to set objective rules for everybody.Recommend
To all those talking about ‘dignity’ w.r.t to posing nude, just try to answer the question as to why not being clothed is to be considered demeaning? I mean, all of us are born naked. The association of clothing to dignity is itself a societal construct. I bet that your typical response that I should run naked too, but that is not the point. The point is that we have been forced by habit and society to consider that clothing is related to dignity.Recommend
I don’t understand how Veena posing naked will do any good to the society. Absurd article.Recommend
A very insightful article. Well done, Ms. Ahmad.Recommend
@radians: and who will decide what God’s want? Women is Islam are not meant to be dominated the way they are being today. feminism, and fighting for women rights, is Islam.Recommend
Look at the bright side…ISI is getting free publicity. Veena should be made the head of ISPR. This is the only way to salvage US-Pak relations.Recommend
Best article I have seen on Tribune so far. You should write more!!!Recommend
O absolutely great.. to be a “feminist” women MUST compromise respect/clothes/manners.Recommend
@Pradeep
Exactly.Recommend
@Faraz Talat:
Wow! Sir, you certainly have a distorted definition of feminism. So, even if making her own decisions mean belittling your values, this would be called feminism?? I don’t even get why this is even being made an issue of feminism. I mean Men are also not allowed to pose nude here. Just because the west has the line drawn a bit further doesn’t mean they are right…I mean look at America, they allow nude pics, and pornography but prostitution is a no! some from Europe would consider that to be prudishness !! point is, if your country has its own culture, you should be proud of it , rather than challenge it(especially not for your own selfish needs)Recommend
You have handled this somewhat nonsensical issue rather well and articulated your thoughts clearly. Especially liked your closing sentence.Recommend
@Adnan:
you might consider yourself a feminist, or you may not, but your views about women are just plain sad…why does a woman need to strip naked in order to feel empowered or to get attention??? a woman does not have to be a sex tool in order to order to become a ‘force to be reckoned with’ either. This is simply the objectification of women…be it the case of Veena or Ms.Ehmady, don’t you think its just a wee bit pathetic that these ladies have to lose their clothes just to get their points across?you do realize don’t you that these magazines are ‘MEN’ magazines? they have nothing to do with the empowerment of women!! Its idiots like you who are led to believe that this is gender equality…How many men have you seen doing the same thing just to feel a sense of empowerement??
A woman poses for a magazine cover naked/ semi-nude/ covered willingly , now tell me whats pinching you? She is not ashamed to show off her body, she is not coerced into it but takes this as independent woman. Tell me why is there this backlash in society. Why do people feel that in order to preserve their culture they need to cover up their women? Have you heard of the expression Freedom of Choice? If it doesn’t matter to her, why on earth does it matter to you? I said that it was empowerment because she did it knowing it would break barriers of society. She did it knowing it this is not what is expected of her. A woman in a burkha or in a bikini is a matter of personal choice not public opinion. For gender equality, women don’t have to be like men, but let them be what they want to be, respect their freedom of choice.Recommend
Adnan,
Pakistan does not have one culture, but a plethora of cultures. Some of them, allegedly, are quite different from yours. It’s imperative not to shove our values down the throats of others.
The crux of feminism is allowing women to follow their passions and be what they want to be. If you’re an impediment to a woman’s passions and prerogatives, then you are exactly what the feminism is fighting against. It’s not a personal interpretation, I’m afraid it’s feminism 101.
And it’s civility 101 that even if you disagree with the personal decisions of another person, you do have to tolerate them, as long as these decisions don’t impinge upon your liberties or the liberties of others.Recommend
The photograph is trivial but Hafsa’s article is splendid and so is the thread of competing comments above. Most thought provoking. The coy mistress in front of the camera can be left to her own devices.Recommend
Very well written. What’s interesting is the very issue you seem to be addressing: the irrational outburst of Pakistanis in reaction to Veena’s actions is exactly what’s playing out in reaction to your article. i.e. most do not stop to reflect on what’s actually being said or done before expressing an opinion. What I draw from your article is that one ought to rationalise their visceral emotions and expend time and energy on things that matter, especially in a country like Pakistan where there are other more important issues that need addressing. Women’s rights is definitely one of them, however in the context of Pakistan’s overwhelmingly conservative culture, such a move actually does disservice to the women’s movement here locally. It’s best to begin with female empowerment in a way which could help alter the mind set that the woman’s place is in the private sphere. Veena’s actions simply offend one’s sense of propriety.Recommend
@zalim singh
She can’t be Muslim! She’s naked
lol. Excellant wit. tickled my funny bone. Are muslim women born with a Burqa?
