Selling Women
Posted on 01. Jul, 2011 by Ali Abbas in Morning Messages, Pakistan, Religion
I know I know, the heading itself is provoking enough be rest assured the post may sound even more offensive. Yesterday I went to a buy a shower gel, after looking through a few I selected one which looked good and smelled nicely. Being the curious brat that I am I started reading what was written on the bottle. At the back in very bold letters I read something which simply disgusted me, Caution! May cause women to be attracted in large amounts. Apply and fulfill your fantasy. Really? Wow! Does this product casts a magic spell or something? I browsed through all the available deodorants, shaving gels, perfumes etc. It was everywhere, in one way or the other it depicted via images or text a sense of women getting attracted sexually. Come to think of it the entire advertisement world is rigged with this factor. Each and every single advert has this element and then I wonder why we have never heard anything against it? On a completely different note however I have seen and heard numerous people, NGOs’, women rights organizations and independent social workers speak, write and act against issues such as forced pardah, burqa culture and suppressed rights of women. Just yesterday I read a post which mentioned how women felt that there vision was being narrowed due to wearing a hijab. I am not a women so I do not have any idea of the problems they face but seriously! Wearing less will somehow enhance your vision? And how in the worlds name does that relates to freedom? I am neither supporting the issue of forced hijab nor going against it, what I am saying is that please women, atleast be just to yourself. Everyone is partially a hypocrite but there is a limit. Talk on hijab enslavement all you want, but also do mention issues like this. Women are being sold on every single bill board in the country and in every product! From Lux soap to Slice mango drink, the concept of selling products by displaying women is present and then you women have the audacity to say that Islam is defaming you! That Islam does not believes in free progression of women! I am a human and a Muslim, so I respect women. I do truly believe that you are not an object on sale nor should you be used like this but well when women themselves do not seem to care, why should I? Think on it, are women merely a tool to be used for attracting men? Does all freedom lies in obsense clothing and posing for products? You have been created to be loved, not to be lusted on. Every single day we are selling women and no one seems to get offended. Sigh*
Good Morning
Samreen
Jul 1st, 2011
Actually pardah is a threat to consumerism and branding (most cases) … if it is proved that pardah can cause freedom and liberty to women… then just think what would happen to consumerism; take any brand, and product as you mentioned… masla par jayega
Ali Abbas
Jul 1st, 2011
yes i understand that, but the problem is not that. What is alarming that people (women specially) do not seem to care about it. Women are being used but do not mind it at all
razeen
Jul 1st, 2011
I cam across an interesting interview of a western woman who got converted to Islam. She brought up an interesting reason for this, claiming that fashion and dating men and all such acts were actually putting her into deeper enslavement that what Islam defines.
We really got to redefine freedom…
Ali Abbas
Jul 2nd, 2011
@Razeen: the irony is that more and more non-muslims are converting to Islam while more and more of our own people are being diverted from it. However the point I tried to made is not islamic in totality, what I am saying is that why the hypocrisy? If one stands against forced pardah system, then stand against this too.