In Pakistan, a music video against education for girl children is going viral on social media. The video was uploaded by a YouTuber named Hafiz Hasan Iqbal Chishti. In the music video, he asks Pakistani citizens not to send their daughters to school as they would be dancing there which is considered an ‘un-Islamic act’ or Haram. He then goes on to say that if the parents want to make their daughter a Kanjari (a derogatory word for character assassinating a woman), they could send them to school.
The song was released a few weeks ago in June. The controversial song condemning girl child education is titled, “Apni dhi Schoolo Hata Le Othy Dance Kardi Payi Ae” (De-enroll your daughter from school she was spotted dancing there).
The controversial song is laced with misogynistic lyrics that advices Pakistanis to de-register their daughters from school and make them sit at home behind veils unless they want their daughters to become prostitutes.
The transcripts of an excerpt from the lyrics read, “Ghar parade vich bitaale, nahi te ye te gaal jehen chipaale othey dance kardi payi ae. Endi izzat gavaani chahne, je kanjiri banane chahne phir dhi school pada le…” (Translation – Keep your daughters at home, cover them up in veils otherwise she will be spotted dancing at school. If you wish to lose respect or want your daughter to become a prostitute, then send her to school to study).
Another reads, “Nachdi school jaake, nahi aan dhi izzat bachaake…” (She dances at school, and returns home without her honour).
The context behind making the video also finds mention. It shows footage of a dance competition that was organized in a school in Pakistan at the request of UNESCO. In response to this, YouTuber Hasan Iqbal Chishti is seen singing the controversial lyrics. Currently, it is the most-watched video on his YouTube Channel which was uploaded on 19th June 2024. So far, it has garnered over 1 lakh 77 thousand views and over 2.9 thousand users have liked it.
Misogyny is rife among Pakistani men. It's not uncommon that disgraceful clerics like Hasan Iqbal Chisti, ideologically aligned with TLP, sing hymns against girl education. pic.twitter.com/ZyYLoPZ7bj
— Kumail Soomro (@kumailsoomro) June 29, 2024
In the comment section, many educated Pakistani citizens condemned the lyrics and their intention and asked in which direction Pakistan was heading. A user took a dig at Chishti’s controversial music video. He released a video on a YouTube channel named Ex-Muslim Zafar Heretic. Condemning the song and trolling Chisti, the YouTuber said, “Let me tell the song creator that music too is Haram in Islam.”
However, many users appreciated Hasan Chisti for making the song. Some commented that they agreed with his observation and advice, some thanked him for uploading the song while many hailed him saying ‘Long Live Hasan Iqbal Chisti’.
Talibani mindset against female education
It is pertinent to note that people like Hasan Iqbal Chisti and ilk only harm society and lead it to a pitfall. Today, in every developing country, emphasis is laid on education of all children so that educated females empower society. However this is not the case in Islamic countries. They lay their focus on how to deprive females of their basic rights. In countries where pursuing basic education is a challenging task, higher education for girls seems a near impossibility.
According to a report in Balochistan’s English-language online newspaper, Balochistan Voices, “a woman is termed to be a prostitute when she goes outside, gets an education, speaks for herself. The prostitute blame is also extended to how women dress or walk even.”
In multiple instances, the Taliban had completely restricted female education and banned it in the Afghan-Taliban region.
In 2022, female students were stopped from appearing for University exams. They led a massive protest against this decision. Back then, Taliban’s Education Minister Nida Mohammad Nadim had defended the Taliban rule.
He said, “Islam does not allow women to engage in adultery under the pretext of education and that banning female education is in line with the Prophet’s decree and that woman is obliged to produce children & serve her man, not to get educated.”
Taliban also claimed that female students in the universities did not follow the Taliban dress code and used to go to study dressed up as if they were going to a wedding ceremony. They also banned education arguing that men and women could meet freely in universities.
Now, the same regressive mindset of ending girl-child education has come to the fore from Pakistan which is fast marching on the Talibani path.
