“My heart tells me to rage, rage. In my country, we do not rage enough. As quiet spectators we watch our rights trampled upon, our realities negated and our aspirations destroyed. We live in a deafening silence, surrounded by a noise meant to render us quiet. Even if there is peace in silence, I want to shun that peace for ‘I Speak, therefore I Am’”

— Rubina Saigol

hat gives one the right to commit violence against another human being? One wonders how the perpetrators justify their actions. Acts of violence, whether physical or emotional, are not only an action against a particular individual but are also atrocities committed daily in and against our society. An imbalance of power and prestige is conducive to such violence. Where did this imbalance start; what are its causes; and when did it get so out of control that so many people today suffer its consequences?

Occasionally, such acts of violence are too gruesome for the society’s collective moral conscience to ignore or involve influential parties on either end. These then make their way to newspaper headlines and TV screens. Even so, a certain segment of organised opinion seeks to discredit the voices raised in support of the victim/ survivor; insists there must be another side to the story; and tries to pin the blame on the victim/ complainant.

Not long ago, a senior police officer made insensitive remarks about the motorway rape survivor’s decision to travel when she did and taking the route she had. It tended to reinforce the view that the victims of violence bring it upon themselves and are therefore themselves to blame. It’s more convenient for a section of the society to blame a set of circumstances or a purported background for an act of violence than holding the perpetrator responsible.

In the wake of an eight-year-old’s rape and murder, too, some people had blamed the parents for leaving their daughter behind while they went for Umrah. To justify her murder at the hands of her brother, Qandeel Baloch was condemned for her allegedly outrageous videos.

Speaking out against injustice or advocating for and demanding their rights may result in harassment and violence, both online and offline. Our collective silence perpetuates these atrocities in our society.

The powerful, whether in physical terms, authority or wealth seem to have the green signal to live life on their own terms without any sense of accountability. The rest are left to suffer in silence. The divide appears to be getting wider and the difference more stark.

Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s beautiful and thought-provoking poem Intesab illuminates the notion of pain and disruption in society today. A dedication to numerous attempts of valour and honour that go unnoticed in our daily humdrum of life. They are present in every waking moment of the day that passes by; looking for our attention, begging for our generosity, only for the rest to turn their cheeks on them.

Like Faiz, who believed in the tremendous capacity of the people, there is hope to see much of the same. But somewhere down the line, these strongholds are destroyed. They are silenced.

These interruptions that come along like tides, wash away the forts people try to build. The result it the unpredictable pain that people suffer at the hands of their fellow human beings. These disruptions cause chaos. Should we remain silent? Why? And for how long?

In recent years, conversations around gender-based violence have increased. This is a positive sign. However, a vast majority of Pakistani women is still not part of these. The issues faced by them are never addressed. One such issue pertains to spousal violence, which is too often brushed aside as ‘domestic.’ Such categorisation renders the victims voiceless. Only recently, a successful economist and the only daughter of her parents was repeatedly struck with a dumbbell, resulting in her death. After a few days of attention the case dropped out of media limelight. No wonder, domestic violence, even when it leads to death, is not dealt with the kind of seriousness it deserves. Violence perpetrated by men can never be justified on the prestext of a woman’s allegedly questionable character or actions.

In Silence is not Golden, the late Rubina Saigol wrote about the challenges faced by women in Pakistan who try to speak out against violence and discrimination. Silencing of dissent and the suppression of freedom of speech are major obstacles to women’s rights and gender equality in Pakistan. When women speak up against violence perpetuated against them, they are sometimes accused of being Westernised or un-Islamic.

Such rhetoric is frequently used to silence women and delegitimise their voices. In the absence of speech, we cease to exist, because to speak freely is to live.

These are difficult questions that need to be answered to help and assist those who require empowerment.

The silencing of women’s voices is a major obstacle to gender equality and assurance of women’s rights in Pakistan. Women who speak out against injustices and discrimination may face violence, harassment and death. To address these issues, it is essential to promote and protect women’s rights, including the right to dissent. This requires a shift in societal attitudes towards women as well as the creation of legal and institutional frameworks that protect women’s rights and promote gender equality.

Khadija Siddiqi is a barrister-at-law and a practitioner of human rights law, criminal law and family law. She tweets @khadijasid751

Chaudhry Amad Tahir is a criminal law practitioner. He tweets @klMkLOz_4