Afridi’s googly and CII’s no ball

Beena Sarwar
Personal Political

Shahid Afridi’s googly lobbed at women's cricket in Pakistan, dismissing women as just good cooks, went viral on social media over the past few days.

And recently, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) decreed that Pakistani laws that prohibit under-age marriage and place conditions on a married man’s attempts to take another wife are ‘un-Islamic’.

Ostensibly very different, both stem from the same patriarchal mindset that sees women as inferior to men, justifying itself by invoking religion or cultural traditions.

Thankfully – small mercies – neither Afridi nor the CII can legally enforce their views. But their respective spheres of influence are huge. Their views play into the extremist lobby that is holding Pakistan to ransom.

The Afridi gaffe took place last October, when a well-meaning television interviewer mentioned Afridi’s Pakhtun background and the women's under-19 cricket trials in Peshawar. 

“Women should have cricket, their own teams, one wants them to come forward in sports”, he said enthusiastically, and asked for Afridi’s views on this.

“Yaar, our women have great ‘maza’ (taste) in their hands,” replied Afridi, gesturing with his own hands. “They make very good food”.

The anchor’s face fell. “But I thought… I meant…I was asking…”

Afridi cut him off with a terse, “Thank you. You have got your answer.”

The poor fellow hastily changed the subject to an upcoming cricket series. Which really is the only kind of thing Afridi should ever be asked about. He is an athlete, not an activist or an intellectual. 

Of course, he is entitled to his views but, as a public figure hero-worshipped by millions, he bears a responsibility to filter what he utters in public. Again small mercies, he did not call for women’s sports to be banned or restricted.

Women in Pakistan have fought long and hard – and they continue to be up against a lot – in their quest to play sports. Afridi’s belittling, patronising remark immeasurably undermined that struggle.

A bigger man with a more generous heart might have heeded the age-old advice to say nothing if you have nothing good to say. Or said something non-committal like, “Yes, women’s teams are coming up”.

But then a bigger man with a more generous heart would: a) not have held those views, or b) apologised for saying something so bigoted in public.

Now to the CII’s no ball, terming the Pakistan Muslim Family Laws as un-Islamic.

Proponents of such views cite the ‘Sunnah’ of the Prophet (pbuh) with no context. Next they will tell us slavery is valid, because Islam does not prohibit it.

The level of scholarship of the ‘alim’ (learned) CII members is all too apparent in their earlier pronouncements. Some years ago they declared that men who practice family planning would go bald. Last year, they decreed that DNA tests are unacceptable as primary evidence in rape cases. One hopes they never have to take recourse to DNA tests to get justice for any of their own family members.

Thankfully, Shahid Afridi and the Council of Islamic Ideology have no actual powers to enforce their retrogressive views.

Women in Pakistan remain up against a lot. Legislation like the family laws provides some redress and check on those trying to marry off underage girls or married men trying to take another wife without their first wife’s permission.

Between 1991 and 2007, Pakistan topped the other countries of the region in terms of how drastically marriages of girls under-14 fell – by 61 percent, outstripping Nepal’s 57 percent, Bangladesh’s 45 percent and India’s 35 percent, according to a study.

However, the study, conducted by Anita Raj, professor of medicine in the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine found that the rate among girls aged 16-17 continued largely unchanged (Journal of the American Medical Association, May 2012).

Still, these rates may also drop with sustained campaigns for education and awareness, backed by legislation. ‘Rulings’ like the one made by the CII do not help.

The CII’s edict gives parents/guardians a licence to marry off underage girls and frees men of the need to secure the permission of their first wives before taking second wives.

This “is nothing short of a vicious attack on women's and girls' fundamental rights," observes the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).

The CII's recommendations are open to challenge for being in conflict with the constitution of Pakistan and universal human rights and also for violating the spirit of Islam, as the HRCP says.

It is unlikely that the government will yield to such pressures. Because after all, surely those at the helm of affairs realise that allowing such pronouncements to gain ground will only feed the ongoing extremist assault in Pakistan?