Amer Khan May 29, 2007

Tags: NWFP , Culture , Morality , women

rel="tag" href="/tag/Pakistan">Pakistan Airforce (PAF) Cinema located in the heart of Peshawar cantonment. As these men stroll towards the nearby bus stand, they ogle at any passerby female, unconsciously mimicking the mad movie hero they watched a few moments ago. Obviously, the female passersby play the heroine in their fantasies.

Pushto movies portray common gender perceptions for a typical lower class male of NWFP (especially in rural areas). To be a male is to be macho, but to be female is a bit fuzzy!! Gender segregation and female exclusivity from the economic sphere has resulted in a perverse neurotic stance among men; A woman is either a prostitute fully exposed in all ways to the exclusively male domains of public spaces or a chaste and homely creature confined to the safety of a home – a stark ambivalence. In a typical conservative male psyche, there is no middle ground. Most of the men have never seen women in the role of a professional engaged in lawful economic activity alongside men. There is no scope for a working woman, earning a lawful living, both publicly “exposed” and “chaste”. Therefore, In order to ward off the “evil eye” of the male in public spaces, therefore, the women need to be completely “wrapped up” in a burqa or chaddar. A burqa or a chaddar hence acts as a private space. Male insecurities about females emerge in all its hideous forms in public spaces. Therefore, we see the extreme reactions to the public display of female image on billboards etc.

Interestingly, religion has got the least to do with this social phenomenon in NWFP at-least. Gender segregation was said to be prevalent in pre-Islamic Iran especially in the upper classes. This culture somehow came down to the masses also and traveled towards the imperial Iranian border lands that constituted the present NWFP. The most secular minded, least religiously concerned, Scotch swigging relatives of mine (many of whom based in my ancestral village) are the strictest proponents of female segregation and often fiercely defend this practice citing the much abused notions of Pashtun honor (not Islam mind you!). It has only been recently that religion has been invoked to defend gender segregation, veiling and attempts to remove all female forms from public places. There appear to be political motivations for giving a religious color to this cultural trait.

Here I would like to narrate a social phenomena particularly prevalent since the Afghan war, which further strengthen the fuzzy female image in the NWFP male subconscious. Economic hardships and the precarious situation in Afghanistan brought refugees mostly to NWFP. These hardships also forced many Afghan refugees towards prostitution and human trafficking that although centered around the NWFP urban metropolis of Peshawar, reached all the major cities of Pakistan. However, Peshawar received much of its notoriety as the hub of “Gilum Jams” – the beautiful Afghan prostitute. These striking figures of statuesque beauty, often wrapped in their signature black frock-like dress and veils used to stalk certain Peshawar roads in the afternoon. The prospective customer used to come in a car, exchange a few glances typical of this situation, pick the female partner, negotiate the price and speed off. Some of these beauties would travel by a rickshaw, inviting inquisitive peeks by the passing cars of interested “buyers”.

This social phenomenon has somehow left a permanent mark in the male psyche despite the fact that presently the members of flesh trade in NWFP- Pakistani, Afghan or any of any other ilks, employ the ubiquitous mobile phone as their marketing and matchmaking tool; no more stalking the streets as they used to do. But the earlier image endured in the male psyche and resulted in this: Any female particularly the younger lot, found walking on the road, going in a rickshaw or simply waiting for their transport, invite the lustiest stares from men of all ages. Not just stares but many times, brazen and indecent invitations also! This appears to be sort of a knee jerk reaction, igniting the neural stimuli associating all women (particularly those shrouded in a black veil!!) walking on the road with the prostitutes that earlier peddled their profession in public.

I am not trying to associate prostitution with Afghan refugees only. All I am saying is that the Afghan prostitutes were found to be more exotic and beautiful creatures hence were elevated to a higher ranking (and commanded a higher price also!) in the flesh trade. They have achieved iconic status.

It seems that the male perceptions of female sexuality as seen in NWFP are similar to any society found on the “frontiers” away from the cosmopolitan milieu. Many western cowboy movies of the US show typical redneck lust for “well-built” women, disdain for public display of female form and a strict moral code for women in their homes.

Now let me come to the issue of selective morality. Female sexuality and its public display is the centre of Islamic and social morality. However, other more pressing issues are somehow shoved under the carpet by all sections of the society. Drug addicts sitting in garbage heaps, (many are seen near mosques begging and invoking God’s name!!) is a sight more obscene and unjust than a smiling female face on billboard or the “uncovered female” walking about in public places. The overflowing gutters and the filth strewn around should be considered as far more polluting and dangerous then the overflowing locks of hair of an unveiled woman! But the social and religious guardians of this society fail to understand these points. In their sermons, mullahs rant and rave about female indecency particularly on the television, recall 1400 year old anecdotes and traditions.

All female images on billboards are gone…..In their place we have male models in suggestive homosexual poses! A drive through Peshawar’s main roads shows the most perverse affects of gender selectivity. A female figure cannot be shown selling typical culinary items, instead, male model is seen lying on the side holding a can of cooking oil!!! ; reminds me of the bombastic movie stills of Ms Mussarat Shaheen – a famous Pushto movie star. That billboard has been removed, replaced by an equally absurd image of a male model holding a can of cooking oil, standing along a 4 wheel drive vehicle!!!!!