Curious to know people’s comments on this news item (see below).
Women who see the MMA favourably are also invited to comment.
Why are women seen to be so sacrilegeous in Pakistan ??
..almost like “guilty until proven innocent” when doing something outside the home.
From http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4406431.stm :
**
Pakistani police have clashed with demonstrators protesting against the participation of women in a 10km road race in eastern Pakistan.** A police chief in Gujranwala, 200km (120 miles) southeast of the capital, Islamabad, said 10 people were hurt.
Protestors opened fire on the police near a stadium where the race was due to end, while the police fired into the air to disperse the attackers.
The group that called for the protest said police fired without provocation.
..
I heard about this. What exactly happenned? I looked at the news online and didn't get a full idea. What were the ladies wearing? And was it a mixed race of men and women both?
" Why are women seen to be so sacrilegeous in Pakistan ??
..almost like "guilty until proven innocent" when doing something outside the home."
This is an exaggeration. There are women in colleges, workplaces and everyplace else, participating normally. Even the MMA has female members.
I don't think the way these people chose to protest was the correct way.
However, the government is taking such steps increasingly now without any care for what people think. The govt really needs to respect the sentiments and the wishes of the people, and realise what the common Pakistani is comfortable with and what he is uncomfortable with.
There might be a class in Pakistan for which these things might not be a big deal, but just for the sake of "modernisation", "secularisation" and "liberalisation", the ruling elite cannot ignore the sentiments of the people, impose their own vision on Pakistani society and start conducting such events publically. We have to face the realities and respect the wishes of the people. If the majority think they don't like to see such things happenning then the government needs to respect that. If Pakistani society is not ready for all this, then why does the govt insist on shoving it down our throats?
I blame both the government for conducting such an event and the MMA for protesting in such a manner.
**Gojranwala marathon participants attacked, several hurt **
GOJRANWALA: Hundreds MMA participants attacked on participants of mini marathon race with sticks and stones. In ensuing clash with police Qazi Hameedullah MNA and others were injured.
According to reports about 500 strong mob attacked mini marathon participants with stones and sticks at Gojranwala Stadium Sunday morning at 8:30 am. Police intervention in the attack was resulted in clash with the demonstrators. Police opened aerial firing to control the situation.
In mob attack and police firing two participants of the marathon Adnan, Jabbar, MMA workers and about dozen policemen were wounded including MMA member of National Assembly Qazi Hameedullah. The injured were admitted in district headquarters hospital Gojranwala.
MMA leaders had earlier threatened to stop the marathon due to women participation in the race.
The infuriated attackers set ablaze 12 vehicles including cars of Punjab Minister of Food Chaudhry Mohammed Iqbal, provincial parliamentary secretary Zil-e-Huma, Minister of Transport Rana Shamshad Ahmed, DCO and a minorities MPA.
Irem wrote:
"We have to face the realities and respect the wishes of the people. If the majority think they don't like to see such things happenning then the government needs to respect that. If Pakistani society is not ready for all this, then why does the govt insist on shoving it down our throats?"
The same logic was used by (white) people in the Unites States in the 1960s who opposed giving rights to black people - saying it was against popular will, which it was.
BTW, can women in Pakistan run in a race at all ?(Is there such an opportunity)
dost21, you're drawing parallels between two diametrically opposed situations. The situation about black & white folks in the USA was different b/c it involved discrimnation and injustice to black folks, and them being looked down upong by white people.
The secularisation of Pakistan is something different, it is about the way the country is run, and its not about infringing on the rights of any one segement of Pakistani population.
Yes, indeed women in Pakistan can run in races. Private and government colleges have teams of women who participate in all kinds of sports including racing.
The secularisation of Pakistan is something different, it is about the way the country is >run, and its not about infringing on the rights of any one segement of Pakistani population.
Not sure what women's running in a race has to do with "secularisation" (what is that in Pakistani context?). The background for my initial post was based on my (limited) knowledge of women in Pakistan. I heard that women in Pakistan do not have equal rights as men when deposing as witness in court and have unequal rights to divorce in the eye of the law. Having never lived in Pakistan (though I am of Pak heritage), this race news item really comes across as weird and seems to fit the pattern.
Yes, indeed women in Pakistan can run in races. Private and government colleges have >teams of women who participate in all kinds of sports including racing.
So why would 'protesters' fire guns and fight with police when they see women running ?
acrobi23 i am quoting my post in another thread…this will bring facts to light…
We’re all so gullible…or should i say biased and prejudiced with preconceived notions…
Past two days I have been seeing this topic become a matter of hot debate on GS and have been trying to gather info…coz I simply couldn’t believe that MMA would just go ballistic and attack a grouup of female atheletes…After all, you see females walknig/jogging/running in pakistani/western attire in all major cities of the country…privately, in parks, in colleges, and what not…
Did any of us even care to find out the truth before jumping our guns and labelling MMA as bad and evil and barbaric…?
I was just watching an investigative report on the matter on GEO…Mujeebur Rehman from Lahore, senior journalist, made these comments:
Reports indicate that:
MMA supporters were gathered to peacefully protest
Police opened lathi charge on MMA first
MMA retaliated
The people who suffered gunshot wounds were MMA workers, not the police
The females who were gathered there, many of them had been forced without their ready willingness to participate in that event and that was the very reason MMA was protesting…
Its highly interesting to note how our shameless puppet government let biased reports leak to western media and how everyone made a hoopla and dissed MMA without even getting to the bottom of the facts Our government is the one to blame here, NOT MMA.
The females who were gathered there, many of them had been forced without their ready willingness to participate in that event and that was the very reason MMA was protesting...
The above statement makes me doubt the senior journalist. I mean, how can you force someone to run a race they don't want to run? And that too a female in Pakistan?
Also, did he mention what 'peaceful' protest MMA had in mind? Like were they chanting slogans, posting banners or collective dua on the side of the rode for the misguided souls?
I agree with Irem and khatmal here .. the government is going too far ahead with the Roshan Khayali and Aitadaal Pasandi that it doesn respect much abt the sentiments of the masses.
Our government is the one to blame here, NOT MMA.