No friend to women

Karo Kari is a henious and deplorable practice. Which sane person can ever justify such a horrendous action? How in the world do you validate taking a life?

Saarysh Zuberi September 11, 2010
Throughout the four years of my degree, which qualifies me to be a filmmaker, I found myself making films on social issues such as karo-kari, prostitution and the Afghan repatriation.

So when it was time for us to really show off with our thesis films, I was only too eager to get the gigantic ball of human suffering rolling in my head. Apparently, it’s what drives me.

So imagine my shock, when, while we’re watching the final outcome of what we proudly called our ultimate ‘master piece’, a fellow female student screens a film on karo-kari. Great so far. I was enthralled. Until I heard her speak about her film.

When asked to talk about it, she dove right in, claiming that the film held personal significance for her because she had known the girl it was based on. You feel it’s that, ‘aww that’s so sad’ moment, right? Wrong.

She then went on to say that in her opinion, women of “such character,” who brought shame upon their families, “deserved to be killed”. It was hard to believe that she was standing in front of an audience justifying the brutal act. And to think that she is one of the educated members of this society.

Which sane person can ever justify such a horrendous action? How in the world do you validate taking a life?

Just over a month ago, the Sindh police, in collaboration with the Gender Justice and Protection Project of the UNDP, organized a seminar titled ‘Preventing Honour Killings in Sindh’.

The crux of the seminar was that if attitudes aren’t changed, behaviours would not change. Spot on people.

What’s amazing to me is how this person could just stand there, tell us she was in favour of honour killing, and then show us how it’s done.

Really? You think we’ve become so tolerant of all the misdeeds around us that we would actually sit back in our chairs, sip away on our sodas and simply nod in agreement to your harebrained rationalisation of what is perhaps the most inhumane crime against women in our country? You lady, are horribly delusional.
WRITTEN BY:
Saarysh Zuberi An independent filmmaker, currently working as a sub-editor at the National desk of The Express Tribune.
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (15)

Taha Ceen Tayyab | 12 years ago | Reply @Haris Masood Zuberi: The woman is not even remotely a hypocrite!
Munira Zoomkawala | 13 years ago | Reply it just exposes a complete non-understanding of basic human rights. 'honour' killing should be unanimously and unarguably denounced for the murder it is!
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