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Women peacefully put up Aurat March posters, men violently tore them down

Women peacefully put up Aurat March posters, men violently tore them down

A beautiful mural put up by Aurat March volunteers was destroyed in Lahore. The patriarchy really hates posters, huh?
Updated 25 Feb, 2020

In the past two years, women have been subjected to online and offline abuse and severe backlash for simply marching for their rights in a peaceful protest all over the country.

While this usually kicks into high-gear after the Aurat March, this year, male egos were bruised way before the actual event.

Aurat March volunteers, after getting due permission, put up a mural in Hussain Chowk, Lahore to voice the concerns of women underrepresented and silenced in society.

Ironically, the artwork was torn apart by a mob within hours, who was clearly uncomfortable with the idea of women taking enough space on walls that were already surrounded by political agendas or advertisements about 'mardana kamzori ke ilaaj.'

As the March approaches, women and allies attempt to reclaim public spaces and create awareness regarding patriarchy that affects both genders and our society on a whole.

They say third time's a charm but people seem to get even more frustrated with the idea of mutual respect.

It's kind of funny if you think about how tough these men must have felt destroying artwork...

Good to know the patriarchy is afraid of a mere poster.

Salman Sufi calls out the act of violence as stemming from male insecurity, and where is the lie?

''If you hate in extreme the artwork put up by a woman, imagine the extent to which you could hate the woman herself?"

In an attempt to resist the forced silence, artist Shehzil Malik encourages people to download her poster and speak to friends, family and neighbours about what it means.

We will continue to march, say our allies. That's the spirit.

What good has anyone ever gotten out of violence, we ask?

Comments

aleem Feb 24, 2020 01:56pm
men must have been triggered by women's demand to be seen as humans
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Saif Zulfiqar Feb 24, 2020 02:17pm
Mobs must be from the religious parties. Control them now and put the culpirits in the jails for longtime.
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Gaurav Feb 24, 2020 02:44pm
So..This is how women are treated in pakistan?
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M. Saeed Feb 24, 2020 03:20pm
Tearing posters cannot defeat the moral of women who have long overtaken men in almost all fields of human activities.
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Akram Feb 24, 2020 03:29pm
The answer is more posters, more marches everywhere in Lahore and all the main cities of Pakistan. This type of chauvinism is fighting against time itself, it's a fight they are destined to lose.
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Ibrahim Mirza Feb 24, 2020 03:40pm
I may not agree with modern-day Feminists on many levels. But, this is downright disgraceful.
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Tejinder Pal Singh Feb 24, 2020 05:59pm
PMIK, Please practice what you preach!
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Taj Feb 24, 2020 06:03pm
No place for women in Pakistan
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kamal chowkidar Feb 24, 2020 06:11pm
Scared of women!!
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kp Feb 24, 2020 07:03pm
Two cheers for these Brave Pakistani women, They are our Mothers, Sisters. Be brave and fight this Misogynistic and patriarchal mindset.
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Arsha Feb 24, 2020 07:20pm
Sad to see how much insecure some people feel with the thought of sharing spaces with women. Why so much angst about women being able to enjoy same freedom and rights as men? What’s the fear?
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Khalid iqbal Feb 25, 2020 05:05am
What a divide between men and women , Auret March sounds more like an expression of anger against men .I don’t get it..
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Sanju Feb 25, 2020 05:44am
I think women are given more rights in India than Pakistan......Men Need to grow up in PAKISTAN and start behaving like adults instead of boys.
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Khan Feb 25, 2020 07:31am
Putting up the posters and tearing them down are both examples of freedom of expression. Neither school of thought has the right to claim an exclusive right.
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kamal Feb 25, 2020 08:46am
This is the first time I have noticed the Government is scared of women. I am with you my sisters. Please continue the work you are doing for the good of country.
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Facts Matter Feb 25, 2020 08:55am
I thought women are treated fairly in Pakistan unlike India.
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Li-N-Ja Feb 25, 2020 11:21am
It show how regressive our society is towards our own women. If the men of our society feels so insecure from their own mother, sisters and daughters how can we expect them to tolerate the various minorities of the society? With this mindset how can we develop as a nation and the society as whole?
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XYZ Feb 25, 2020 01:09pm
@Khan tearing down posters is an act of aggression. Freedom of expression would have been for them to put up their own posters beside (and not on top of) those put up by the women.
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Ijaz Feb 25, 2020 01:31pm
@Khan the difference is one group had sought a legal permission to put up posters whilst the other group illegally tore them down because they were offended. If we continue to believe that all our personal opinions can be acted out because of a spurious notion that it is a democratic right, we will all end up in the jungle.
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Ali Feb 26, 2020 12:13am
@Gaurav Some - black sheep as every society has - don't represent the nation which is replete with optimism, freedom, and tolerance. Pakistan is making progress and by leaps and bounds along with the minor prevalence of those trying to stigmatise it by doing tactics - the source of laughing stocks.
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