In an interview clip making rounds on the internet, Pakistani actor Faysal Qureshi has reignited conversation on the feminist slogan ‘Mera Jism Meri Marzi’. The clip is from Qureshi’s candid discussion with host Adnan Faisal on the podcast FHM Pakistan.
The actor shared his two cents on consent and marital rape within cultural and religious expectations. He said, “Yes, our religion says that when men call their wives, they are obliged to go but there is a certain reason. There are a lot of things that precede such a demand that men are obliged to fulfill first. That includes the five prayers, charity, earning through the right means.”
The Bashar Momin star referenced the Prophetic model (Sunnah) in Islam as a comprehensive guide to approach marital relations without isolating them from other religious compulsions. “You haven’t learned that but you have fixated on one particular thing,” Qureshi said, disapproving of the cherry-picking of religion.
He further explained, “You come home drunk, you hit your wife just yesterday, then you approach her with force.” The actor pinned the confusion shrouding these issues to lack of proper conversation. “When a lot of people start talking simultaneously, your ‘channel’ loses direction,” Qureshi offered, insisting on the need for direction.
“People have distorted ‘mera jism meri marzi’ into a joke!” the Fitoor actor remarked on the slogan’s contentious reception. “It’s about consent. I am a man, but even I expect regard for my consent,” he added in agreement Faisal.
Pointing out this public hypocrisy, Qureshi also spoke up about his divorce and the stigma that follows after a marriage ends. “If you’re a divorcee, you face a lot of taunts. Conversely, it’s glorified if you’re having multiple affairs.”
“Halal is wrong and haram is glorified into a fashion,” he added, revealing his bafflement about the ambivalent standards of morality preached online. “People didn’t even spare Mahira’s marriage. Someone’s starting a new life and you’re picking faults even with that. This is where we end up when people don’t have anything better to do.”
The actor furthered about cyberbullying. “A person who is standing below and barking up at you, this means he’s beneath you. So there’s no point in [engaging]. When someone is above you, they won’t shout and harangue you like this, they’ll take your hand and walk you to a room and calmly point out what you’re doing wrong” Qureshi said, sharing how he doesn’t take trolls seriously.
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