Armeena Khan recently clapped back at an Aurat March critic as she pointed out all the ways it aims to introduce meaningful improvements in the world.
After a user direct messaged the actor on Instagram, asking her how the march is an effective way to fight the patriarchy, the actor replied with a detailed note of her own.
Deeming protests “an established historical mechanism to enact socio-political change”, Khan aimed to counter the user’s remarks about how “only men can bring [about] real change” and that “already privileged” women marching in support of those less fortunate is ineffective.
The user had questioned how Aurat March can bring change in the lives of women who are “oppressed, raped, harassed in offices, workplaces, and even schools and madrasas, [and are] murdered, abused and killed in the name of honor”.
“A man who kills his daughter brutally will not, in any way, be affected by this march,” the message further reads. “I think that only men can bring the real change. They can be the chain-breakers only if they want to. [I] want to know your thoughts [on this].”
Sharing screenshots of the messages in an Instagram post, the Bin Roye star responded to the user. “This message was sent to me on Insta by Khadija. I felt it needed more than just a story post, so here is my response,” read the caption of the post.
Striking back at the critic
“Killing, raping, and denying basic human rights for women and girls is unacceptable,” Khan penned down. “We can agree on that. Change is required. We can agree on that. But, not everyone understands this change, so we can agree it needs to be communicated to wider society.”
Responding to the user’s message about how only men can bring substantial change, the actor continued, “Women are the best placed to decide what this change should look like. Women need a platform, a voice, and equality of access to the public realm”.
“Marches and protests are an established historical mechanism to enact socio-political change the world over, e.g. the suffragettes. Deeming Aurat March a part of a larger “range of actions required”, Khan asserted that the march is not the “complete solution”. She concluded her note with a defense of “privileged” women taking part in the protest.
“As for privileged and educated women being part of the Aurat March, they are part of the movement because they are women. Their social position doesn’t disqualify them. It’s like saying Jinnah shouldn’t have marched for the establishment of Pakistan because he was a westernized, educated, privileged man who had little in common with a poor Subcontinent Muslim.”
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