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Watch this news anchor correct Mustafa Kamal's casual sexism on live TV

Watch this news anchor correct Mustafa Kamal's casual sexism on live TV

We hope Shahzeb Khanzada inspires more men in the public eye to slam sexist comments like this one
Updated 14 Nov, 2017

Last night's regular late-night news programming was interrupted by a welcome spot of gender sensitivity 101.

It went like this:

On the current affairs talk show Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Ke Saath on Geo News yesterday, host Shahzeb Khanzada was talking to the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) Chairman Mustafa Kamal about his rift with Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar.

During their conversation, Kamal described Sattar's recent behaviour as "auraton kee tara rona dhona, chooriyan torna, cheel ki tarah chillana" (i.e. crying like a woman, smashing bangles, shrieking like an eagle).

We've heard worse references to women on national television go by with little consequence, but Khanzada, refreshingly, cut in to correct this instance of casual sexism.

"Apologies for the intervention, but it's not right to refer to women like that," Khanzada said. "Women are a powerful group. It's not right to refer to them like this. That's all, please continue."

Khanzada clearly took Kamal by surprise, as he took a small pause to perhaps, gather his thoughts.

But far from apologising for his mistake, Kamal tried to defend it: "Thank you for correcting me. I agree with you. But with reference to what I was saying, you may know some strong women, I know some weak ones..."

"Men can also be weak," Khanzada replies with a laugh. "Anyway, we can continue our discussion."

Khanzada's 10-second intervention is an example to all men in the public eye: it's not that hard to call out sexist behaviour.

A well-timed comment can make all the difference and make an offender rethink their actions.

Twitter, of course, has erupted in cheers since the news clip of this exchange has gone viral:

