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Outrage and disbelief on Twitter as users hope Shaniera Akram's tweet consoling 'good men' was sarcasm

Outrage and disbelief on Twitter as users hope Shaniera Akram's tweet consoling 'good men' was sarcasm

As the nation stands in solidarity with the woman assaulted near Minar-e-Pakistan, Akram's tweet has everyone shaking their heads.
20 Aug, 2021

A recent tweet by activist Shaniera Akram has sent Twitter users on a rampage. The country was rocked after a woman was assaulted at the Greater Iqbal Park in Lahore on Independence Day by 400 men. People have been speaking up in solidarity with the woman and calling for protection of other women in Pakistan. That's why everyone was pretty confused when Akram tweeted in support of men.

"My heart goes out to all the good men of Pakistan. I’m sorry so many of your brothers have failed you," she wrote, perplexingly. The victims of the recent spate of violence against women have, very obviously, been women so it is not surprising that people are confused and angry at this tweet.

Many sarcastically agreed that yes, men are the real victims of violence against women.

Others corrected her tweet.

One user reminded her that all men benefit from the actions of bad men. "The existence of bad men grants ‘good’ men or men just doing the bare minimum awards just for being decent people," she said.

Other users made similarly helpful observations.

Some users hoped it was sarcasm and to be completely honest, we're hoping it's sarcasm too.

Some were confused about where these good men she was speaking of were.

Many just wanted her to delete the tweet or have never tweeted it at all.

Some users were just confused.

Many asked her to read the room.

"My heart goes out to every woman who still feels they need to centre men in a conversation about violence and rape culture," said one user.

"Men perpetuate and benefit from this everyday. Women are being beheaded, raped, maimed, tortured and we are still debating over 'not all men',” the user noted.

Another user highlighted this as an example of having the opportunity to combat violence but forgoing it to maintain the status quo.

One user had a response for "good men".

Some people believed she was focusing on the wrong kind of trash.

Others believed the male validation wasn't worth it.

Start policing your fellows, good men, implored one user.

We're still hoping this tweet was sarcasm that has been greatly misconstrued because this is the first time Akram has posted anything like this when it comes to harassment. If it wasn't sarcasm, then it's part of a greater problem that allows men who perpetuate acts of violence to be categorised as "the other", therefore absolving them of any blame. All men need to speak up, all men need to end cycles of violence and all men have a responsibility to call out harassment and misogyny. The time for apologies has passed and what we need now is action.

