#TryBeatingMeLightly, say fearless Pakistani women

When The Council of Islamic Ideology recommended that a husband should be allowed to beat his wife "lightly”, Fahhad Rajper, a Pakistani photographer, reacted to this bizarre recommendation in a powerful but subtle manner. He came up with a portrait series that captured 12 empowered Pakistani women with their defiant reactions to the group's suggestion and posted them on Twitter under the hashtag #TryBeatingMeLightly. 

The campaign started by the photographer has been receiving worldwide appreciation as it is one of the very few campaigns from Pakistan that shows fearless, empowered and powerful women. “#TryBeatingMeLightly is an initiative to empower women amongst us who work towards individual and collective betterment. It’s an opportunity for those to voice their opinions who can’t or don’t abide by such recommendations. The women around me, at my home, in my friend circle and in the industry that I love — like yourself,” Fahhad Rajper posted on his Facebook page.

Ever since he posted the series on Twitter and Facebook, #Trybeatingmelightly has been trending worldwide with Pakistani women taking anger to the social media platform and expressing their displeasure to the group’s audacious suggestion.

Each black and white portrait is a reaction to the CII’s recommendation. Let these pictures do the talking-

#TryBeatingMeLightly, I'll become the destruction you will never forsee

- Adeeqa Lalwani, Digital Storyteller

#TryBeatingMeLightly and tell me if you would like yourself to be beaten up lightly?
- Farah S. Kamal, Education Consultant

#TryBeatingMeLightly and take a punch in the ass!
- Amber Zulfiqar, Travel and Lifestyle Blogger

#TryBeatingMeLightly and I'll run a car over you with my 7 years of driving experience!
- Priyanka Pahuja, Product Designer turned Digital 

#TryBeatingMeLightly, you won't survive to see the morning.
- Sumbul Usman, Social Media Manager

#TryBeatingMeLightly - I'll break that hand you raised at me. Remaining damage? I'll leave it upto Allah. 
- Shagufta Abbas, Doctor

#TryBeatingMeLightly, I will beat you up lightly too, that too in public. I am very particular about gender equality. 
- Fizza Rahman, Sr. Brand Manager

#TryBeatingMeLightly, and be ready to face the consequences. 
- Erum Khan, Blogger.

#TryBeatingMeLightly, and you'll regret it for the rest of your miserable life.
- Sundus Rasheed, School Teacher/Radio Jockey

#TryBeatingMeLightly - Beat me with your intelligence, if you may. Beat me with your wit. Beat me with your smile. Beat me with your kindness. But if you dare to beat me even with a feather, I'd really beat the shit out of you. With love. :)
- Sadiya Azhar, Digital Marketer/ Blogger

#TryBeatingMeLightly - Tell me how would you feel if someone beats your daughter up lightly?
- Alvera Rajper, Medical Student

#TryBeatingMeLightly - I'm the sun. Touch me and I will burn you like hell fire. I am light, you will try, but you can never stop me. You can never contain me. 
I am the kind of woman they name hurricanes after. I dare you, #TryBeatingMeLightly
- Rabya Ahmed, Photo-Blogger

The CII was created in 1961 to give recommendations to the government on religious aspects of law and society.

According to a report by BBC, the council should ideally have at least two retired judges and four members with a minimum of 15 years of experience in Islamic research and teaching. An important requirement being that the members should have an "understanding of the economic, political, legal or administrative problems of Pakistan.”

However, over the years the council has started including men from religious pressure groups for whom contemporary knowledge means nothing. Ever since then, their ideologies have hardly made sense to the sane world.  

The recent series of recommendations, which has triggered outrage among women from across the globe, were a response to the Punjab government’s ‘Protection of Women Against Violence Bill.’ It also included suggestions like-

• Ban on co-education past the primary level. Co-education past the primary level may be permitted if hijab is made mandatory and free mixing between the genders is not allowed
  
• A ban on women working in ‘vulgar’ advertisements.
  
• Female nurses should not attend to male patients
  
• Mothers must breastfeed for two years
  
• Ban on advertisements baby formula/substitutes for breast milk
  
• A woman cannot use contraception without the husband’s permission