You made my day!Recommend
@Adnan
Faraz Talat is very correct in his statement. “Feminism is about women making their own choices. The End. That’s what Veena did.”
You can’t tell women WHAT they are allowed to do because then they are not free to make their own choices, even if it is something as extreme as posing nude. Actually, this is the perfect example of how free she considers herself to be. She does not care about the self proclaimed moral high ground her critics claim, she will still do what she feels. This is what freedom of choice is. Putting restrictions on these freedoms based on what YOU think is moral and righteous is repressive. Female repression is what feminism is battling.Recommend
Well, I think what one should extract from this is that Veena Malik is an adult and that whatever she wants to. There are 99 problems this nation is facing and Veena Malik ain’t one.Recommend
@radians: Because either they would be prosecuted under the ‘blasphemy’ law or killed by a ‘Mumtaz Qadri’.Recommend
Veenas 15 mins of fame are over. Now whats more important is if Asif Zardari is staying on as a president, whether we are going to be having a soft coup, or whether Zardari is actually ill or just pretending to be.
Chaddo ji, koi hor gal karo hun.Recommend
The author holds american views towards life. Thinks nudity is perfectly alright and a right of a woman. hahahahaRecommend
Hafsa, I think we have met before at one of my relative’s wedding in D.C. I believe you were with Shaza, BTdubs I couldn’t agree more with your article!!Recommend
Well argued.Recommend
@Haris:
Quick tip read the article again!!!!Recommend
i mean what non sense?Recommend
pakistani wemen should do each and everything in pakistan,but not across the world…what a hypocracy..!Recommend
When a human(male/female) has right to express their views, it should be respected irrespective of region, religion. Every religion accross the world has got its own philosophy to control women. Religions spread cult ideology. Posing nude is person’s will. Forcing person to pose nude or such kind can be considered exploitation. I respect Islam though I am not muslim. But why does religion come into picture whenever women ask for her – rights. If men are superior, given authority to control women at every point of time who spends her entire life to be in control or dominance by Male ego.
When people are aware of their business skills, they amuse the world. Scientists use their brain- part of human body to excel in science, if any religion or fundamentalists opposing this, we can imagine how this world would have been.Recommend
For those who think that if an action does not ‘harm’ anybody physically, then its completely a personal choice and should not be a problem for anyone. Well let me tell you this. After that Egyptian girl stripped naked and posted her photo on the internet, what happened after that? Other women in neighbouring Israel also decided to strip to ‘support’ her. Basically what that egyptian girl did led to others also following this corrupt and shameful act. What im trying to say is, its not necessary for society to be physically inflicted in order to call an action right or wrong. Actions like what Veena did leads to moral and psychological corruption and social harm. Would anybody want his or her daughter or sister to pose naked in front of the whole world? And guess what happened to Veena after this act? Her dad DISOWNED her. Now lets see if shes gonna be happy about this or not and if people still congratulate her for her act. Shes disgraced in this world and the next.Recommend
No Judgement on ur actions..Ur as free as i am for any action…But U knew the consequences will be severe n even life threatening…So is fame n money really worth dying?? Did u not consider to relocate elsewhere before doing this…Not questioning ur morals but this decision was lacking Intelligence ..agree ?Recommend
Veena this Veena that. I’m so over this veena saga. In a country of 180 million people nobody can find another issue to write aboutRecommend
Posing naked is more consistent with misogyny instead of feminism. Very little can be achieved by graphical display of such a nature. Feeling good should not be directly associated with looking good but that is what the fashion and the beauty industry want – to men and women to be good consumers of their products. However, our mental representation of beauty and well-being distorted due to senseless marketingRecommend
@Ali Islam
“The author holds american views towards life. Thinks nudity is perfectly alright and a right of a woman. Hahahaha.”
That’s a huge assumption.
That’s not exclusively an American view at all and claiming so is extremely ignorant.
