After accusations flying back and forth, Mumbai-based fashion designer and stylist Umair Zafar has been quoted saying Veena Malik's nude cover photo deal with FHM was a planned stunt between the magazine and Veena to garner publicity. Umair claimed that photographer Vishal Saxena who shot Veena’s photo told him about the plan to make headlines. Veena had shot topless with her hands covering her upper body with a bikini panty which was later morphed by him. Veena wanted to make noise before her Imagine TV show Veena Ka Vivaah.
Wow. Such sharp legal analysis. Okay Tanvir, we will prosecute her for "bringing shame and mental torture to the whole Pakistani nation." But after that, we will have to prosecute you, for bringing shame to our legal system and causing me mental torture. As you have pointed out in your brilliant legal treatise, causing mental torture to another individual is clearly illegal! Thus you have wronged me my dear friend, and for this you shall pay.
You might have noticed that I liked your response. However, to pay, first allow me to mentally torture at least 100 million people, at least. :)
Here is a good interview by Sana Buchcha in Lekin where she asks really good questions. Veena made sense in most of her responses but couldn’t really prove her innocence or justify herself properly. She seemed to talk around the actual issue (as to where is the line/limit she keeps talking about and how does she justify it, being a Pakistani) and the real version of the truth:
I don't agree with her beliefs however i do appreciate how she stands confident on whatever she beliefs in. The beliefs can be as pathetic as hers are but its still commendable how she speaks her mind as it is and is not strong about it.
I understand the roots of Pakistani culture's sexism and sexual repression (i.e. islam, paternalistic tribal indo-aryan cultural roots, etc.) but I think it's backward and irrational.
I have no problems with a woman's body. The fact that female sexuality (or sexuality in general) incites so much emotional and violent outburts in our nation, in comparison to real ills that cause suffering like hunger, corruption, crime, etc. tells me all I need to know about how immature Pakistan is.
The fact that many of us get more upset about seeing a woman's ankle or midriff or OMG nude versus seeing poverty and children going hungry, and people being mistreated, etc. speaks volumes to me. I'm glad I don't live there.
After accusations flying back and forth, Mumbai-based fashion designer and stylist Umair Zafar has been quoted saying Veena Malik's nude cover photo deal with FHM was a planned stunt between the magazine and Veena to garner publicity. Umair claimed that photographer Vishal Saxena who shot Veena’s photo told him about the plan to make headlines. Veena had shot topless with her hands covering her upper body with a bikini panty which was later morphed by him. Veena wanted to make noise before her Imagine TV show Veena Ka Vivaah.
And this is what I've been saying. I guess y'all have got a Pakistani Kim K. on your hands.
I understand the roots of Pakistani culture's sexism and sexual repression (i.e. islam, paternalistic tribal indo-aryan cultural roots, etc.) but I think it's backward and irrational.
I have no problems with a woman's body. The fact that female sexuality (or sexuality in general) incites so much emotional and violent outburts in our nation, in comparison to real ills that cause suffering like hunger, corruption, crime, etc. tells me all I need to know about how immature Pakistan is.
The fact that many of us get more upset about seeing a woman's ankle or midriff or OMG nude versus seeing poverty and children going hungry, and people being mistreated, etc. speaks volumes to me. I'm glad I don't live there.
Thank you! Those are the bigger problems Pakistan has to deal with before getting all in a knot over this woman's publicity stunts.
I understand the roots of Pakistani culture's sexism and sexual repression (i.e. islam, paternalistic tribal indo-aryan cultural roots, etc.) but I think it's backward and irrational.
I have no problems with a woman's body. The fact that female sexuality (or sexuality in general) incites so much emotional and violent outburts in our nation, in comparison to real ills that cause suffering like hunger, corruption, crime, etc. tells me all I need to know about how immature Pakistan is.
The fact that many of us get more upset about seeing a woman's ankle or midriff or OMG nude versus seeing poverty and children going hungry, and people being mistreated, etc. speaks volumes to me. I'm glad I don't live there.
Mixing the two issues is nonsense. It's not as if allowing public nudity will solve the hunger problem, or that somehow any attention paid to it is an impedement to solving it.
Second, regardless of the cuasality with other problems facing Pakistan, pakistan is a contry with public mores. Period. People trying to mess with them will be met with hostility.
Mixing the two issues is nonsense. It's not as if allowing public nudity will solve the hunger problem, or that somehow any attention paid to it is an impedement to solving it.
Second, regardless of the cuasality with other problems facing Pakistan, pakistan is a contry with public mores. Period. People trying to mess with them will be met with hostility.
It's not nonsense. I'm merely comparing the reaction to something that really has no impact on people's lives versus the constant misery of poverty, oppression and corruption that surrounds Pakistanis. Why is it that a naked woman is such an offense to our "public mores" yet the corruption, poverty, and a whole host of other more immediate and pressing problems that result in human suffering are not? That's the question. To act as if I'm saying that allowing for public nudity will solve these problems is ridiculous but an inordinate amount of concern for such things over more important matters is necessarily an impediment to working on those more important matters.
IMO, Pakistan's "public mores" need to change in a manner where priority is given to real violations of human dignity if it wants to improves the lives of its citizens and have a reputation as a tolerant, open society instead of a reactionary, tribal, patriarchal, rotten to the core one that it presently has. But I understand not everyone wants that, most Pakistanis may not....if that's the case then Pakistan and Pakistanis deserve each other.
The problem isn't that pakistanis are okay with hunger, corruption, etc. The suggestion that Pakistanis are OKAY with corruption, poverty, and the kitchen sink is laughable. Rather an empty strawman to beat down, imho.... Show me anyone that suggests it's okay. It's a horrible plight; saying it's a wrong state to be in is NOT sufficient - unlike this case. Yes, bigger problems. Not related.
The problem is with people who are attempting to tell pakistanis what Veena did is okay...while using an imagined silence on unrelated issues to justify her actions. Not okay. We can condemn her quite happily without being hypocrtical, or without deferring to irrelevant issues, even if they are bigger. Nothing is wrong or out of place with outrage over this issue. Should be expected.
Again, allowing public nudity will not contribute addressing "real violations of human dignity". If anything, they serve as distractions. So then, why tolerate this behavior? ...takes two hands to clap...Veena must bear some of the blame for willingly, knowingly being provocative. Why does she get a big old "good for her"?
Because It's not about addressing social issues. It's about challenging Islam and Pakistani's conservativism because people don't like them, not because of any consequences such a social order has (most of which are imagined, anyway...).