Comments

Amjad Nazir Nov 14, 2017 03:35pm
I think the anchor went overboard. What Mustafa Kamal said is an ordinary usage of the language.. .. Nothing derogatory or indecent about it
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waleed fakhar Nov 14, 2017 03:56pm
Mustufa Kamal is the ill mannered person. He was famous and liked 10 years ago because of Altaf Hussain
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Khurram Nov 14, 2017 04:02pm
Although it was good to see Shahzeb Khanzada correcting this but we all know the real reason he cut him and corrected him, basically to give a rejoinder by ridiculing him. Rest assured he would have remain dead silent had this comment passed by any MQM or PML(N) leader.
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AJR Nov 14, 2017 04:03pm
well done! SK
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Lubna Nov 14, 2017 04:04pm
Well done Shahzeb. He is one of the few good anchorperson on the channels.
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Asif Nov 14, 2017 04:51pm
Excellent. This is how it should be. You have got no right to degrade Females.
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Barood Nov 14, 2017 05:21pm
Khannzada is a gem and an intelligent person. Like Saleem Safi he can very intelligently expose a person through clever questioning.
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Tughral Nov 14, 2017 05:21pm
All comments are subject to the filter test nowadays. Sexist,racist,fascist and what not. The latest jargon in the west is bound to be adopted by pseudo liberals in the developing world.Rather than creating divisions in an already divided society efforts are required to solve real issues.
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Javed_UK Nov 14, 2017 05:41pm
@Amjad Nazir Its about time we rethink the use of ordinary language and add respect to women.
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JawAd Nov 14, 2017 05:52pm
Way to go excellent !
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Irfan_Sydney Nov 14, 2017 06:01pm
I doubt very much that Mustafa Kamal has the intellectual ability to comprehend the nature of his misogynist remarks.
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Fahad sajid Nov 14, 2017 06:45pm
@Amjad Nazir "Ordinary usage of the language" can be derogatory and indecent.
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Chaudry Nov 14, 2017 06:45pm
GREAT JOB SHAHZEB KHANZADA. We don't need ill-mannered people like Mustafa Kamal speaking like this about our mothers and daughters.
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Ehsan Nov 14, 2017 06:57pm
Very appropriate correction
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N_Saq Nov 14, 2017 07:32pm
Well done, politicians and powerful needs to learn morality. MK should have chosen his words correctly and should have apologized. He already made his point. There was no need to divulge in a topic that has nothing to do with his message. MK should have just said "I am sorry and I apologize to all women if my comments have offended them but you know what I am trying to say here, right?". The idea is to keep the focus on MQM v PSP and not PSP v Women. MK is young leader and overtime he will know how to handle such situations - he can still fix this.
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ZafAr Hilaly Nov 14, 2017 07:39pm
I worked for a woman and I can truly say she had more guts than any man I worked for. She was not merely more courageous but wiser and more tolerant. Had she got the support some of our men leaders had Pakistan would have been an altogether better place. Khanzada on balance was right to call out Mustafa Kemal for his sexist remarks although I don’t think Kemal is any more sexist than the typical Pakistani man. Sadly here it’s sin to be a woman.
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xyz Nov 14, 2017 07:46pm
LOVED IT! FINALLY SOME GUY WITH SENSE
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Raj Patel Nov 14, 2017 07:58pm
@Amjad Nazir If your mother would have been weak you would not have seen light of the day.
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naji Nov 14, 2017 09:11pm
Cheap personality, has no manner.
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akram Nov 14, 2017 09:36pm
does not reflect very well on Mustafa Kamal, the chauvinistic manner in which he refers to women in a derogatory manner. This is precisely the kind of thing that is not acceptable any more. These politicians need to understand that. I would never vote for this person now.
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Siva D Nov 14, 2017 09:40pm
Kudos to Shazeb for correcting the inherent sexism that is in our part of the world. Similarly, I hope we will stop referring to people as "Chakka" and "Hijra" when they are waffling or thought to be not firm or open.
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Arsha Nov 14, 2017 11:51pm
@Amjad Nazir well it's an ordinary usage of language that demeans women and women find it offensive and derogatory. Can you respect that?
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PakistaniS Nov 15, 2017 12:31am
Why Mustafa Kamal looks so upset when an anchor corrected him on his women reference. He should have apologized rather stating that he knows some "weak women". If he thinks he is a true leader and If he does know weak women, than become a voice for those all those women who are weak and cannot raise their voices.
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Shazad Nov 15, 2017 03:12am
I think instead of saying that 'crying like women', Mustafa Kamal should have said 'crying like Nawaz Shareef - Mujhay kewn nikala ... hayea may lut giya, Mujhay kewn nikala - jinhon nay mujhay nikala un kay sar pay jewyan parray, un kay hanthon pay phoray parayen, hayea mujhay kewn nikala - may tou lut giya, hayea mujhay jewn nikala'. That would have been more appropriate.
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FUnda Nov 15, 2017 03:42am
Khanzada is an intelligent person. Like Saleem Safi he has exposed many politicians through his clever questions.
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Amna Nov 15, 2017 06:55am
Get with the program MK. This kind of language is no longer acceptable.
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Saad Nov 15, 2017 07:04am
@Amjad Nazir , and that’s where the fault lies. The fact that you or anyone else don’t see anything wrong with this kind of comment because it’s a everyday norm for people in Pak to use this type of analogy when it shouldn’t be...2018 is almost here, let’s update our vocabulary and thought process.
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Farouq omaro Nov 15, 2017 07:25am
Khanzada did right! Enough of sexist utterances especially on air.
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Fatima Nov 15, 2017 11:18am
@Amjad Nazir something that is ordinary use of language is not necessarily correct.
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Sara Nov 15, 2017 08:40pm
@Chaudry women are not just mothers and daughters. we just want to be ordinary equal members of society, a lot more to that than being mother and daughter.
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Imajes Nov 16, 2017 05:42am
@Amjad Nazir .Absolutely right. Syed Mustafa Kamal has great respect for women, his party is well supported by CEC comprising number of notables women. However next time he must take care.
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Remsha Nov 16, 2017 10:30am
@Amjad Nazir That is why people like you will never lead Pakistan to be progressive. It is an ordinary language, because we have made ourselves to be okay with sexism. Sexism is wrong in every bit.
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Bye Bye Nov 16, 2017 12:23pm
Wait three / four years till Malala's graduation and she will be your head of state fixing things for you all.
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Enlightened Nov 18, 2017 01:09am
@Amjad Nazir agreed.well said
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