i was reading a biographical introduction of Naguib Mahfouz, and the author had written about Mahfouz that, at the time “Children of Gebelawi” was published, Mahfouz was ostracized by the then Egyptian government because of his non-conformist views. i think, Mahfouz had taken to criticizing the government for some diverse issues such as corruption, bribery, and a lack of transparency and this ticked the then Egyptian government. He was labelled non-religious, traitor, heretical by Egyptian society. If you go to Egypt today, however, Mahfouz is a darling of that society; the most widely read Egyptian newspaper, Al Ahram, used to feature him for decades as a regular columnist.
Anyways, how does all this tie in to non-conformists in desi society? Well, for his time, Mahfouz was a non-conformist yet today is respected across all social “classes” in Egypt. Some of his books have become staple reading at bed-time for Muslim children - a far cry from the labels hurled at him of being “heretical” or a “traitor” to Muslims.
It’s a spin-off, but that made me reflect - how does each society create groups of individuals who are non-conformists? Specifically, how does Pakistani “society” (how you define “society” is very, very tricky) categorize groups of non-conformists? What categories do we use? When individuals within a society do not conform to society’s expectations, we categorize them. On a micro-scale, that happens right on Gupshup as well. The following list may be inaccurate, feel more than free to criticize the comments below. Just don’t criticize me personally, give me a constructive criticism of the following comments. If you are able to do that without insulting me personally, then i would love to read your responses.
oh by the way, i’ve done the descriptions of each group as a HYPOTHETICAL, modified example of conversations between two Aunties (and in one case, between an Aunty and a young girl)…some are based upon actual convos i have heard at Pakistani gatherings.
*** The seemingly non-religious Muslim**
Aunty #1: “Aur [falaan] ka sunna hai? Uffh woh tau masjid jaanay ka naam hi nahin layta. Meray mian bata rahain thay kabhi ussko Juma par bhi nahin dekha. Toba. Kia pata - aaj kal ka zamana bahaut badal chukka hai. Kissi sai sunna hai - woh peeta bhi ho ga. Poora khandaan issi tarah ho ga.”
*** The seemingly rebellious daughter/son of another family**
Aunty #1: “Hayi, ussko dekha tha - mall mai phir rahi thi do goriyon kai saath. Yahan ka mauhaul ka bahaut assr par gia hai uss kai dimaagh par. Uss kai maa baap kia control kar saktay hain apnay beTi par…ab tau woh sirf goriyon ki baatein sunay gi.”
Aunty #2: “Shaadi kaun karay ga aisi larki sai? Poora khandaan badnaam ho gia.”
*** The married couple without children**
Aunty #1: “Teen saal ho gayen - koi baal bachay nahin. Uss khandaan mai shaadi nahin karni chahyay thi [falaan] ko. Mainay uss kai Ammi sai kaha bhi tha. Laykin banda achi nasihat ko sunnay, tau phir baat banti hai, na. Ab [falaan] ka kabhi na nawaasa ho ga.”
*** The dark-skinned desi gal**
Aunty #1: “Uss kai ikhlaaq bahaut achay hain, tameezdaar aur shareef larki hai. Laykin itni saanwali rang kai liyay kaun rishta bhejay ga. Usski maa ko chahyay tha kai woh bachpan sai “fair and lovely” maalish karti apni beTi par. Bas THORA sa rang kam hota, ham tau khud apnay beTay sai fauran karwa detay rishta.”
*** The single woman**
Aunty #1: “Hayi. Woh tau pacheess (25) saal ki ho gai aur abhi tak shaadi shuda nahin hai.”
Aunty #2: “Sunna tha [falaan] nai rishta bheja tau tha. Larki nai khud hi inkaar kar dia. Ab hamay kia - pashtaye apni qismet par.”
Aunty #1: “Barray bhai ka shaadi bahaut jaldi ho gia tha. Manjli behan ki mangni ho gai. Iss kai saath kia masla par gia? Aakhir dair nahin karna chahyay na in maamlon main. Zaroor koi kharaabi ho gi uss larki mai.”
*** The widow**
Aunty #1: “BeTi, dua karo tumharay saath kabhi woh na ho jo [falaan] kai saath hua hai. Woh bechaari, usskay mian ka intaqaal bahaut jaldi umar par ho gia tha. Biwi ki zindagi mai aakhir rah gia jata hai jab usskay mian chalay jaatay hain?”
:k:
i think yer the only person who likes my threads 
With your exception, why does no one respond to threads that i open with such care and pre-thought? 
i mean, honestly speaking - am i boring or something? :o Is that why i get very few responses to my threads? i honestly don’t understand. i thought this one would get a lot of replies.
i don’t have any “taste” to be honest.