The song’s vile lyrics, such as “othay dance kardi pay aey” (she’s dancing over there), demonstrate the singer’s limited thinking and perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes. A review of his YouTube channel reveals a disturbing trend of anti-women and anti-education content, with endless abuse directed at those pursuing education. Unfortunately, his influence is vast, with 4.45 million subscribers being exposed to his sick mindset.
This hatred and malice towards women and education are not limited to one person. Several self-proclaimed Islamic scholars, with millions of subscribers, spread harmful teachings across YouTube, TikTok, and other platforms. They promote illiteracy, polygamy, and unaffordable family sizes, perpetuating a patriarchal mindset that fuels gender-based violence, discrimination, and extremism.
The consequences of this extremism are devastating. According to the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (2017-18), only 45% of women aged 15-24 have completed secondary education, compared to 64% of men. This disparity leads to heinous crimes, with over 1,000 women murdered in the name of honor in 2020 alone, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Moreover, 47% of women aged 15-49 have experienced physical or sexual violence.
The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that Pakistan has the world’s second-highest number of out-of-school children, with 22.5 million children aged 5-16 not receiving an education, according to UNICEF. The gender gap in education is staggering, with 12.5 million girls out of school compared to 9.5 million boys. Despite widespread condemnation, including from the former Punjab government spokesman Mr Shahbaz Gill, Chishti’s vile song remains available on YouTube, polluting many minds.
It is highly recommended that the government enforce laws protecting women’s rights and education, increase funding for girls’ education, and launch awareness campaigns to challenge extremist ideologies to promote gender equality and take concrete action against such individuals who promote extremism and ignorance. Only through collective action can we create a society where women are valued, empowered, and protected from violence and discrimination.