There’s no need to be disrespectful.Recommend
If being in nude is so bad, The creator would have send us all dressed up to the teeth.Recommend
@The Reader:
Another negative comment from you. So much of negativity can be traced back to you. Great going !Recommend
Veena’s photoshoot, I’m loving it!Recommend
I d’onot know why the people discuss so much a non issue.Why to discuss what Veena Ji is doing??we have many issues to discuss at home rather than what she is doing.D’not give importance to these kind of stunts.Just stick to your work.Recommend
I just can’t understand why her action is compared with incompetent govt or other issues 2 undermine its absurdity . its like trying 2 prove that theft is not a bigger crime than fraud. She has done wrong n other matters in pakistan like memogate, obl n list go on r also due 2 wrong actions of govt but that doesn,t justify her action. 2day if sumone gets up n say that i should b allowed 2 b gay than we should allow it as so many corrupt things r happening n Above all we as an individual v rights. i admit she can do what she like but she iis member of my religion n country n we v sum ethics [ pardon me if those ethics r not washed away in global modernism 4 sum but 4 me they xist as i tell my kids 2 follow them. ok i' m CONSERVATIVE] so she like it or not but she must gollow themRecommend
Who is she? c grade actor? Let her enjoy for couple of years. We must focus on work and other issues. Pointing fingers do not solve problmes. Cheap publicity is bad.Recommend
@Shafi Ahmed(Deccan) – Dude u seem to be living in the wrong country. India is a SECULAR country – you & indians would be better off without each other – You should seriously contemplate moving to an Islamic country. If you live in India your religion is a personal thing – u have no right to impose ur way of life on others and this aint changing anytime soonRecommend
Veena Malik has been very clear that she is doing this sort of photo shoots because she is in the entertainment industry. She never claimed that she is posing nude because she is a feminist. Why are people attacking her for things which she never said? Don’t Pakistanis have more serious issues in the country which does more damage to pakistans reutation as a society that a nude lady from Pakistan? It’s appears that people are cowards because they want to ignore the really big issues but go after soft targets like veena Malik.Recommend
a good sensible piece of writingRecommend
I liked everything I read till the last part, where it seems that you agreed with the nude blogger from Egypt. Perhaps you don’t agree but sympathize with her? Personally, I thought her actions were disgusting, and counterproductive to say the least. All in all, well written blog and I do agree – who cares about Veena! I’m so over this hot mess – this chick needs to make an exit out of her 15 mins of sleazy fame FAST.Recommend
@saad:
Ew. Gross. Disagree 100%Recommend
To all men, come on now its our time to fight for our rights. we need someone like veena who can fight for us and pose nude lolzRecommend
Veena is a beautiful woman and has lovely curves. She obviously got paid handsomely for this photo-shoot and I have done my part by buying a copy of the magazine and adore her. This is simply the reason why she is in business, she has a great body to flaunt and I have 100 rupees to give to get a sneak peek at that. Its her wish – who are we to be moral judges. Way to go Veena.Recommend
liberal extremism = beautiful naked women
islamic extremism = terrrorism and death
what kind of society would you like to live in?Recommend
@ABCD
Great argument. (sarcasm)Recommend
@radians:
“..after all, how can you think that Islam is THE true religion on one hand, and believe that you or your feminism counterparts know what’s better for men and women more than God himself?”
Wrong. You mean to say “…believe that you or your feminism counterparts know what’s better for men and women more than “me”?”
Or
“…believe that you or your feminism counterparts know what’s better for men and women more than “what I think God says about women”?”
This comment isn’t about Veena Malik – it’s about the self-assured arrogance of commentary on this blog.Recommend
@saad:
There is a huge area of moderation between fully naked woman and fundamentalism of fully clothed woman/terrorism/death. That’s where i would like to live and i think most people like to live there too.Recommend
I am proud of Veena Malik for standing up to the maulvi. She did a great job defending herself and made those both pathetic excuses of men stunned. They did not have any debatable or worthy answers to her questions. The host was using foul and insensitive language and innuendos. For sure these men need to sort themselves out. They think that they have think god given right to make the country they live in pure and pious, when in fact no one gave them that right.
Only one question! Why don’t men leave the women be?
