The leader of a Pakistani Islamic council has proposed a bill that allows husbands to “lightly beat” their wives as a form of discipline.
In the 75-page proposal, Mohammad Khan Sheerani suggests a light beating is acceptable should the need arise to punish a woman. The proposal bans forceful beating, saying only a small stick is necessary to instill fear.
The Council of Islamic Ideology is a powerful constitutional body that advises the Pakistani legislature whether laws are in line with the teachings of Islam.
Pakistani photographer Fahhad Rajper says when he first heard about a proposed bill that would allow husbands to “lightly beat” their wives as discipline, it “gave me a disturbing feeling.”
#TryBeatingMeLightly, I'll become the destruction you will never forsee.
Adeeqa Lalwani, Digital Storyteller. pic.twitter.com/jWW9jFARGy— Fahhad Rajper (@FahhadRajper) May 29, 2016
“Islam doesn’t preach [any] such thing, be it for a man or a woman,” he told The Huffington Post in an email. He said a “majority” of Pakistans do not approve of the bill, adding that “anyone who’s sane enough wouldn’t be okay with it.”
That’s why Rajper launched #TryBeatingMeLightly, a photo series showcasing Pakistani women’s reactions to the proposal. The captions of his black and white portraits were written by the subjects.
#TryBeatingMeLightly, I’ll become the destruction you will never forsee.
#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
#TryBeatingMeLightly, and you’ll regret it for the rest of your miserable life
