Another day, another controversy on Pakistani social media forums. It seems that it has become a trend, to start a trend on anything controversial. As of now, the hashtag #IAmRabiPirzada is trending all over Pakistan’s internet.

A couple of days back, singer/celebrity Rabi Pirzada’s compromising pictures and videos were leaked online. It has been learned that the material was shared from iCloud storage. As per Rabi Pirzada, she had sold an old iPhone which was tampered with and old data was recovered.

Since the material leaked online, there had been a huge debate on social media over privacy and how people should keep their data safe. However, as of today, a trend has taken over the internet with another angle to the story.

The woman who started trending #IAmRabiPirzada

A woman named Fauzia Ilyas, allegedly an expat, has started a trend #IAmRabiPirzada. Under the hashtag, women and men, both, have been sharing obscene pictures in support of Rabi Pirzada. Thus, it is being rumored that her arrest warrants have come out as well.

This is what Fauzia Ilyas wrote on the post that started this domino effect.

“Dear folks,

hope you’ll be doing good. We’re going to start a Facebook campaign in solidarity with a Pakistani singer, whose nudes had been leaked before two days. We’re taking our photos with the #IAMRABIPIRZADA and posting them on Fb. Because Pakistani people are cursing her. I really want that you support this motion. That would be really great.

You can post it on your own or send it to me. I can do it on your behalf.

#Nobodyshame

#StandwithRabipirzada

#IAmRabipirzada”

The trend, in absurdity, has pictures of women’s chests and uncovered bodies, with the hashtag #IAmRabiPirzada. Fauzia Ilyas, who has suffered serious consequences since her post, talked about ‘countering Pakistani mindset’. In short, the campaign has started to support Rabi Pirzada and accepting that people can do anything with their bodies.

The debate over feminism and liberalism

Additionally, once the pictures earned a wider reach, social media users started bashing ‘feminism’ and ‘liberalism’ on the #IAmRabiPirzada hashtag. People were of the opinion that this stance cannot be accepted in Pakistan. What happened with Rabi Pirzada needs to be overlooked, instead of being turned into a mockery.

Moreover, many women from around the world joined the hashtag after being influenced by Fauzia Ilyas, the campaigner. Furthermore, some made the most of it by turning the trend #IAmRabiPirzada into a meme hashtag.

People started posting funny material to the hashtag, using pictures of adult actors or other people in general.

Another user, a male, who supported the trend #IAmRabiPirzada wrote:

Men show support for Rabi Pirzada

“So when the private photos of a Pakistani singer #RabiPirzada surfaced, as expected, the desi, thirsty, tharki and paindoo brigade of Pakistan jumped on the social media to not let go of this golden opportunity to get “offended”.

There is nothing wrong with showing your supposedly ‘private’ body parts let alone taking the photos of your body in private. You should be shaming the person who leaked those photos (and no, I don’t think it was DG ISPR Asif Ghafoor). Now the thirsty tharki brigade of Pakistan will say “would you be ok if your sister showed her breasts?”

Here is the thing you desi thirsty tharkis need to understand that what my sister or any other woman does is NONE OF MY BUSINESS! All a man can do is respect her decisions as long as they don’t hurt anyone (and no, showing your body doesn’t hurt your pesky society). The interesting thing is, soon your sisters and daughters will start taking autonomy over their bodies to pull you out of your caves. It’s just a matter of time!

I encourage all men and women to take photos of their chests and flood the internet with this hashtag #IamRabiPirzada. You don’t have to show your face if you are not comfortable but there is NOTHING wrong in showing your chest!

If a man can show his chest, why can’t a woman do the same? And why just the chest, why not the genitals? If my penis wasn’t so small, I would have included in this pic too.”

All in all, it seldom matters what the agenda is. Obscene material under the hashtag #IAmRabiPirzada has triggered a lot of users, which is not going well with the people. Furthermore, this trend also overshadowed Meesha Shafi’s support for Rabi Pirzada.