They have no right to pass judgements over anyone. They have no right or knowledge to educate someone as to how one should live their lives. What has become of Pakistan? It seems like all the men have taken on themselves to make the country right.They are nothing but rotting the country by their small mindedness and illiteracy. Pakistan will go no further if people keep listening to barking dogs like these.
POWER TO THE WOMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Recommend
it is her will her choice let her what every she is doing.. why we people are putting our finger in every bodies matter..Recommend
the first criticism of Veena by a feminist I’ve come across thus far…..very legitimate.Recommend
@Shafi Ahmed(Deccan):
Shut up! Which Indian city belong do you belong to? Know that Indian constitution is supreme and no religion will disobey that force! Women have right to do what they want in India per constitution. Hats of to Veena for showing that Pakistan is something other than terrorists. Otherwise what respect Pakistan does have….Recommend
one more naked womanRecommend
Right or wrong, corrupt or not she is hot.Recommend
She is wrong when saying sVeena will pay herself for what she may have done. Well i am not an extremist but it is our duty to stop or at least condemn the act orally as it is effecting all the Pakistanis image of being Muslims. I agree, many acts have happened in the past that brought bad image to Pakistan but it does not mean that we should not at lease condemn another shameful act.Recommend
those who say Pakistanis don’t like nude women may kindly refer to the statistics relating to the popularity of pornographic material..Recommend
Hats off to the writer! Absolutely AmazingRecommend
Without any doubt! We and every one should leave her alone and specially the respected religious fanatics. The fact of the matter is i appreciate her for this show of liberalism and being an adult, She is free to do whatever she wants to (The Law gives her this freedom) and the point of harming someone, Absolutely not! Who is harmed by this act except The Fanatics. We should tear ourself up from extremism and should proceed to think sensibly and positively.
Thank You!Recommend
Good going Veena,as they say love me or hate me you CAN’T ignore me.You’ve succeeded to grab all the attention once AGAIN,congratulations girl.Recommend
@teejay:
well, sir, your question is very similar to this one: ‘who will decide what is physics all about?’…well, evidently who study physics, a physicist(expert on physics), who else? and now don’t come by saying that physics is not up for any ‘clergy’ to interpret, that is, until you’re at least a scientist it would be stupid to question the peer reviewed system. so if the clergy(experts on religion) say that some elements in feminism are not only anti-religious, in fact, their content is quite blasphemous, i don’t see any problems accepting it, provided that I have not studied the subject under discussion in a formal fashion as they did. it’s the same with every subject on planet earth. and if you think that their interpretation is wrong for some reason(perhaps because it doesn’t quite ‘fit’ into your western copycat mindset), then why not go through a detailed 8 years of religious education and show all of them where they all went wrong?
and no, feminism(if by that you mean giving freedom to women to take off their clothes, scarfs, have illicit relations with their counterparts etc etc) then no, feminism is by no means Islamic. it is as anti-Islamic as it can get. fair demands(such as the freedom to take worldly education, and to work outside when a genuine need arise etc) are recognized in Islam on condition that men and women are segregated to the maximum possible and Islamic manners and decorum maintained. It’s the same with men, we also on the other hand are not totally free. we have out limitations, which are in many cases way more strict than anything else. it’s all about what God wants and how he tests me to see will I leave/adopt anything on his command and so on.Recommend
@There u go again:
Not necessarily. but anyways, my point was, that this hypocrisy against religion shall be unveiled. if Islam bothers your favorite western trends that much, and you dislike it to such an extent, then I don’t see any reason why you should still stay a Muslim. and even if you’re threatened to death for that, firstly, what else do you expect, rejecting and criticizing something which is so dearly regarded by the majority, and then doing it even in front of them? what do you think if you are to be given your so called ‘freedom of choice’ to criticize religion whenever you want, however you want(regardless of the fact whether it can be categorized as at least somewhat academic and/or scholarly), then what would religion become at the end of the day if not a joke? if you want answers, then ask them in a decent fashion. if you want to debate, then debate in a scholarly manner…and if you want to declare everything in religion a ‘kala kanoon’ based upon nothing else but on your own blanket plain emotions, then please go and join the company of the western parrots, they’re quite good at it…Recommend
@teejay:
well, sir, your question is very similar to this one: ‘who will decide what is physics all about?’…well, evidently who study physics, a physicist(expert on physics), who else? and now don’t come by saying that physics is not up for any ‘clergy’ to interpret, that is, until you’re at least a scientist it would be stupid to question the peer reviewed system. so if the clergy(experts on religion) say that some elements in feminism are not only anti-religious, in fact, their content is quite blasphemous, i don’t see any problems accepting it, provided that I have not studied the subject under discussion in a formal fashion as they did. it’s the same with every subject on planet earth. and if you think that their interpretation is wrong for some reason(perhaps because it doesn’t quite ‘fit’ into your western copycat mindset), then why not go through a detailed 8 years of religious education and show all of them where they all went wrong?
