Using values to hail or hate

TWO headlines juxtaposed in the media last week reminded us of how two societies can share certain common values yet view feminists and feminism in stark contrast.

One striking headline read: “Sabahan supermodel says her skin colour ‘sells’.”

Dayang Nur Atikah Karim, better known as Atikah, the 22-yearold Sabahan supermodel who is currently based in New York, is certainly making waves with her features.

In just six months of modelling, Atikah (file pic) has already “walked” for the top world designers, namely Pyer Moss, Nicopanda, Banana Republic, Adam Levine, Greg Lauren and Polo Ralph Lauren.

Atikah, using the opportunity to carve a niche for herself in the fashion world, says she wants to make Sabah proud!

The other headline sadly broke the tragic news, “Qandeel Balouch: Pakistani social media star strangled by her brother”.

According to news reports, Qandeel, who was also a model and an actress, was strangled to death in her house in Multan’s Karimabad area. Her father claimed that she was killed by her younger brother in the name of “honour”.

This might be how a family, or even just an individual, viewed a woman’s conduct in the context of their traditional perception of certain values. But it is of considerable concern when such “honour killings” continue to be prevalent in numbers in society even in recent times.

However, without judging either society or its interpretation of such values, let’s be conscious that one society can give a broad, liberal interpretation while another a much more dogmatic, extreme view of the same set of values.