Comments

Anti-Corruption_Pakistani Aug 20, 2021 12:48pm
There always is two sides of the story, so don't be judgemental and jump to an early conclusion without knowing the full story and findings of the investigation reports. Just wait a little longer.
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SSA Aug 20, 2021 12:58pm
Nothing wrong with that tweet.
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Fastrack Aug 20, 2021 12:59pm
Thank you Shaniera. Enough of this "hate every man" malicious agenda by a few men-haters. Yes we were engaged too, but we owe no apologies to perpetual haters.
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Guest2020 Aug 20, 2021 01:01pm
Oh please, feminist vigilante police, get off your condescending high horse for one minute please. Nowhere in this tweet is there even a remote reference to men being the victim. The eeal victim is the woman who endured this horror. This tweet is a reference to the decent, honest men out there, (yes ladies, believe it or not, they do exist). People like my father, grandfather, brother, and some of yours too, who are today equally horrified at what has happened as these feminists activists. Don't tarr every man with the same brush!
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Awais shaikh Aug 20, 2021 01:02pm
Idiots really. She is absolutely right. There are a lot of good men in Pakistan who uphold respect and rights for women and some rotten men destroy the image of all Pakistani men. What's wrong in that. She isn't endorsing the act, she is explaining this isn't Pakistan in totality. Shame the critics can't understand this simple thing
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Fastrack Aug 20, 2021 01:04pm
When you freely blame all innocent people (yes, men are people) for mistakes of a few, just because you can (have a Twitter account), you are part of the hate problem. Thankfully you are a small minority.
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Gollum Aug 20, 2021 01:07pm
Are you ok Shaniera?
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Fastrack Aug 20, 2021 01:12pm
This is extreme hate by a handful. And you saying "whole Pakistan standing in solidarity with the woman.." itself equates to #NotAllMen.
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FS Aug 20, 2021 01:13pm
People who understand sarcasm. Thank you for wasting your time on Twitter
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ST Aug 20, 2021 01:19pm
Shaniera is just a drama queen. Seeks attention always.
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A. ALI Aug 20, 2021 01:29pm
Nonetheless, western hybrid war against our culture and society. Though it was shameful act at minar e Pakistan. This happens in India, Europe and Americas in more barbaric fashion when they use steel rods to humiliate the victim. Having said that this shouldn't have happened.
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M. Saeed Aug 20, 2021 01:41pm
Leaving the horror incident of acute molestation of the young lady at the Minar e Pakistan on which I have already commented at several other places, I am sorry for Shaniera Akram for still being not fully aware of our people about their insufficient facility in English language. While she took care to call all other men as "good men of Pakistan", she talked badly only about those 400 or so rowdy crowd that participated in molestation and abuse of the unfortunate lady. There were thousands of other good men around, who just failed to produce Good Samaritans, to counter and save their sister under attack.
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Jaredlee007 Aug 20, 2021 01:46pm
Shaneira Akram should first look in her own backyard. Her husband was involved in match fixing and consumption of drugs. So she should help her husband re-visit his values and then talk on behalf on' all good men'.
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Hasnain Haque Aug 20, 2021 01:47pm
I think her comments have been misconstrued, even if she is referring to the good men then surely there are good men in Pakistan and they have failed. I think Pakistani's just love to have a go at a foreign female just for the sake of it. She does more for good causes then may other prominent Pakistani women.
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Ahmed Aug 20, 2021 01:56pm
If all men are bad then women should stay indoors. Otherwise all this will happen again. Women cannot overpower men. If you say that men should stay inside then you are living in a fantasy land. Be realistic. The first option is the only option if all men all bad. I have never harassed my colleagues, cousins etc. I will not take the blame for what other men are doing. We are not a monolith. Even if every man on the planet does something wrong. I won't be shamed for what they have done. So stop this and focus on the real issue.
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Parvez Aug 20, 2021 01:59pm
Shaniera Akram's Tweet is spot on correct ..... a minority has failed the majority, why is that so hard to understand and is being debated ? The fact that this same minority has debased and horribly disrespected women is A FACT .... and is not debatable.
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English Professor Aug 20, 2021 02:00pm
I can't believe there is still mere English comprehension issue even after years of colonialism. Shaniera is only saying that those bunch of 400 "bad men" at Minar-e-Pakistan have failed the good men of Pakistan by bringing them a bad name too. She is referring to all the good men which include her husband Wasim Akram, PM, many actors & stars, and myriad of "decent" Pakistani men she has met over the years. Was it too hard to understand her tweet my fellow countrymen? Please start reading books and stop bringing embarrassment to the country by not understanding even basic English literature, references and connotations. Hope Shaniera Akram overlooks this too!!
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AAA Aug 20, 2021 02:01pm
Of course she is always on specific narrative, mostly close to state narrative, as who cares about public narrative, but when comes to her own daughter, we remembered how much hue Wasim Akram puts, she should say the same to him that time as well.
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Zak Aug 20, 2021 02:03pm
"My heart goes out to all the good men of Pakistan. I’m sorry so many of your brothers have failed you," she wrote, perplexingly An excellent tweet. Only those who cant understand english will complain. Most pakistani men are very decent but the few rotters who let everyone down and it is to those that she is referring to.
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Ch. S Aug 20, 2021 02:20pm
She should deliver this sermon at Minar-e-Pakistan, alone without security, to test her belief.
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Imtiaz Ali Khan Aug 20, 2021 02:22pm
Great girl and smart words. Thank you sister
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Saleha Majid Aug 20, 2021 02:25pm
Has it been misread?? I read Shaniera's comment as "the men in general are good, but some are not-so-good...so, the not-so-good have let down the good men"...
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Fayzan Fayyaz Mirza Aug 20, 2021 02:36pm
