Women who are often seen as rather victims of violence and are likened to peace, fragility and physical weakness are occurring in a different roles suddenly. Although the stance stands, terrorism or violence in any form either perpetrated by men or women is undeniably condemned, however, it is interesting to see women take up sticks and join their male comrades into the field for their ideological and political war.
In Pakistan, if we go back to 2007 the Siege of Lal Masjid till date remains one of the most horrific and jaw-dropping incidents in the history of Pakistan. Not only it created an air of despair, death and dread among the civilians but almost shattered the very unity of the country to an extent that one of the most strongest institutions of the country underestimated the resources and strength of the Lal masjid militants.
Although, the government’s strategy to deal with it has been widely criticized and debated over, much less attention has been paid to the role of women in this context. Jamia Hafsa had been the female base of the rebellion (which was also illegally occupied). Interestingly, the khwateen were not kept in the dark but in fact were equally provided with the resources and tools to participate in the ‘Sharia Revolution’ that was planned. Although ethically wrong, but in my opinion, it was at least noteworthy to see their participation.