Pakistani Actress Fights Back
Ursula Hennessey ·
Mar 22, 2011 at 7:07am
This video clip is about two months old, but I've just seen it. As I watch it, I am struck by so many thoughts other than the obvious: this woman is a tough cookie. (And that she's a little off about the current popularity status of Pamela Anderson.)
But still ... Imagine if, say, Larry King had asked an actress, "People say that when you went to Russia, you did not represent American ideals. How do you respond?" (Remember this?)
It's just such a foreign (no pun intended) concept to Americans, this twisted braid of morality, religion, press, and state. Rightly so. Yet here in this video, that idea is pervasive, is it not? Many thoughts came to my mind as I watched. How about you?
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Comments :
Oct '10
Re: Pakistani Actress Fights Back
Yes, definitely a tough cookie. What struck me, other than her fiery eloquence was the fact that this dialogue was broadcast on Pakistani TV. It gives me hope that voices like hers can be heard in an Islamic country such as Pakistan. I wonder if a fatwah has been issued against her? I'll bet that cleric got some ribbing from his buddies down at the watercooler in the mosque!
Edited on Mar 22, 2011 at 7:43amDec '10
Re: Pakistani Actress Fights Back
Wow - there's hope! I love it when he stated he never watched the show, but felt free to pass judgment on her all the same. His attempts to control the conversation by shaming her only resulted in shaming himself.
May '10
Re: Pakistani Actress Fights Back
Good for her!
Mar '11
Re: Pakistani Actress Fights Back
The lady was impressive to say the least. So impressive that I worry for her safety.
Re: Pakistani Actress Fights Back
Wow, she's fierce. But like Gus, I worry for her safety.
Jun '10
Re: Pakistani Actress Fights Back
Sadly, there are a lot of stupid ideas in the world, most of them promoted by men.
Edited on Mar 22, 2011 at 8:38amNov '10
Re: Pakistani Actress Fights Back
I went to youtube to watch this video so I could better follow the subtitles. It was a moving thing to watch. I started to choke up I liked her so much. I could feel my chest tighten, my heart rate advance, my face grew longer. Considering the personal risk she takes by standing up to those buffoons, she’s has courage few men can muster. I wanted to bring her to America where she can be kept safe. But her voice is much needed in the Islamic world.
My philosophy of life holds that men are barbarians until women civilize them. She proves it. She’s destined to become a heroine. But not a martyr, I hope.
Edited on Mar 22, 2011 at 8:56amNov '10
Re: Pakistani Actress Fights Back
Oh, I guess I didn’t need to go to youtube, the video gets bigger if you hit the comment button. By the way, anyone else notice how she sprinkled a few English phrases into her Pakistani? The power and dominance of English, the language of the world.
Re: Pakistani Actress Fights Back
YES! I noticed the same thing. And the phrases she chose to say in English were very interesting. That struck me. Haven't time to go back through again, but, yes, very interesting indeed.
Feb '11
Re: Pakistani Actress Fights Back
It is becoming very clear to me that women will be the voice of modern Islam, as they drag the radicals kicking and screaming to some sort of civilized reformation. This woman is incredibly courageous, and a great speaker.
Jan '11
Re: Pakistani Actress Fights Back
She got some support in the Pakistani press:
"Veena Malik's appearance on Bigg Boss 4 and her current interview on Express News has been the subject of many a cushy drawing room debate. Liberals everywhere are incensed by the mufti sahab who did not even watch Bigg Boss and yet was quick to pass judgement on Malik."
And yep, Urdu/Hindi are sprinkled with English phrases like raisins in rice pudding, but it also works the other way, as above.
The whole Indian subcontinent is kind of... strange... about their Bollywood stars. A few years ago Shilpa Shetty was briefly the national heroine for having been subjected to racist slurs in an English TV show...then flipped to being the national slut for having been kissed in public by Richard Gere.
Re: Pakistani Actress Fights Back
I've never been to Pakistan, but this kind of screaming-exchange is completely familiar to me. This is how Turks debate everything. The other day I heard the minor sound of a fender bender behind me, turned around, saw no one was hurt, looked at my watch, and thought, "Eight seconds until the screaming begins." To amuse myself I counted down. Eight. Seven. Six ... The screaming began and ended right on schedule. (A harmless fender-bender is worth a four-minute scream.) Women scream at men like this all the time. They get worked up and hysterical like this all the time. Men and men scream at each other like this all the time. So my reaction isn't quite so much, "Isn't she courageous," but "Typical local dramarama."
May '10
Re: Pakistani Actress Fights Back
Claire, would you say that cultural feature is "simply different" or a social crutch?
Re: Pakistani Actress Fights Back
Yes, but Pakistan is an Islamic state; Turkey, technically, is not. Pakistani honor killings are much more frequent than Turkish honor killings. Furthermore, the Turkish legal system prosecutes severely those who commit such killings. In Pakistan, honor killings are routinely ignored.
In America, I see women scream at men all the time, especially on cable news. But what sets this incident apart is how this woman is putting herself at personal risk.
Jul '10
Re: Pakistani Actress Fights Back
@Claire: "This is how Turks debate everything. The other day I heard the minor sound of a fender bender behind me, turned around, saw no one was hurt, looked at my watch, and thought, "Eight seconds until the screaming begins." To amuse myself I counted down. Eight. Seven. Six ... The screaming began and ended right on schedule. (A harmless fender-bender is worth a four-minute scream.) Women scream at men like this all the time."
This is typical of how some women sometimes exploit the expectation of male chivalry and restraint.
When two guys get into a shouting match, physical violence sometimes ensues. Women, however, can indulge themselves in aggressive display, secure in the knowledge that social mores assure there will be no consequences.
Edited on Mar 22, 2011 at 3:29pm