#TryBeatingMeLightly: Pakistani Women’s Powerful Response To Bill That Allows Men To Beat Their Wives

Women respond to the recent recommendation from the Council of Islamic Ideology to the Pakistani government that husbands should be allowed to ‘lightly beat’ their wives.

Following an absurd law proposed to the Pakistani Government by the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) that men should be able to “lightly beat” their wives as a form of discipline, a new movement on social media called #TryBeatingMeLightly is empowering women worldwide to stand up to all forms of domestic violence.

CII introduced this bill as a directive to enable men to impose these beatings for acts such as refusing sex (marital rape), not bathing themselves after sex or menstruation, or for simply not dressing “as their husbands please.”

The bill, thankfully, infuriated men and women nationwide in Pakistan.

In response to the egregiously dangerous proposal from CII, Pakistani photographer Fahhad Rajper created the hashtag campaign, initially snapping 12 empowering and assertive Islamic women posing and declaring their strength not only to defend themselves from physical violence, but to assert themselves against any form of suppression or abusive marginalization.

The intent was to show the consequence of what “lightly beating” will result in for the perpetrator.

@RabyaAhmed Of all the posts I've read yours is a stand out #TryBeatingMeLightly – Brilliant campaign @FahhadRajper pic.twitter.com/oVbL2HIWha — Ceri Dawn Jackson (@CeriDawnJackson) June 2, 2016

#TryBeatingMeLightly I'll break that hand you raised, remaining damage? I'll leave it upto Allah.

Shagufta, Doctor. pic.twitter.com/esqM7qlCc4 — Fahhad Rajper (@FahhadRajper) May 30, 2016

#TryBeatingMeLightly, I'll become the destruction you will never forsee.

Adeeqa Lalwani, Digital Storyteller. pic.twitter.com/jWW9jFARGy — Fahhad Rajper (@FahhadRajper) May 29, 2016

The movement quickly went viral on Twitter, showing a unified solidarity globally against any form of domestic violence.

#TryBeatingMeLightly and I'll throw my hot burning chai on you. — ث۔ (@samrahrizvii) June 2, 2016

#TryBeatingMeLightly and I will break your jaw in thousand pieces. — ™® آخری دَرویش (@Dervishious) May 30, 2016