A Pakistani female TV anchor on Wednesday decided to cover her face in a burqa to register her protest against the disparaging comments made by her country’s leading nuclear scientist Pervez Hoodbhoy targeting women in hijab.
Speaking on a TV channel, Hoodbhoy had expressed his disappointment on the growing trend of female students attending classes in hijab and burqa. He had said, “Hijab, burqa has become common in Quaid-e-Azam University.. You wouldn’t find a normal girl on the campus.”
Continuing his tirade, Hoodbhoy had said, “And when they (hijabi girls) sit in classrooms wearing hijab, their activity and participation during the lectures reduce significantly. It doesn’t even feel if they are in the class or not.”
Hoodbhoy’s comments evoked angry reactions from Pakistani netizens, who slammed the celebrated nuclear scientist for his attack on hijabi women. One user wrote, “Dr Hoodbhoy contrasting women who choose to wear hijab with those he termed “normal” was in extremely poor taste. May have been just a poor choice of words in the moment, but it seemed to suggest that he sees women who choose hijab as abnormal.”
Another wrote, “Hoodbhoy’s ignoring the fact that hijab and niqab has increased because the number of women from middle and lower class in universities has increased significantly. He’s a sexist and islamophobe what else can you expect from such person.”
But a prominent anchor from Pakistan’s Samaa TV decided to cover her face with the burqa during a LIVE broadcast to register her outrage against Hoodbhoy’s comments. Anchor Kiran Naaz slammed Hoodbhoy’s controversial comments that termed women wearing hijab as abnormal.
Good on you girl for putting this man in his place. Unbelievable that a man of Pervez Hoodbhoy’s stature can make such outrageous comments against those wearing hijab. He needs treatment. #Pervezhoodbhoy pic.twitter.com/IpumFUGCYq
— Lubna U Rifat (@lubnaurifat) September 16, 2021
Naaz also reminded how Hoodbhoy had said that providing Islamic education in schools was like adding an additional burden on students. The Samaa TV anchor said that even though she did not wear burqa or hijab, she had immense respect for those covering their faces as part of their religious beliefs.