Imran Khan’s comments on feminism spark twitter row
In an interview, the PTI chief said feminism is ‘degrading the role of motherhood’
Social media users in Pakistan are furious at Imran Khan. This time, it is for his comments on feminism.
During an interview with a Pakistani television channel, the politician and former cricketer said that he disagrees with the Western feminist movement and that it has contributed to “degrading the role of motherhood”.
This initiated an immediate debate, with many social media users in the country speaking up against his views.
Facebook user Bilal Farooqi shared a clip from the interview and wrote: “The feminism movement in the West has ‘degraded’ the role of a mother Imran Khan? Really?! #PTI”
Tweep @gabeeno posted: “Feminism means equal rights for all sexes. There is no Western or Eastern feminism, it’s global. If you don’t agree with feminism, you don’t agree with equal rights for all. If you are specifically talking about mothers and/or women, you are depriving them from equal rights, which is misogyny.”
@iAliAbbas tweeted: “The movement of #feminism seeks to establish equal opportunities for women and end patriarchy, and advocates women rights. I’d now seriously doubt moral values of the ones who would support/vote for @ImranKhanPTI or any of the candidates that he nominates.”
@abbasnasir59 posted: “Imran Khan’s views on feminism show his utter lack of understanding of the issue. He should ensure he is better briefed or not speak on issues he has little knowledge and awareness of.”
While a lot of social media users disagreed with Khan’s views and spoke up against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) chairman, there were several others who supported him.
Tweep @omarshahid_ posted: “Ref @ImranKhanPTI’s interview with @AmberRShamsi, IK said he disagrees with the Western concept of feminism - never said he disapproves of equal rights for women. You may not like the man, but it doesn’t mean that your disdain for him makes him anti women’s rights.”
Tweep @MehrTarar wrote: “Just because he has old fashioned views about certain concepts and movements, that in no way, in my opinion, makes him misogynistic (the word that’s liberally and incorrectly used for everything these days) or anti-women rights.”
@rehmananwer added: “Dear Pakistani ‘so called feminists’! Feminism is a discourse that is always evolving. If #ImranKhan doesn’t agree with certain elements of it, it doesn’t make him misogynistic. Hold your horses.”
Something that caught the attention of many social media users is when the Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari @BBhuttoZardari also tweeted in response to Khan’s views:
“No nation can rise to height of glory unless women are side by side with you. We are victims of evil customs. It’s a crime against humanity that women are shut up within walls of houses as prisoners. There’s no sanction anywhere for the deplorable condition in which our which women have to live. — Jinnah”