Women's bicycle rally in Peshawar cancelled after protest threat by religious parties

[MenInG]

The first women's bicycle rally scheduled to take place in Peshawar on January 19 was cancelled after religious parties on Friday threatened to protest against the event, officials said.

Zama Jawandoon, an organisation working for women's rights, had organised the 'peace rally' that was scheduled to begin from Peshawar's Hayatabad neighbourhood on Saturday.

According to the event's organiser, Wafa Wazir, at least 35 women were slated to participate in the rally and they had also invited people from the transgender community.

But the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam – Fazl (JUI-F), Jamaat-i-Islami, and other religious parties on Friday announced they would stage a protest against the rally at the Bagh-e-Naran in Hayatabad.

"The women's bicycle rally is spreading obscenity," JUI-F's Maulana Rafiullah Qasmi was quoted as saying at a meeting held earlier today.

Examine: Who's afraid of women?

He announced that they would contact the relevant departments to have the event cancelled and if that is not done, a demonstration will be held against the rally at 9am tomorrow.

The threat of the protest led the organisers to cancel the rally a day before it was scheduled to take place.

Speaking to DawnNewsTV, Wafa Wazir, the lead organiser, said they had approached the Peshawar district administration before announcing the rally and were subsequently issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) to hold the event.

But she said they had decided to postpone the event after the protest call by religious groups because they did not want the rally to take place in a state of any unrest.

When contacted, police said the organisers of the event had not approached them to obtain an NOC or seek security.

"After receiving information about the [planned] protest against the race, police contacted the organisers and they revealed that the rally had been postponed," SP Cantt Wasim Riaz said.

He said it was the responsibility of police to provide security to any events in the city, adding that organisers must first obtain police clearance.

According to SP Riaz, police had not received any directions from the district administration or any other department for the provision of security to the women's bicycle rally.

Meanwhile, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa directorate general of sports issued a statement to distance itself from the scheduled rally, even though it practically had nothing to do with the event.

"It has come to the notice of the [sports directorate] that some people are agitating protest regarding the organising of [a] female cycle race," the notice read. "It is clarified that this office is unaware regarding the organising of the said event."

It said the directorate had neither organised the event nor was the Hayatabad Sports Complex being provided to any NGO to hold the same.


https://www.dawn.com/news/1458323/w...led-after-protest-threat-by-religious-parties

 

[JaDed]

The women's bicycle rally is spreading obscenity," how though..?

 

[Syed1]

These mullahs are scourge of earth

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

The women's bicycle rally is spreading obscenity," how though..?

Presumably because they can't cover up their limbs adequately while riding a bicycle. I think in strict Islamic countries it is probably rare to see women cyclists for that reason. Pakistan is a bit like Britain used to be in the Victorian era where women had to wear long skirts and ride side saddle, I've seen them doing that over there, but that was a long time ago, no idea if it's still as restrictive in the more modern cities.

 

[Mamoon]

Yet another example of how spineless this government is. They cannot withstand any pressure from the mullahs.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Yet another example of how spineless this government is. They cannot withstand any pressure from the mullahs.

I don't think a govt from any party of your own personal choosing could do much different, the society itself is really conservative and that's why mullahs can hold so much influence. By turning this into another anti-Imran Khan rant you are just deflecting from the issue.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Yet another example of how spineless this government is. They cannot withstand any pressure from the mullahs.

I had the pleasure of visiting Peshawar recently and to my surprise, infrastructure aside, I was shocked to see how it is still very backwards compared to other major cities of Pakistan. I stayed a couple of days and only rarely did I see women not covered very strictly.

I had breakfast at Chaaye Khana, visited different shops and restaurants on University Road and even strolled in the main bazaars and noticed that compared to Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and even Gujranwala and Faisalabad, there were far fewer women and girls, the ones that were there were covered head to toe. It would be a shock to see a female dressed in western attire like jeans and a tank top, therefore, I think this was to be expected.

You simply cannot have success in a programme like this (even though it advocates a healthy lifestyle) owing to the the norms of society and the cultural limitations of the Pukhtoon way of life. I'm sure there are modern, educated families in Peshawar who dress however they want and do whatever they want but I am absolutely sure it is not in public in Peshawar.

 

[troodon]

Presumably because they can't cover up their limbs adequately while riding a bicycle. I think in strict Islamic countries it is probably rare to see women cyclists for that reason. Pakistan is a bit like Britain used to be in the Victorian era where women had to wear long skirts and ride side saddle, I've seen them doing that over there, but that was a long time ago, no idea if it's still as restrictive in the more modern cities.

