Thanks to the power of social media, a good precedent has been set. Men can no longer disrespect and treat women unfairly and expect to get away with it. The #MeToo movement has granted power to women which enables them to protect their rights against preying men.
Although the movement has helped thousands of women and exposed the likes of Pakistani celebs such as Ali Zafar, Ukhano and many more, the potential of it being abused for petty and personal ends is always there. Imam-ul-Haq’s case has sparked off a debate about a great deal of things, such as consent, relationships, and screenshots in the age of social media.
We take a look at this case and whether it comes under #MeToo or not.
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No Sexual Abuse or Harassment Took Place
The foundation of the #MeToo campaign is to safeguard the interest of women against sexual abuse and assault. The fundamental reason why the movement got the media hype was that it exposed a number of powerful men and held them accountable for their indecent behavior towards women.
Following the screenshots leak of Imam-ul-Haq’s conversations with various women, we believe that this was all done between consenting adults. There isn’t any evidence to suggest that the Pakistani cricketer was harassing anyone.
To assume that any wrongdoing in Imam’s case should fall under #MeToo is not only wrong but also damages the reputation of the movement. It actually hurts the real victims who have endured actual pain and suffering.
Different shades of Feriha. 😂😂
Women like her destroy the real case for victims for sake of some rts. pic.twitter.com/5AkkTYoW5v
— ⁷ᶠᵃˡᵃˢᵗᶦⁿ 🇵🇰 (@ms_sarwarr) July 24, 2019
Possible Revenge?
The evidence leaked by several people on Twitter implicates Imam-ul-Haq of having relationships with several women at the same time. Although these issues are completely personal, the allegations also suggest that these activities were carried by Imam while he was on duty with the Pakistan cricket team. Basically, if his performance went down because of him being a flirt, then some public condemnation is warranted.
Common sense (and the nature of his conversations) reveals that Imam-ul-Haq was caught in the circle of dating several women at the same time. Once the women discovered this, they did not take to it lightly. They then circulated the screenshots anonymously on social media and used the #MeToo campaign for their own ends.
Let us be perfectly clear here. Imam-ul-Haq crafted his own downfall by cheating on multiple women. These women in turn have used their conversations with him to potentially end his professional career.
A Shameful Act Nonetheless
Although the contents of the screenshots remain highly explicit, it was a reciprocated conversation between two adults. This begs the question: why only Imam-ul-Haq is being held accountable?
Even if we place blame on the women for luring him in and then exposing him while remaining anonymous, Imam-ul-Haq is not free of blame. Being a public figure and a representative of the country on the international stage, his involvement in such activities puts a stain on the reputation of the cricket team and the country itself.
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In short, Imam-ul-Haq must take responsibility for his actions and secondly, we should stop dealing this controversy under the lens of #MeToo movement.
