Images

Armeena Khan has something to say to haters and toxic people online

Armeena Khan has something to say to haters and toxic people online

When a user accused her of not knowing the "art of taking criticism", she slammed back at her for being a hypocrite.
28 May, 2021

It didn't take Armeena Khan a very long time in the industry for her to discover the drawbacks of being a public figure in Pakistan. However, she refuses to succumb to that ugly reality and instead wants to hit back at online trolls and expose their own hypocrisy.

The latest episode involves Khan, a follower who refers to herself as an "empowered Muslimah", and her rude comment. Khan was recently awarded the certificate for outstanding public service by outgoing Burnley mayor Lord Wajid Khan. She celebrated the accomplishment by uploading pictures online. Her fans were delighted, but many people were very critical of her.

And as we will soon learn, Khan is apparently not very proficient in the "art of taking criticism".

Once the news was reported in the media, it was met with an unwarranted and distasteful uproar. The problem people picked out, as they generally do with women in Pakistan, was her clothes. Her dress and stockings triggered alarm bells and Khan wasn't having any of it.

She lashed out at her haters, saying, "I don’t understand why these nationalists, right wingers and religious fanatics lecture me. For the last time, I do not represent you and my journey is personal."

For some odd reason, it is a commonly held belief among Pakistanis that public figures practically hand out their lives to the public, warranting all sorts of nasty comments and unsolicited advice. It makes no sense, and we have no idea where this idea originates from, but it has found a warm home on the internet where such sentiments quickly mount up to become abuse and toxicity.

Her tweet retaliating against the internet's attacks was met with — wait for it — more such attacks. Khan, was still not having any of it.

"People harassing women and girls especially on my timelines will be reported to the police," she hit back, stressing the need to protect the vulnerable online.

Among the responses to her tweet was one that Khan felt should be singled out and addressed properly.

Khan shared the comment to her Instagram, saying "I've had these sort of commentary before, it does not faze me." Though saying she had to single this one comment out, as the user claims to work for a platform called "Empowered Muslimah" where they counsel women for their problems. "Is this the best we have to offer?" she asked.

The comment perpetuates the same commonly held beliefs that working in Pakistan somehow makes it "obligatory to respect the country, culture, media and audiences." It goes onto call Khan a foolish actress who lacks something called the "art of taking criticism".

Khan wasn't done yet though. She continued.

"Remember, a personal attack is not criticism no matter how you wrap it up," she said, creating an important distinction.

She stated she has worked in Canada, the UK, and Pakistan, but never full time. Regardless, she said she failed to understand how she's supposed to "accept vicious attacks, subservience, and misogyny" because she worked in a particular country for some time.

Make it make sense, essentially.

She stressed the need for boundaries to be set with people like the user in question, a user that claims to work in women empowerment. "Criticising a woman for her choices when you're in the business of 'empowering' is just absolutely ludicrous," she said.

Then she said something we wish more Pakistani celebrities said more often to hate mongers: "You do not get to dictate a fully grown adult and then patronise her."

For as simple a concept as that, we sure do struggle to understand it.

Just to make sure the user wasn't let off easy, Khan took one final swing at her with her own words.

Hopefully others will pick up on some of the very reasonable and yet revolutionary ideas Khan has floated. We need to establish a boundary in public life, putting yourself out there to entertain people does not mean you are inviting them to say all sort of garbage about you, and it absolutely does not justify their hate — nothing does.

