On the surface, you'd probably have read a couple of Facebook articles or seen personal videos of the victim herself, and formulated your opinions. However, this issue isn't all that straightforward. The murder of Qandeel Baloch is far from the surface. It is a problem that lies deep within the mindset and misplaced moral outage of this country and its people.
It's amazing how we have become our own Gods. Judging people for their actions, declaring sins, justifying ridicule, and then grieving an individual after proudly threatening them. What did you expect was going to happen? That anyone would take her safety seriously after the way you made a mockery out of her well being? While you sit on your moral high ground amongst your social round table conferences, discussing and delivering your self proclaimed holy sermons, a woman was killed for acting out against the norms of society, for simply choosing to be herself. Her real, bold, raw self. A self that ironically threatened a country filled with thieves, murderers, rapists and corrupt politicians. The problem starts with us.
Ultimately, Qandeel Baloch paid the price for being a woman. We can factor out and branch all the reasoning in the world, but that was simply it. Blaming a female victim for being killed by her actions stems from the deepest roots of misogyny. Nobody asks to be killed, especially not via the amount of clothes she chooses to wear, the people she chooses to associate with, or the actions she publicises. It is the audience that deciphers these things and to think of how much power the audience of Pakistan holds is beyond comprehension. To say she deserved death or should have 'seen it coming,' is to say that men are murderers in their natural state, following what we must do to abstain from being killed. Straying from that path of holy righteousness must mean that we are deserving of ill-treatment that we are deserving of death. A murderer has been honoured in his household, more than the sister he killed with his own bare hands.
Some of you are most likely questioning the usefulness of the extensive Facebook rants that you see being shared like an outpour on your timeline. But, please don't underestimate the power of spoken word sentiments. Continue writing, speaking, thinking critically. Defend the right causes. Enlighten others. Be, as fierce and as unapologetically yourself.
Qandeel Baloch rose to fame because she did what most people are afraid to do: She stood firm in the face of adversity, through what society demonised her for. Let's not give up on the youth of Pakistan. There's always room for change and I believe we have the power to be that change. Let's destroy the notion that we cannot be ourselves - That Pakistan is not us. It is each and every one of us.
Disclaimer: The opinion, belief and viewpoints expressed by this author do not necessarily reflect the opinion, belief and viewpoints of H! Pakistan or official policies of H! Pakistan