I take it that women and "liberal feminists" feel offended by her tweet. But the fact is that men suffer because of this as well. When such actions from disgusting men happen they prompt everyone to state "all men are dogs". Imagine a person categorizing their own brother and father under the same tag even though they never did anything? Innocent men too suffer from being labelled incorrectly. But yes the greater problem at hand is to stop this from happening rather than play the blame game.
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Waris Aug 20, 2021 02:39pm
I am deeply disappointed to see the so called liberals targeting our Bhabi everyone knows she is not praising the culprits. Believe me no one with daughter, sister, mother, wife etc can think of disrespecting our women/girls. Our religion doesn't allow this we should all know this what happened by these butchers can never be defended they should be hanged in public. So please liberals have some tolerance she is not praising the culprits. I'm living in and can assure you good and bad people are everywhere.
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tQ Aug 20, 2021 02:42pm
In this country, non issues are issues. We must stress and strive to get the perpetrators of crimes against women , punished.
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Imran Aug 20, 2021 02:44pm
She used clear English, think about it and understand it.
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Tahir Mufti Aug 20, 2021 02:53pm
Nothing perplexing about her tweet. Please consult an انگلشدان
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rsultan Aug 20, 2021 03:12pm
Our weather and complex culture makes Aussies dizzy.
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Babar Aug 20, 2021 03:16pm
Who is she? and why give her such importance?
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Ali Amin Aug 20, 2021 03:33pm
Learn English. She meant those 400 were bad and reflects badly on most men who are good. Like an educated person she is not blaming every pakistani man for the bad of some. Western educated people dont generalize and blame every one. The same way the educated among them dont try to blame all muslims for the act of a few.
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Hamid Aug 20, 2021 03:33pm
What she said is correct. She is acknowledging the men who support women but at the same time those men also have people, friends , relatives who have wronged women too. Its a matter of perspective. She is a human person and not one of those who picks a gender fight.
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Mehreen Aug 20, 2021 03:33pm
Her only claim to fame is being a white woman in a colonially hungover Pakistan and being married to a celebrated cricketer. She continue to use her white privilege without ever acknowledging it and makes one tone-deaf comment after the other.
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HP Aug 20, 2021 03:40pm
This is what happens when useless people masquerade as intellectuals. And the colonial mindset in the subcontinent allows such people to spout trash
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Hamid Aug 20, 2021 03:50pm
Well done Shaniera! You are a very brave person. Takes guts to swim against the tide. Wasim is lucky to have you.
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Marcus Aug 20, 2021 03:52pm
Can’t believe so women are thick and up in arms over a tweet whereby she has said the bad men give the good men a bad name. What’s wrong with you women?? What’s not true about her statement??
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MBA Aug 20, 2021 03:58pm
I understand Mrs. Akram as follows: Not all men in Pakistan are bad, which is - in my opinion - a valid statement. The timing for the massage was unfortunate. So please stop attacking her. As a woman she does not need to demonstrate her support for women. As a "not bad" Pakistani man, I confess that "good men" in Pakistan were unable to protect women at risk and this is'nt good enough. It is (moral, legal and social) duty of everyone of us to STOP attacks on anyone: men or women - no difference. Tolerating unjust leads to hell on the earth and beyond. Not for the first time. we failed as society. And, like it or not: Pakistani men failed to demonstrate this "goodness" Mrs. Akram is seeking. The main task now is to punish these people so that such a mob behaviour does not become a habit. This is particularly important, as some of our “good” male leaders sometimes confuse cause and effects regarding dressing habits of women and violence against women.
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Rabia Aug 20, 2021 04:23pm
its not very clearly put, but she's obviously just trying to say that those few idiots have giving Pakistani men a bad name. Nothing to be scandalised about
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C. Clements Aug 20, 2021 04:41pm
Trying hard to be in the limelight. Cannot trust a convert.
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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Aug 20, 2021 04:53pm
No doubt, good and bad people exist in every country and every society of the world.
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Malik Aug 20, 2021 05:10pm
She is right. I am good man. I respect women so much and was angry at those men who did this. This tweet is meant for me. Don’t confuse good men with bad men please ladies.
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Mahmood Ayub Aug 20, 2021 05:10pm
Knowing about Shaniera, I genuinely think it’s a typo. She meant women, not men
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Guest2020 Aug 20, 2021 06:57pm
@Mehreen You obviously have some major hangups and inferiority complex about this "white" woman, not to mention the blatantly racist undertones of your comment. I would suggest you re read what she wrote, and if you wish to put the males in your family in the same boat as those vultures, at minar e pakistan, then continue this man hating tirade.
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Umar Aug 20, 2021 06:57pm
Yes, how greatly outraged the Pakistani public must be for 500 or so people to take 5 minutes of their time to write a Tweet before moving on with their lives. Then again, Images would quickly run out of content without Twitter.
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Uzair Aug 20, 2021 07:36pm
This approach is a mental disease. Women are victims. Has me making this statement prevented another from becoming a victim? The pitty seeking and blaming attitude is unhealthy. Solve one issue, or attempt to solve it all and solve nothing. The Lahore incident is the big thing right now. How dare so many, so openly did that? What can be done to prevent and discourage this behavior? There are many things that can help with this goal, but one that can be done quickly and surely, and which almost noone disagrees with, it punishing the culprits. So often we leave the good for the best, and end up with neither.
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Naveed Aug 20, 2021 07:36pm
Crazy liberal getting triggered
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Babaji Aug 20, 2021 07:55pm
What is this obsession with the tweet of just another white woman? It's her opinion, period.