Comments

Tariq May 28, 2021 12:10pm
Welcome to global village. I think we had to adjust to new thing happening around. I think word for word is fair enough. We have to live it with.
Recommend (0)
insaafian May 28, 2021 12:15pm
man why are Pakistani's obsessed with others? are you all that cleansed or even that frustrated? google knows the things Pakistanis search the most and it is not about religion or imaan.
Recommend (0)
oldhabibian May 28, 2021 12:40pm
Like the ships captain said, "I know what way the wind is blowing but I have to chart my own path". So keep on fighting for what you believe is right. The critics are basically failed (and jealous) artists.
Recommend (0)
Chrís Dăn May 28, 2021 12:53pm
A very responsible response by Ms.Khan. She made me proud for 2 main facts(1) She is the face of a modern,moderate,and a 21st century woman of Pak.background(2)She knows her footing & she knows how to deal with people suffering many personality complexes.
Recommend (0)
kash May 28, 2021 01:06pm
When UK born Pakistanis wear decent clothes, she being a Canadian Pakistani should have known better. Itse her choice but she should have known she getting an award from a Pakistani mayor and his wife. I blame her husband in this though.
Recommend (0)
Badtameez Kudi May 28, 2021 01:10pm
She writes like a very toxic person. Filled with hate towards people who don't agree with her.
Recommend (0)
Hasnain Khan May 28, 2021 01:28pm
Religion! The way of ignorance :)
Recommend (0)
Memon Abdul May 28, 2021 01:42pm
Of the few "actors" I have read speak their mind, this one seems to bear some sincerity in her voice, and I would want to respect that, but then again she is an "actor" by profession so it makes me doubt whether it is her voice or the voice of a character coming to her defense, so I will say...some respectable writing she can produce...nothing against anyone's choices but by the nature of profession, it starts to become very difficult to identify where the "person" in an actor begins, they seem to get lost between characters...so yes, very seemingly earnest responses that I would want to respect...
Recommend (0)
Tanvir Khan May 28, 2021 01:42pm
Toka-Taaki is an essential feature of our Pakistani identity, particularly pronounced by the mullah fraternity whose sole objective is to create feelings of guilt!
Recommend (0)
Mumtaz Ali May 28, 2021 01:47pm
The biggest problem with us Pakistanis is that we put everything in the context of religion, and we are very intolerant of western dressing styles. However, we forget that western dressing is practically universal, and if someone wants to be noticed globally, he or she must follow worldwide trends as a fashion icon, or else there will be no place for them.
Recommend (0)
Zak May 28, 2021 02:53pm
" your manners, are your beauty". Drove home the point. Well done.
Recommend (0)
Chrís Dăn May 28, 2021 03:19pm
@kash The Maypr is a British man.
Recommend (0)
M. Saeed May 28, 2021 03:23pm
Armeena Khan is a very public, next door ordinary person. She has nothing to be proud of in our film or TV drama industry. She has already started cutting her own roots of survival in the glamour industry.
Recommend (0)
Kashif Baloch May 28, 2021 03:28pm
I like this character Ayesha- straight out of 7th century Arabia, yet still feeling so far ahead of her times.
Recommend (0)
Malik May 28, 2021 03:47pm
Everyone of us are responsible for our own sins,fools will not listen and will put up a verbal fight while they emulate what they perceive is right in their blind leading the blind philosophy. Stay away from fools.
Recommend (0)
well-wisher May 28, 2021 07:15pm
Well said, Armeena. Follow your heart and do what pleases you and people around you. Haters, go away and find peace that can be shared.
Recommend (0)
Gig May 28, 2021 10:36pm
Who is she and wjat has she done for us?
Recommend (0)
Zak May 29, 2021 12:26am
@Gig Who is she and wjat has she done for us? Ask not what the country has done for you but what you have done for the country.
Recommend (0)
HashBrown® May 29, 2021 12:52am
@Gig "Who is she and wjat has she done for us?" Funnily enough I'm wondering the exact same thing about you.
Recommend (0)
HashBrown® May 29, 2021 12:57am
@kash "When UK born Pakistanis wear decent clothes, she being a Canadian Pakistani should have known better. Itse her choice but she should have known she getting an award from a Pakistani mayor and his wife. I blame her husband in this though." With respect, you're not really in a position to blame anybody, since neither she nor her husband have done anything wrong. Based on the comments she's posted, I think the ones who "should have known better" are the illiterate masses who thought they had a right to judge her in the first place; thankfully she shot them down beautifully.
Recommend (0)
Yasir May 29, 2021 02:58am
Who is she ?
Recommend (0)
Practical May 29, 2021 05:03am
@kash Pakistani Mayor? I thought Britain always elected British as their Mayor.
Recommend (0)
TenJee May 29, 2021 06:37am
The actress complaining about someone doing "Amr Bil Maroof Nahi Anil Munkar", but these celebrities never tire of lecturing to us on their new age, right on, zeitgeist, trending causes. Muslims are required to enjoin the good, forbid the bad. It's actually among the all too few commands that we rush to, so let it be commended.
Recommend (0)
TenJee May 29, 2021 06:38am
@insaafian Ever heard of AMr Bil MAhroof, Nahi Anil Munkar?
Recommend (0)
Anonymouseee May 29, 2021 07:40am
Another so called “khan”.
Recommend (0)
Abdul May 29, 2021 08:16am
Armeena.....hum sey bhee kuch kaho
Recommend (0)
Amir Shah May 29, 2021 09:30am
Once you accept to be a part of celebrity group then your life unfortunately becomes part of wider world and your every move will be watched and criticized accordingly. So I’m afraid, either accept this path you chose or live life like us ordinary people live and still achieve our goals and serve the country as well.
Recommend (0)
Amir Shah May 29, 2021 09:47am
@Mumtaz Ali sorry but I don’t agree with you, we are firstly Muslims then Pakistani and as such we have responsibility for our behavior accordingly. Western dresses are not global at all, people here in west wear all kinds of dresses and it definitely not necessary to wear western clothes to be part of this culture. One of Pakistan’s most popular leader Benazir always preferred her national dress and had never hesitate to be proud of that. Dress doesn’t define who are but it defines where you from and that’s most important than anything else.
Recommend (0)
Mike May 29, 2021 10:41am
Her 15 minutes of Fame is Over, Let's move on!
Recommend (0)
Chris Roberts May 29, 2021 11:26am
You really have to know yourself, stay cool, roll with the punches while, of course, standing up for yourself, and have a very thick skin.
Recommend (0)
Shaby May 29, 2021 11:29am
If you hate her don't follow her on twitter. Or it makes you a stalker not a fan.
Recommend (0)