I was told that there is only one Islam. What is strict and moderate and nominal?
@KKWC

 

[KingKhanWC]

I had the pleasure of visiting Peshawar recently and to my surprise, infrastructure aside, I was shocked to see how it is still very backwards compared to other major cities of Pakistan. I stayed a couple of days and only rarely did I see women not covered very strictly.

I had breakfast at Chaaye Khana, visited different shops and restaurants on University Road and even strolled in the main bazaars and noticed that compared to Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and even Gujranwala and Faisalabad, there were far fewer women and girls, the ones that were there were covered head to toe. It would be a shock to see a female dressed in western attire like jeans and a tank top, therefore, I think this was to be expected.

You simply cannot have success in a programme like this (even though it advocates a healthy lifestyle) owing to the the norms of society and the cultural limitations of the Pukhtoon way of life. I'm sure there are modern, educated families in Peshawar who dress however they want and do whatever they want but I am absolutely sure it is not in public in Peshawar.

Sounds like something out of a right wing fairystory book. The dress of a woman does not show if she is educated or not. Some of the least educated women of the lowest class in the UK dress with little clothes.

As for the OP

He said it was the responsibility of police to provide security to any events in the city, adding that organisers must first obtain police clearance.

They should obtain the clearance and if given go ahead with their bike ride, regardless of protests by extrermits. But seems like a non-story hyped by Dawn again trying to put down PTI governence.

 

[KingKhanWC]

I was told that there is only one Islam. What is strict and moderate and nominal?
@KKWC

People have their own interpretations. As long as people aren't walking around half naked, im sure most Muslims dont really care. People should worry about their own life/sins and not about others.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

I was told that there is only one Islam. What is strict and moderate and nominal?
@KKWC

There is only one Islam, in the same way there is only one potato. One chef might take that potato and make it into a mash, another might fry it and transform it into a chips, yet another might push it into someone's exhaust pipe and prevent the vehicle from starting.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Sounds like something out of a right wing fairystory book. The dress of a woman does not show if she is educated or not. Some of the least educated women of the lowest class in the UK dress with little clothes.

As for the OP



They should obtain the clearance and if given go ahead with their bike ride, regardless of protests by extrermits. But seems like a non-story hyped by Dawn again trying to put down PTI governence.

I agree with your way of thinking and that's how it should be, however, let me remind you, your example from the UK is false because we are not talking about the UK. We are talking about Pakistan. In Pakistan, more educated people usually don't feel the need to follow Saudi culture and it is the less educated segment of our society that forces it's women to be veiled.

Furthermore, let me remind you that I also wrote modern. There is nothing wrong with anyone saying people with a less conservative and more modern mind usually don't dress like ninjas.

 

[KingKhanWC]

I agree with your way of thinking and that's how it should be, however, let me remind you, your example from the UK is false because we are not talking about the UK. We are talking about Pakistan. In Pakistan, more educated people usually don't feel the need to follow Saudi culture and it is the less educated segment of our society that forces it's women to be veiled.

Furthermore, let me remind you that I also wrote modern. There is nothing wrong with anyone saying people with a less conservative and more modern mind usually don't dress like ninjas.

In the UK most of the uneducated women wear less clothes. My point is in any culture the dress does not confirm ones education or mordernism. As for Pakistan, most women dont cover their face and most people including men have little or no education.

 

[The Viper]

How you dress certainly does not give an indication of your intelligence.

 

[Bewal Express]

Yet another example of how spineless this government is. They cannot withstand any pressure from the mullahs.

One of those Mullahs l(Fazlu)was the Presidential candidate for your favourite parties that you want in govt.

 

[ExpressPacer]

In the UK most of the uneducated women wear less clothes. My point is in any culture the dress does not confirm ones education or mordernism. As for Pakistan, most women dont cover their face and most people including men have little or no education.

Again, I don't care about what goes on in the UK, this isn't about the UK. Secondly, this was never about women who wear "less clothes". I don't care what they wear but it is a trend I've seen over my life, as women in our Pakistani society become more educated and acquainted to modernism, they stop covering up needlessly like ninjas. That is not say they dress vulgar, but not needlessly covered as a tribute to Arabian culture.

 

[Major]

Banay ga naya pakistan

 

[Loralai]

Same authorities had no issue when Cynthia Richie was riding a bike in Peshawar. One rule for foreign women and another for our own?