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Chrís Dăn Aug 20, 2021 08:38pm
@Naveed why liberals are bad?
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Chrís Dăn Aug 20, 2021 08:39pm
@C. Clements what a bigot view.
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skb Aug 20, 2021 09:48pm
There is nothing offensive to women in the tweet. There still are good men in Pakistan, the culprits are another breed raised by this religiously confused society with out akhlaqiat. So what is the fuss about.
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F Nawaz Aug 20, 2021 09:50pm
Its the Mothers and Fathers who need to do this. The 'other' men should help when the need arises.
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Ibrahim S Aug 20, 2021 09:51pm
Calm down guys and don’t misinterpret it, English is her mother languages and NOT yours .
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Father son brother Aug 20, 2021 10:10pm
All of the critics of her tweet need a lesson in English … her tweet is clearly saying that all the men is Pakistan are not bad…these women are just whining!
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Hasan Aug 20, 2021 10:56pm
Ppl need to go back to school.
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A. Din Aug 20, 2021 11:00pm
It is obvious some people did not understand the tweet. Language problem.
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Rayhan Aug 21, 2021 01:46am
@English Professor, I can't agree more. It's embarrassing to see that a lot of these folks who are criticising her must have studied in English medium schools. Our English language comprehension standard has actually gone down.
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AJ Aug 21, 2021 02:02am
Should follow due process and met out strict punishments to perpetrators. Continuing with the 'anti-men' rhetoric won't help anyone.
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ak4pk Aug 21, 2021 02:39am
To all those howling and growling at Shaniera’s tweet, please try to understand as to what exactly is she trying to say. Since a section of the male gender has committed an outrageous crime against a helpless female and since the entire male gender is under attack for that and since the entire male gender was not present at the scene, it is not fair to paint them all with the same brush. Please put your hand on your heart and swear that you know not of a man good and decent, am sure you wouldn’t dare. Shaniera has separated the good from the bad and is sympathising with the good for the ill a section of their gender has done and got them in the firing line for no fault of theirs. She has done nothing wrong, she does not condone the barbaric act the 400 thugs have committed. She surely is outraged like all of us and wishes to see the thugs caught and punished.
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s Aug 21, 2021 03:59am
match fixer ball tampers wife
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Secularist Aug 21, 2021 04:48am
Some times, it helps not to tweet in a knee jerk reaction, Shaniera. Complex issues require careful response. Twitter may give you publicity in short order. But, it also exposes shallowness, and a lack of in depth thinking.
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Clive Clements Aug 21, 2021 05:43am
I taught at a university in Sydney for a couple of years before returning to the UK. Most Australian men are inherently woman-bashers, especially in the state of Queensland from which Mrs. Akram hails. Wife-bashing has become a societal problem in Australia. Mrs. Akram would do well to give suggestions and do her preaching in her home country instead of commenting on social issues in Pakistan.
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John Cool Aug 21, 2021 05:58am
Most posters fail to see the sarcasm "All the good men of Pakistan" meaning it is demeaning men who attacked the lady in question .
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Raja Parekh Aug 21, 2021 07:03am
She should have said " Some of them are good men also".
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Amant Ali Aug 21, 2021 08:01am
She knows how to keep herself in the limelight
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El Cid Aug 21, 2021 08:50am
"The time for apologies has passed and what we need now is action. " Best action would be to let the likes of you boil and pickle in your own poison and hate.
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Khwaja Shirjeel Aug 21, 2021 10:08am
Well done. Enough of " men are wrong". One should not generalise the situation.
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Jaredlee007 Aug 21, 2021 10:11am
An average white Aussie getting attention for nothing. She is a social media person. If she really wants to support women then she should keep her celebrity status aside and work with and for women in KPK, GB and Baluchistan. She won't survive in harsh conditions even for a week and that too w/o a cell phone. And she is not a celebrity. She's the wife of a cricketer who was banned for match fixing. What are her own credentials?
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Anjum Pervez Aug 21, 2021 10:39am
I think the over zealous 'yes all men' type females are the ones that hurt their own cause more than anyone. You have to understand that when you start to blame your own sympathisers you loose them right there. I fail to understand why otherwise intelligent females cannot understand this. Thank you Shaneria for understanding.
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Anjum Pervez Aug 21, 2021 10:40am
@Fastrack well said.
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Sane Mind1st Aug 21, 2021 11:25am
Just a tweet, mebbe a blonde moment one.
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Imran Siddiqui Aug 21, 2021 12:12pm
She is simply saying that there are many good men (majority) in Pakistan that are embarrassed by the bad men of Pakistan. I agree 100% with her.
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Guest2020 Aug 21, 2021 01:11pm
@Jaredlee007 She doesn't need any credentials to have a conscience. To knowctge difference between right and wrong. These are human values, not measurable by fame, money or the number of instagram followers.
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Kamran Aug 21, 2021 01:14pm
Amazed they didnt UNDERSTAND HER she was trying to say that society has good men but these men have given a bad name to our country not all men are bad GET IT. she is not supporting those bad men she is just trying to say not all men are like this.
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Babar Aug 21, 2021 02:18pm
Calm down people, she was being sarcastic, if you failed to understand that you shouldn't be replying on here, or anywhere else for that matter. Having said, why are people giving her such important? What credentials does she have? She's an average Ozzie, married to an ex cricket (who has many question marks against him). Just understand one thing folks, when these so called celebs make comments/tweets, they do it for their own benefit, they want maximum publicity. Remember, there is no such thing as bad PR!!
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