Senator Sherry Rehman ‘shocked at vicious jealousy’ against Malala
Politician takes a dig at ‘women who should know better’
Photo: File
People questioning Malala Yousafzai’s decision to marry only show that her detractors will never be short on complaints no matter what she says or does.
On November 10, the 24-year-old Nobel laureate announced that she had tied the knot with Asser Malik in Birmingham. The photos of her nikkah came as a surprise and social media erupted in celebrations, with politicians and celebrities from all over the world congratulating Malala and wishing her luck.
Today marks a precious day in my life.
— Malala (@Malala) November 9, 2021
Asser and I tied the knot to be partners for life. We celebrated a small nikkah ceremony at home in Birmingham with our families. Please send us your prayers. We are excited to walk together for the journey ahead.
📸: @malinfezehai pic.twitter.com/SNRgm3ufWP
But Malala’s marriage didn’t sit well with some people. They mostly included either those who thought Malala backtracked on her “radical” views on marriage shared with Vogue earlier, or those who deemed her too young to marry.
Be it wearing a pair of jeans on campus or tying the knot, some people will always find fault with everything associated with Malala. But PPP Senator Sherry Rehman will not take it any more.
“Shocked at the vicious jealousy directed at Malala as she celebrates what happiness she can find,” Sherry Rehman said in a series of tweets. “By elite women who should know better, who take few risks for beliefs beyond holding up a witty poster on women’s day, and toddle off for lunch to the Sindh Club next door.”
Shocked at the vicious jealousy directed at Malala as she celebrates what happiness she can find. By elite women who should know better, who take few risks for their beliefs beyond holding up a witty poster on women’s day, and toodle off for lunch to Sind Club next door. 1/2
— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) November 19, 2021
She went on to say: “They see no problem in outraging over coffee about women’s rights at a club that bars women full voting rights at its AGM (Annual General Meeting), prohibits full membership, and calls itself a Gentleman’s Club, while its western colonial progenitors are shocked at Sindh Club’s 19th century rules and misogyny.”
They see no problem in outraging over coffee about women’s rights at a club that bars women full voting rights at its AGM, prohibits full membership, and calls itself a Gentleman’s Club, while its western colonial progenitors r shocked at Sind Club’s 19th C rules & misogyny.
— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) November 19, 2021
Although Sherry Rehman didn’t specify anyone in her tweets, her subtle retort appears to be directed at women who were questioning Malala’s decision to tie the knot by bringing up her misgivings surrounding marriage that she had opened up about to Vogue in June.
“I still don’t understand why people have to get married,” Malala had said. “If you want to have a person in your life, why do you have to sign marriage papers, why can’t it just be a partnership?”
Malala believed, however, that a person’s views change with time. After tying the knot, Malala responded to the criticism with an article for Vogue again, explaining where her earlier views on the institution of marriage stemmed from.
“I feared losing my humanity, my independence, my womanhood – my solution was to avoid getting married at all,” she wrote, adding that many girls she grew up with in Pakistan were married even before they could make a choice about their careers.
Malala met Asser, who was visiting his friends at Oxford, in the summer of 2018. Given their interest in cricket, Malala and Asser became best friends. Asser works with the high performance department of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
