Maulana Fazlur Rehman wants Aurat March to be stopped, even if by force

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has issued a strong statement against the Aurat March saying that his party would not allow ‘vulgarity’ and ‘obscenity’ in the name of human rights.

While addressing a gathering, Fazl said, “I want to make it clear that rebelling against the Quran and Sunnah and our culture in the name of human rights is not something we will allow. If anyone thinks they can come on roads under different banners and threaten our culture and Islamic values, they should know that we will also come out to stop them.” He asked his party workers to ensure that the march does not take place. “Wherever you see such elements, ask the law [enforcement authorities] to stop them, but if the authorities provide protection to such protests, then get ready for any sacrifice. We cannot let Islam and our cultural values be bad-named”, he said.

Who is afraid of Pakistan’s Aurat March? Pakistan’s women are marching against patriarchy, but what is their destination and who is standing in their way? The Aurat March of 2019 faced severe backlash from both conservative as well as like-minded quarters, on account of some hard-hitting slogans and jabs raised against prevalent masculine social norms. These have brought to the fore some paradoxes within feminist politics, which merit resolution for the sake of the emergence of stronger feminist politics in Pakistan.