Description
About the Book: Sensational Life and Death Of Qandeel Baloch
‘Qandeel was a marvelous blaze. She set our dark world on fire and made enough light to expose the hypocrisies of Pakistans pious patriarchy. In Sanam Mahers terrific and necessary book, those flames burn brighter than ever. —Bilal Tanweer ‘A powerful and deeply moving account from an important new voice in non-fiction. —Sonia Faleiro Bold, ‘Shameless, ‘Siren were just some of the (kinder) words used to describe Qandeel Baloch. She embraced these labels and played the coquette, yet dished out biting critiques of some of Pakistans most holy cows. Pakistanis snickered at her fake American accent, but marveled at her gumption. She was the stuff of a hundred memes and Pakistans first celebrity-by-social media. Qandeel first captured the nations attention on Pakistan Idol with a failed audition and tearful outburst. But it was in February 2016, when she uploaded a Facebook video mocking a presidential ‘warning not to celebrate Valentines Day, that she went ‘viral. In the video, which racked up nearly a million views, she lies in bed, in a low-cut red dress, and says in broken English, ‘They can stop to people go out…but they cant stop to people love. The video shows us everything that Pakistanis loved—and loved to hate—about Qandeel, ‘Pakistans Kim Kardashian. Five months later, she would be dead. In July 2016, Qandeels brother would strangle her in their family home, in what was described as an ‘honour killing—a punishment for the ‘shame her online behavior had brought to the family. Scores of young women and men are killed in the name of honour every year in Pakistan. Many cases are never reported, and of the ones that are, murderers are often ‘forgiven by the surviving family members and do not face charges. However, just six days after Qandeels death, the Anti-Honour Killings Laws Bill was fast-tracked in parliament, and in October 2016, the loophole allowing families to pardon perpetrators of ‘honour killings was closed. What spurred the change? Was it the murder of Qandeel Baloch? And how did she come to represent the clash between rigid conservatism and a secular, liberal vision for Pakistan? Through dozens of interviews—with aspiring models, managers, university students, activists, lawyers, police officers and journalists, among them—Sanam Maher gives us a portrait of a woman and a nation… . ….
About the Author: Sanam Maher
Sanam Maher is a journalist based in Karachi. Her work has appeared in Al Jazeera, BuzzFeed, The Caravan, the British Film Institutes Sight and Sound, Roads and Kingdoms and the New York Times Women in the World. This is her first book.
Author: Sanam Maher
Publisher: Sanam Maher
ISBN-13: 9.78939E+12
Language: English
Binding: Hardbound
No. Of Pages: 235
Country of Origin: India
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