Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has come under attack after he blamed women’s clothing for the rise in rape and sexual assault in the country. In an interview with ‘Axios on HBO’, Khan said, “If a woman is wearing very few clothes, it will have an impact on the men, unless they are robots. It’s just common sense.”
The Prime Minister further went on to justify how this “cultural imperialism” works and said, “Whatever is acceptable in our culture, must be accepted everywhere else. It’s not,” adding more spice to his speech. A portion of his interview soon went viral, drawing flak over his opinion. It triggered outrage among opposition leaders and scores of netizens, who came down heavily on the Pakistani leader and strongly spoke against such misogynistic ideal.
Though his words have ‘shocked’ the western world and the so-called metropolitan culture prevailing in the countries like India, the statement cannot be ignored or prove wrong. We must assume that he pronounced the opinion of a majority of people living in India or Pakistan where the taming using the means of education is not yet complete. In most of the parts in both countries, women cover their bodies almost full and perhaps looking at a woman from another angle is considered a sin.
There is a massive cultural conflict here and it is wrong to judge a situation on a statement being in a completely different cultural background. Kissing a woman in public may be acceptable in the western world, however the same is considered obscene in many other parts of the world. The western civilization is one that accepts fewer dresses to cover the body, however, as per culture, in many other countries, it is not acceptable. It is quite common that an indifferently dressed man or woman would invite attention.
Like all animals, humans have instincts, genetically hard-wired behaviours that enhance our ability to cope with vital environmental contingencies. Other instincts, including denial, revenge, tribal loyalty, greed and our urge to procreate, now threaten our very existence. Perhaps the dominance of men over women, an urge to conquer a woman to satisfy one’s sexual urge are also serves as examples of the same. Unless controlled by means of education, these instincts will be a part of human life.
In making a person ‘civilised’, the role of education is the key. In its true sense, more than merely preparing one for his or her occupation, education tames a human being to make them fit for social life. Though not considered formal, values imparted by religions across the world also aims at the same. We must assume that the animal instinct within a man is being controlled by education – the more educated (formally or through imbibing values) a person is, the more tamed he is.
The more is the role of culture in it. A man who is born and brought up in a culture where women cover their bodies completely is ‘tempted’ when he sees a woman otherwise. Can a man or woman in rural India, Pakistan or similar countries who don’t even have separate rooms for family members, admit a western culture where it is common for people to go to bed in their lingerie? Their approach to a woman who uses less dress to cover their body would be different if he was brought up in a family where the female members use less dress to cover up their nakedness.
Every culture has its own values. When we look at the statement of Imran Khan from the perspective of a westerner or metropolitan it becomes condemnable, however, if we look at it from the angle of common men that makes the majority, it is acceptable. Is imposing one’s prejudices on another is acceptable in the so-called civilized world? Unfortunately, until everyone on earth receives the same education that teaches the same cultural values, these indifferences will exist.
Let’s spare Imran Khan for he is speaking from the background of a culture that exists in Pakistan and you have your own! Unfortunately, though India got freedom from the hands of the British, we are yet to be free from the colonial culture that they have imposed upon a culture that has its own unique characteristics. The west, their prejudices ruling the world is past, in the modern world every country, every individual is the ruler of their own territory.
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