Minister's request to celebrate Hijab Day on Women's Day sparks backlash on Pakistani Twitter

Every year women march for their fundamental rights on March 8 and every year the Aurat March faces resistance from people refusing to even comprehend what the movement stands for. Instead, they brand it 'immodest' and twist the meaning of the words on the placards to suit their own misconceptions. This year, Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri requested the prime minister to celebrate Hijab Day on March 8.

“We all accept that Islam offers a complete code of life and there is no alternative to it. Any group, under the banner of Aurat March or any other title, on the occasion of upcoming International Women's Day on March 8, should not be allowed to ridicule Islamic values, societal norms, hijab or modesty as such acts hurt the sentiments of Muslims in the country," the minister wrote in his request.

Netizens have taken to Twitter to voice their disagreement with the minister's request, questioning why Hijab Day should be celebrated instead of Women's Day in a country that is majority Muslim and where the hijab sees no opposition. Senator Sherry Rehman wrote, "How is the right to wear a hijab under threat in Pakistan? Quite the opposite. He can celebrate hijab any day; one doesn’t exclude the other."

This user simply called it "absurd" saying this proved "how little they know about women’s problems and why they march."

This user stressed that this is only a "diversion" since there is no opposition to hijab in Pakistan.

"Why does everyone think women in Aurat March are against hijab or hijabis? Because I am one of them and I or anyone I know from the whole protest has never spoken against it," one woman said on Twitter. Her point stands — the march is attended by women who wear the hijab as well and definitely isn't anti-hijab.

"There's no 'one way' of empowering women," a user said, clarifying that whether a woman decides to observe hijab or not is her choice and both choices are okay and supported.

It's about a woman's choice. It's that simple.

Users called the minister's request "counterproductive", saying it will have negative repercussions. Some said the request was indicative of a desire to control women. Others argued that it was an attempt to effectively silence women and stop them from raising their valid concerns.

March 8 is a UN-designated international day that aims to celebrate “the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women”. This is a critical juncture in history, when women’s rights movements are gathering momentum not only in Pakistan but around the world in the wake of increasing gender-based crime and injustice.

The problem people have with the minister's request and opinion is not that they are anti-hijab — the hijab deserves to be celebrated as well — but that he is detracting from the point women are trying to make. No one is trying to put down the hijab or "ridicule Islamic values" by marching for women's rights. Women use the Aurat March and Women's Day in general to air their concerns about problems they face and to detract from the movement and slap labels of vulgarity or immodesty on it just takes away from the point women are trying to make.

And if the minister wanted to celebrate Hijab Day, he should have done something on the actual World Hijab Day — February 1.