and no, feminism(if by that you mean giving freedom to women to take off their clothes, scarfs, have illicit relations with their counterparts etc etc) then no, feminism is by no means Islamic. it is as anti-Islamic as it can get. fair demands(such as the freedom to take worldly education, and to work outside when a genuine need arise etc) are recognized in Islam on condition that men and women are segregated to the maximum possible and people maintain Islamic ethics. It’s the same with men, we also, on the other hand are not totally free. we have out limitations, which are in many cases way more strict than anything else. it’s all about what God wants and how he tests us to see should we leave/adopt anything on his command and so on.Recommend
@There u go again:
Not necessarily. but anyways, my point was, that this hypocrisy against religion shall be unveiled. if Islam bothers your favorite western trends that much, and you dislike it to such an extent, then I don’t see any reason why you should still stay a Muslim. and even if you’re threatened to death for that, firstly, what else do you expect, rejecting and criticizing something which is so dearly regarded by the majority, and then doing it even in front of them? what do you think if you are to be given your so called ‘freedom of choice’ to criticize religion whenever you want, however you want(regardless of the fact whether it can be categorized as at least somewhat academic and/or scholarly), then what would religion become at the end of the day if not a joke? if you want answers, then ask them in a decent fashion. if you want to debate, then debate in a scholarly manner…and if you want to declare everything in religion a ‘kala kanoon’ based upon nothing else but on your own
blanket plain emotions, then please go and join the company of the western parrots, they’re quite good at it…Recommend
@radians:
“then why not simply side step from Islam and openly proclaim that you’re not a Muslim ”
because that would make us ‘waajib-ul-qatal’Recommend
@author: “Last I checked, it was the corrupt government, the oversized military and oh, bin Laden’s hideout that made Pakistan look bad, not Veena Malik’s curves.”
Before you make an emotional assertion like ‘an over-sized military; please support your argument with evidence. These emotional rants here and there may not matter to you but might be of concern to wider national audience. Further, on OBL issue, findings/ reports of Special Committee are still pending. Wait till the genie is out of the bottle before you issue a qualifying statement! I dunno, why do we embrace assertions from foreign sources, may it even be a sweeper (though they are not usually white-skinned), instantly without rationally questioning their authenticity and credibility?
Well! strictly in response to the main thrust of you article and on a lighter note, “where are the pictures so talked about?” I haven’t found them as yet! lol!Recommend
Does Islami apply to Muslim men also? How many Pakistan men who use Internet have never looked at naked women on the Internet? How many of them did not try to look at Veena’s nude picture? Did any one raise questions about Gilani’s video with Sherry Rehman on youtube?Recommend
Just having a Muslim name makes her Muslim? Let us not forget that where most of the actresses come from in film industry. I think she is forcefully given a tag of Muslim, while her actions tell us a whole different story.
Secondly Why is not religion involved in case of pornstars? Does christianity allow it?Recommend
@Hyacinth:
Beautifully said but as for ‘cultural background’, it is destined to change always with the actions of the members of the society. What we find as the culture, has not been a solid and permanent structure but is a fluid like thing which is to change with all times. You must consider and keep in mind.Recommend
@Abdul Rafeh Iqbal:
Sir, you are talking of humanity. That is commendable. Being human beings, we are born naked. Human being lived a long way naked and lately started to cover themselves with leaves etc. The clothes were later invented and produced. Don’y you think that environmental need (cold, heat) and the industrial greed (textile and fashion) made us more ashamed of our own bodies over the time? Psychology has its own ways to make turn humans.Recommend
@Faraz Talat:
“If you’re an impediment to a woman’s passions and prerogatives, then you are exactly what the feminism is fighting against.” Beautifully said all what was needed to convey.Recommend