The rape and murder of the six-year-old Zainab has caused an uproar in Pakistan, many celebrities also came forward to express their thoughts over the horrific matter. Also with the ongoing conversation about the need to provide a more safe and secure environment for our children, actress and activist Nadia Jamil, PR maven Frieha Altaf and ace designer Maheen Khan have come forward with own childhood stories of sexual harassment.
By sharing their experiences, they hope to highlight that sexual abuse can occur in families regardless of class and ethnicity. Also that our culture of silencing and shaming survivors needs to stop - the same should be the perpetrators.
Nadia Jamil shared, "My family still wants me to stay silent. But the shame IS NOT MINE!"
She added, “I was in college when it blew out of proportion. People tell me not to talk to respect my family’s honour. Is my family’s honour packed in my body? I am a proud, strong, loving survivor. No shame on me or my kids. Only pride for being me,” in the same tweet.
“When I sexually abused it was by my Kari Sahab, my Driver & then by a highly educated elite family’s son. Now, a happily married business man in London. It’s across the board. Men abuse across the board. My family still wants me to stay silent. But the shame IS NOT MINE! Never ever.”
Every time a child is sexually abused he/she is me. I will never shut up about it. & I will always say to the child, the child’s families, you, there is no shame for the abused survivor & we can help lead the to a joyful positive productive life. The shame is on the MEN who abuse
“Every time a child is sexually abused he/she is me. I will never shut up about it. & I will always say to the child, the child’s families, you, there is no shame for the abused survivor & we can help lead the to a joyful positive productive life. The shame is on the MEN who abuse,” added the starlet
According to Jamil, the only way to stop the abuse is to educate. “The cure is literacy, poverty alleviation and an empathetic education that counters all patriarchal, misogynistic discourse on women, womens bodies and male entitlement to sexual gratification for power. PLUS awareness and protection workshops for kids, schools, parents.”
She requested women and victims to not feel shame while talking about their stories. “I only share it so more women & men who have been abused STOP feeling SHAME and see their is a light inside them Allah has kept burning. Shine it! There is a way out of the hell of humiliation & pain. We can make it out & up to a beautiful place of gratitude! Always! Shukar always!
Frieha Altaf also touched on silencing the matter: "My parents took action but everyone remained silent as if it was my shame."
Ace designer Maheen Khan shared her story as well,
Many other celebs joined #JusticeForZainab protests:
Mahira Khan came forward and said she wished a time where no one would come out the streets demanding justice for any more such cases,
“It’s high time we need to put this in our syllabus so that all the children get to know about it. The parents also need to be educated regarding sexual abuse,” she wrote.
More power to these strong and beautiful women!