A video of two University of Lahore’s (UoL) students embracing each other went viral on different social media after the girl went down on one knee and proposed to her university fellow, as watchers cheered them on.
The video clip demonstrates the girl presenting a bunch of roses to her classmate. As he accepts it, the two bends into a hug while a crowd of students surrounds the couple and cheers them on, seeming similar to a pretty movie-like scene.
Meanwhile, several videos were uploaded online of the incident. Social media users suggested that the only cause they were criticized was because the proposal went viral online. Others thought there are a lot of other issues for society to be concerned with, such as harassment and vulgarity.
Reaction of social media users
Actress Mira wrote said, “Two Lahori students expelled because of a public marriage proposal and subsequent display of affection. What a violent, toxic mess this is. A State that surveils, censors and bans all things natural and joyous, not realizing THIS is how you brutalize a society,” she added.
https://twitter.com/sethimirajee/status/1370486050590658560
Singer and activist Shehzad Roy said it’s okay to beat and scold a woman in public but not for her to hug someone.
https://twitter.com/ShehzadRoy/status/1370705950479355906
Activist and academic Nida Kirmani said it’s hard enough to find happiness in Pakistan and when someone does find it, the rest of society wants to punish them for it.
Hard enough to find happiness in Pakistan, and then when anyone does, most of the rest of society wants to punish them for it. True of the dancing at #AuratMarch, the #tiktokban, and now the #UniversityOfLahore. Truly sad state of affairs.
— Nida Kirmani (@NidaKirmani) March 12, 2021
Lawyer and activist Jibran Nasir said society has issues aplenty and doesn’t need to concern itself with two consenting adults expressing their love publicly.
A country where pedophiles are defended and protected in the name of child marriage and converting religion of little girls we are uncomfortable with two consenting adults expressing love for each other. We reduce our so called morals to a joke everyday. #UniversityOfLahore
— M. Jibran Nasir ???????? (@MJibranNasir) March 12, 2021
One user noted that the country asks kids to shut their eyes when two people kiss on-screen but treats a show that glorifies beheadings as a natural treasure.
The expulsion of those two kids for the crime of displaying affection is so true to form.
This country will ask kids to shut their eyes when two people kiss on-screen, but treat a show that glorifies beheadings as a natural treasure.
— Salaar Khan (@Brainmasalaar) March 13, 2021
Is Islam prohibit PDA
Public displays of affection (PDA), may extract a wide range of reactions from people around us. Some of the reasons for tolerance include age, customs and social norms.
The Constitution and the law in Pakistan do not and will not stop you from expressing love however the Constitution promises to uphold Islamic beliefs. Expressing love is not a crime, but there are certain limitations to express love for someone in every country.
Love, within boundaries and with expectations of marriage, is an accepted fact of life and religion if done the right way. It is still linked to its Western origins, which implies underlying expectations of sexual interactions — if not an outright premarital sexual relationship — which Islamic texts prohibit.
Is public affection a threat to society?
Two students were expelled from the University of Lahore on Friday for hugging on campus. According to a statement issued by the registrar of the varsity, a special disciplinary committee meeting was held on March 12 at 10:30 am and the two students were called in but failed to appear.
The committee then decided to expel the two students and ban them from entering any of the university’s campuses. The university says they violated Section 9 of its General Discipline Rules and Code of Conduct. These rules are not published online.
We agree that while the students may have violated the university’s Code of Conduct, the incident didn’t seem to merit expulsion.
In a place as conservative, any sign of premarital relations remains taboos in the country, and most importantly, wrapped in the language of denial. Given that the country has bigger and (much) scarier realities to deal with, I am not sure how affection or a true proposal will ruin this society.
