Whatever else you may say about Qandeel Baloch, the one thing we all have to admit is that she definitely left a mark. But how much of a mark was it? Have we taken anything away from the message Qandeel attempted to preach? Turns out, not really. Listed below are 5 things that have stayed exactly the same since Qandeel Baloch’s death:
1) Honor Killings
A grim one to start with, but perhaps the most important. Despite Qandeel’s highly publicised murder case and efforts to punish the perpetrators, women continue to be killed in the name of honor. A huge part of this has to do with the inability of the justice system to wrap up the case quickly. An example should have been set by now, which might have deterred people from committing such murders.
2) Judging Others for Their Choices
Granted, that may not be the best message to be communicating to young girls – but you also need to respect the choice a woman makes. Qandeel Baloch was downright persecuted on social media for her choices, and look where she ended up.
3) Repressing Expression
Women in Pakistan continue to be silenced. The country and its people still do not have tolerance for vocalness, creativity, boldness – unfortunately, a woman who goes after what she wants is still viewed with fear and distrust.
4) A Moral Compass with Which to Choke People
While she was alive, people failed to take into account the dismal circumstances Qandeel Baloch had to deal with. Instead, they judged what she did at face value – it is no different two years after her death. Our self-righteousness knows no bounds: with the same background, facing the same trials and tribulations, can we really say for sure how we would have reacted if we faced similar societal repression as she faced in life?
5) Glorifying the Dead
Qandeel was not always looked at as a ‘hero’. She was largely ridiculed and criticised when she was alive – very few people realized the significance of the empowering potential behind her work. Labeling her a hero and glorifying who she was is a misrepresentation of her image: it ignores the very dark side to public opinion of Qandeel Baloch that ultimately led to her murder. Now, if only we could have said all these nice things while she was still alive. There will always be believers and non-believers. Some people will always disapprove of personalities like that of Qandeel Baloch. This is not necessarily because they’re scared of the influence such people can potentially have. It is also because we fail to put ourselves in other people’s shoes before we begin to evaluate them and their choices.
Nobody is all good or all bad – we are all in the same boat, trying to be good and to do good, but also to survive. So let’s all help each other out.
Feature Image Source: Change.org