Qandeel Baloch, often labeled a headline-hogging, publicity-hungry celebrity who needed moral guidance and lessons in virtuoso, was murdered by her brother, Waseem Azeem on 16 July 2016.
Baloch, a “bad influence ” who was bringing a “bad name” to the family, needed to be taught a lesson, according to Azeem. Unfortunately, many on social media shared his sentiment. Many of them are women.
In societies like ours, where men feel that it is their responsibility to “show women their place”, Baloch’s unabashed presence on social media obviously did not go down well with these self-appointed moral custodians.
Baloch hailed from a working class family. She left her husband – who abused her physically and emotionally – a year after she got married. She was quick to recognise the power and reach of social media in Pakistan. She used it effectively, without being apologetic for taking up as much digital space as she wanted.
Baloch was a one-of-a-kind celebrity in Pakistan. Although her videos weren’t unusual – she pouted for the camera, discussed hair-styles, wore animal print pants with loud captions emblazoned over her posterior – they were differently, rather narcissistically styled. In the South Asian context, especially Pakistan’s, her social media presence was against the grain, bordering on blasphemy.
She unwittingly instigated an era in Pakistan: an era in which women were beginning to realise their agency and defying societal norms.
The era however, was abruptly stopped by the society’s ‘moral upholders’. It has set the ball rolling for a very poignant debate on the narrative of ‘honour’ and how women’s sexual modesty becomes the repository of a family’s izzat in a patriarchal setup.
While many on social media have stretched themselves thin to show support to the deceased Baloch, others are revelling in her murder. Here are some such reactions
Here is an interview with Baloch where she lays bare the sexist nature of our society:
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