South Asia has had decades of abuse against women, but now things are starting to leak out into the world. News channels are reporting misogyny and abuse against women, and people have begun peacefully protesting for equal rights. For anyone who doesn’t know, on July 20, 2021, Noor Mukadam, the daughter of former Pakistani diplomat Shaukat Mukadam, was killed out of revenge and rage. She had refused to marry her killer, Zahir Jaffar, who then beat her and stabbed her, and later beheaded her.
Noor Mukadam was a 27-year-old daughter to Shaukut Mukadam, who was a former Pakistani diplomat in South Korea and Kazakhstan. She was murdered on July 20th, in Islamabad’s F-7/4 sector.
Zahir Jaffar is a citizen of both Pakistan and the United States, and he had been banished from the UK as a result of several rape and abuse charges against him. He was arrested, along with his parents who let the abuse happen, and confessed to the murder on Monday. He is the son of one of Pakistan’s biggest businessmen, and his parents will help release him
because of their high status and power within society.
Jameela Jamil, a British-Pakistani actress, expressed her concern for women following this incident:
“I am disgusted to learn the details of what happened to Noor Mukadam,” she wrote. Jamil added “that this level of violence no longer surprises me considering the ongoing violence against women in Pakistan and India.” She urged “men in the public eye to speak out about this” (The Washington Post).
This being said, abuse towards women is prevalent throughout the world but is more common in South Asia because there aren’t many laws that protect the rights of women or punish rapists or murderers. Although this is the first incident that has been brought to public and international attention, I’m sure there were countless other incidents, some even worse, that have been buried in history. The patriarchy supports male dominance, which gives them the power to materialize and abuse women and children. It isn’t right to say Pakistan is the only country that supports this abuse, but it definitely has become the site for international attention and the beginning of a new era of power and change for women.
To make things clear, I definitely do not think all men make up this vicious population. Lack of education and teachings on how to respect women lead to unfortunate events like this, but that doesn’t mean all men are part of the problem. Some are even voicing their opinions and concerns and fighting in solidarity with people for the things they believe in.
At times, words can overrule power. That’s why it is important for us to stand up for what’s right by any means, whether that’s by spreading information and facts or protesting. Although it’s not much, it’s a big step toward granting justice to women who became victims of some men’s anger and privilege.