“Like a compass needle pointing north, a man’s accusing finger always points to a woman. Always”-Khalid Hosseini
Yet another day when a woman’s choice of clothing seems to instigate such hatred among men. The hum awards happened this weekend and nothing received more coverage and backlash than the dresses worn by female celebrities’ at the red carpet. A few actors and trolls alike had to accuse these celebrities for being shameless, for spreading a Western agenda and also the very much popular: “Is this the Islamic republic of Pakistan?”
Why is it that nothing bad in this country receives the same intense coverage and hatred that men solely reserve for women who choose to wear what they want and go where they want? Celebrities like Ayesha Omar and Alizeh Shah are not required to listen to trolls for living their life the way they want to, and no woman owes any stranger any kind of justification about her choices!
Mathira and Sharmilla Farooqi were among the voices who lent their support to female celebrities and pointed out to the trolls that a woman’s body is her own and no man has a right to question her on what she does or what she wears!
Mathira took to her instagram stories to criticize the misogynist trolls who were sending hateful comments to celebrities at the HUM awards, and said that women have every right to wear what makes them feel beautiful:
“Why are people bashing people’s style statement? Let the women dress how they want. That’s her body, her choice and she should feel happy with what she wears and that’s what matters! People are sitting at home and cursing other people for what they wear please wear your own skin and be comfortable in your own skin and try not to get under other people’s skin! Live and let live. Women have the right to wear what makes them feel beautiful.”
Politician Sharmilla Farooq had also taken to Instagram to defend women for wearing what they want. In a post she encouraged everyone to let other people live and enjoy their lives the way they choose to:
“Let them be! Stop judging women from their choice of clothes, they are adults, free and no one should be commenting on their choice of attire negatively: it’s a free world, live and let live! Let Bushra ansari dance to her hearts content, why shouldn’t she? She has every right to do so. To all those who spread negativity out there, my advice would be to look within and sort out your own frustrations!”
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So please let’s all remember: Mashal Khan, Alizeh Shah and all the other female celebrities are grown adults who are capable of thinking about how they choose to dress up and the way they want to live their lives. It’s not our right to criticize anyone for their clothing, but we should silence anyone who keeps justifying this misogynist mindset.