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dear disingenuous 'liberal' media: while you're hiding behind keyboards in other countries & contorting the reasoning behind my bicycle pic in Pesh, you're distracting from the real voices that need to be heard.<br><br>Plus you forgot this pic. <br><br>Change takes time. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MyLovePakistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MyLovePakistan</a> <a href="https://t.co/oX9wRNZamR">pic.twitter.com/oX9wRNZamR</a></p>— Cynthia D. Ritchie (@CynthiaDRitchie) <a href="https://twitter.com/CynthiaDRitchie/status/1086613356579041280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[PakLFC]

These Mullah's want to take us back to the stone age. Most of there type were against the formation of Pakistan and now they want to transform it to some Arab hell hole. Send them all to the Middle East where they are free to practise their backwardness.

 

[slipcatch]

Same authorities had no issue when Cynthia Richie was riding a bike in Peshawar. One rule for foreign women and another for our own?

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dear disingenuous 'liberal' media: while you're hiding behind keyboards in other countries & contorting the reasoning behind my bicycle pic in Pesh, you're distracting from the real voices that need to be heard.<br><br>Plus you forgot this pic. <br><br>Change takes time. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MyLovePakistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MyLovePakistan</a> <a href="https://t.co/oX9wRNZamR">pic.twitter.com/oX9wRNZamR</a></p>— Cynthia D. Ritchie (@CynthiaDRitchie) <a href="https://twitter.com/CynthiaDRitchie/status/1086613356579041280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Easy to protect an individual than mass people riding a bike.

Let’s not ignore the fact that Pakistan still has radicazlized Muslims who have hijacked ISLAM to stay relevant by any mean necessary.

Your comments are of desperation to malign everything that has to Pakistan out of pure desperation but everyone see through you.

 

[Suleiman]

New year as in 2019 not 1819.

 

[Major]

Really feel for the females in his family. Tobah

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

These Mullah's want to take us back to the stone age. Most of there type were against the formation of Pakistan and now they want to transform it to some Arab hell hole. Send them all to the Middle East where they are free to practise their backwardness.

Arab countries are very particular who they take in, useless mullahs are probably ten a penny over there, why would they accept anyone else's?

A far more practical solution would be for women of Peshawar to apply for Canadian or Australian asylum. Riding a bicycle is a basic human right. Yes it would be perfect to be able to announce your atheism on a twitter account, but at least everyone can be an atheist privately. You can't ride a bicycle privately unless you own a few acres of land, how many women can claim that in Peshawar?

 

[PakLFC]

Arab countries are very particular who they take in, useless mullahs are probably ten a penny over there, why would they accept anyone else's?

A far more practical solution would be for women of Peshawar to apply for Canadian or Australian asylum. Riding a bicycle is a basic human right. Yes it would be perfect to be able to announce your atheism on a twitter account, but at least everyone can be an atheist privately. You can't ride a bicycle privately unless you own a few acres of land, how many women can claim that in Peshawar?

Coz they might like the brand of Islam they preach! As these mullah's consider themselves lost sons of the Arab world perhaps we can do some deal with them. Perhaps more then loving elsewhere Peshawari ladies would like to live in Islamabad and Lahore as it is much more fun in these places. People in these places know more of how to laugh and just be happy instead of being forced to forsake everything in the name of religious dogma. The sheer hypocrisy is that these Mullah's themselves have their kids living in the west doing everything!

 

[Rinnegan Sasuke]

Where was the positive image brigade during all this? Or is bike riding only reserved for foreign women?

 

[Sirris]

I had the pleasure of visiting Peshawar recently and to my surprise, infrastructure aside, I was shocked to see how it is still very backwards compared to other major cities of Pakistan. I stayed a couple of days and only rarely did I see women not covered very strictly.

I had breakfast at Chaaye Khana, visited different shops and restaurants on University Road and even strolled in the main bazaars and noticed that compared to Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and even Gujranwala and Faisalabad, there were far fewer women and girls, the ones that were there were covered head to toe. It would be a shock to see a female dressed in western attire like jeans and a tank top, therefore, I think this was to be expected.

You simply cannot have success in a programme like this (even though it advocates a healthy lifestyle) owing to the the norms of society and the cultural limitations of the Pukhtoon way of life. I'm sure there are modern, educated families in Peshawar who dress however they want and do whatever they want but I am absolutely sure it is not in public in Peshawar.

I don't think the way a person is dressed represents how modern and progressive they are. The mind needs to be nurtured first. It's the same as how having a long beard and wearing a turban doesn't define how religious and pious a person is.

 

[troodon]

The women's bicycle rally is spreading obscenity," how though..?

Remember all those old Bollywood songs when the females bicycle riders would get teased by the likes of Shammi Kapoor, Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor?