At a panel discussion regarding his Mens’ Team’s dismal performance at the current ICC World Cup tournament, ex-Pakistani cricketer, Abdur Razzaq went on to say that earlier, the cricketers played with good Neeyat (intentions). Whereas the current lot lacked this Neeyat.
And then, suddenly out of the blue, he made the weirdest comments of all time, “If you marry someone like Aishwarya Rai, you cannot be expected to have pious children with good Neeyat.” He then sat there victoriously, a smile plastered over his face, as the other panelists laughed and clapped.
Like what? What does Aishwarya Rai have to do with Pakistani Mens’ cricket, their pathetic performance, or their Neeyat?
A little reflection and I guess, this is what Abdur Razzak wished to convey with his distasteful remark.
Two, ‘That Mother’ could definitely not be an independent, smart, famous, and immensely successful woman like Aishwarya Rai.
Three, apparently for Abdur Razzaq, a good wife and mother wouldn’t, rather shouldn’t possess any of the aforementioned qualities. If only he could elaborate on who he deems fit to birth pious children.
Four, maybe he’s jealous of women who have made it big in a man’s world and are miles ahead of him in all aspects.
But what irked me the most about the entire episode, was the fact that other panelists, read ex-cricketers actually laughed and applauded at Abdur Razzaq’s snide remark. Neither the anchor nor a single person from the crowd interrupted or called out.
All these cricketers in question are young and successful athletes who have represented their country internationally. Some of them would be fathers to daughters too, I’m sure. How could they laud a person’s regressive and extremely embarrassing statements on a public platform?
It’s indeed disappointing to see misogyny and patriarchy so deeply etched into the psyches of men whom the youth is supposed to idolize. Famous sportsmen who could actually set a good example for the younger generation, get away with casual sexism. And it’s not only them, does every person in the audience who cheered, harbor the same sentiments?
I wonder where we, as a generation are still going wrong. Education may be. Or the upbringing that sticks to the age-old norm that women guard the honor of a family by hiding under a man’s shadow? It’s the 21st century, we are being so vocal about inclusion and emancipation, and then there are people who take pride in character-assassinating women publicly.
Well, thankfully, Abdur Razzaq and his likes did receive a lot of flak over the media. The other cricketers washed their hands off the incident, some said…
Read the rest of the blog here
Abdur Razzaq’s Sexist Remark On Aishwarya Rai Is Wrong On So Many Levels (youthkiawaaz.com)
Note: This blog was published in Youth Ki Awaaz.
