Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Forbidden Realm of Homosexuality in Pakistani Literature
The Forbidden Realm of Homosexuality in Pakistani Literature
Mumtaz Ahmed
2011-2015
0342-BH-ENG-11
Department of English Language and Literature
GC University, Lahore
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Mumtaz Ahmed
2011-2015
0342-BH-ENG-11
Declaration
I, Mumtaz Ahmed, Roll no. 0342-BH-ENG-11, student of B.A (Hons) in the subject of
English Literature, session 2011-2015, hereby declare that the matter printed in this thesis
in Pakistani society with reference to A Case of Exploding Mangoes and The Quilt” is my
own work and has not been printed, published and submitted as research work, thesis or
__________________ __________________
Date Signature
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It is certified that the research work contained in this thesis titled “Destratification of
with reference to A Case of Exploding Mangoes and The Quilt ” has been carried out and
_______________ ________________
(Supervisor)
Submitted Through
___________ ___________
Dr. Sajjad Ali Khan Controller of
Examinations
In-Charge Department of English Language and Literature
GC University, Lahore
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Acknowledgements
Dedication
Abstract
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................... 1
CHAPTER I
The Plight of Queers in Pakistani Society with Reference to the Story,
The Quilt...................................................................................................................................9
CHAPTER II
Deconstructing, A Case of Exploding Mangoes, by Muhammad Hanif under
the Lens of Queer Theory ………….........................................................................................20
CONCLUSION
............................................................................................................................................. .....32
WORKS CITED
………………….......................................................................................................................35
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Introduction
whipping, imprisonment and even death. Impoverished by both religion and culture,
homosexuality is still an inseparable entity of the people mostly living in Northern areas
of the country as well as in Seraiki belt. This dissertation aims to expose the
known Muslim gay writer of Pakistan—“is a minority within minority” (Khan 2011).
Crucified by religion and persecuted by society, the life of a queer in Pakistan is like a
redoubtable tale which nobody bothers to listen; while the wide research-gap on the topic
apprehensions. The reason for selecting this topic is purely academic alongside the
prevalent abyss of research-gap, as no considerable research work has been done on this
What does LGBT mean? Where did it come from? What is the status of Queers in
today’s Pakistan? And how society and Literature perceive homosexuality? These are
few questions which this dissertation intends to answer; but firstly, in order to understand
the paradoxical juncture i.e. homosexuality still survives amid the clear lack of
acceptance from society and its sacrilegious status, it is necessary to delineate the
Subcontinent. Homosexuality has its unfathomable roots in this expanse before the
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advent of Islam, yet it is often associated with Muslim invaders and Sufis while some
credited English Imperials for the initiation of homosexuality, despite the fact that
English intruders were responsible for the promotion of homophobia as Shetty confirms
in his article, LGBT Community Rights: Where Does India Stand? “India’s exposure to
Victorian morality under British rule induced a mass disapproval of alternate sexual
orientations. Thus, for all practical purposes, homophobia was essentially a Western
legacy in India” (Shetty 2015). While evidences abound to disprove that homosexuality
introduced into the region by the Muslim invaders. All anyone has to do
Muslims came to this region they too were already familiar with the
credited as being one of the first Muslim rulers to conquer parts of India
was famously in love with his slave Ayaz. This was the kind of society
man falling for man and woman embracing the same gender, can easily be traced
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especially in Urdu and Persian literature. Urdu literature has never lagged behind in
depicting the homosexual union and love. One of the forerunners of Urdu poetry Hazrat
Amir Khusrow (1253–1325 CE)—who was the mystic poet and scholar also known as
Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi. He voiced his desire and love for Nizamuddin in one of his
Poems:
Khusrow was a great aficionado of the beauty of young boys of Delhi as he tipped his
Mir Taqi Mir—one of the stalwarts of Urdu poetry—was also known for his
penchant towards the same sex. His substantial part of poetry has been dedicated to
and to the poets particularly. It shows to what degree a diverse and pluralistic culture this
successful and useful member of a society. As Hasham rightly points in his article,
was much more tolerant and accepting of homosexuals and in certain situations such
LGBT is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, derived from the
popular modern gay movements in 1960. Queer theory, an offshoot of feminism, is now
fully developed into a school of criticism which now advocates for the rights of gays,
lesbians, bisexuals and transgender equally, while initially it was meant to support
lesbians only. Queer, is the term which now embodies all people who are considered non-
developed countries, queers now enjoy certain level of freedom as they are not only given
full rights along with protection but also they are allowed to tie knots legally: While third
world countries are quite reluctant to give any sort of space for queers. Our modern
society and literature today have also developed a certain degree of hatred which explains
why queers are subjected to persecution: The treatment Ifti Naseem got—estrangement
and outcast from society and ultimately from the country—is just one of the routine
handlings, a Pakistani queer has to face. Being a queer in Pakistan is more like a gazelle
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in a den. Insecurity, persecution and isolation are guaranteed the moment one proclaims
himself/herself a queer. This is the vital reason why the LGBT community chooses to
remain unidentified. Almost every queer lives his/her life in a shadow; due to peer
pressure and divine junctions they are subjected to live a dual life. They have to hide their
identity so as to dodge public humiliation; they act and pretend to be straight and normal
throughout their lives in order to equivocate a walk of shame as well as to shield their
families’ pride and honor. As Miranda Kennedy in her article Open Secrets confirms:
“Homosexuals in Pakistan walk a fine line between harsh legal and cultural prohibition
accept the marginalization as an integral part of their fate; in addition to society, the
queers themselves deem that they are cursed and ill-fated and destine to carry this burden
of guilt around their neck throughout their lives. Most of them choose to live in continual
self-negation and self-denial due to the communal pressure or in order to safeguard their
families’ reputation; rightly pointed by Sepoy in his article, Eye on Queer Pakistan:
Those who identify themselves as gay having a safe, public life. This is
Homoeroticism, being categorically rejected by Islam, has strangely founded its base
in the Northern Province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is the frontline state against ‘the
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war on terror’ and the people are more radical and hardline followers of Islam, yet they
are also famous for their homoerotic tendencies especially for young boys. As Kennedy in
Afghanistan, the ethnic Pashtun men who dominate the region are
impossible. Lesbians find themselves between the deep ocean of divine curbs and fierce
fire of societal norms. Being a woman in a Pakistani society means, she has to be an
epitome of obedience throughout her life, be it a daughter, mother or wife; while life
becomes much hellish, if one is a lesbian. Like most of gays, a lesbian cannot dare to
reveal her identity due to the patriarchal molding of society, alongside the homophobic
Pakistan, which confirms the apprehensions that lesbians might never get a chance to
reveal their true identity while shunning their dual life. The silencing of lesbians is more
grave and severe than the gays, for the life of even a straight woman is miserable in most
part of the country, especially the remote and far-flung areas of Baluchistan, Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, Interior Sindh and Southern Punjab. In these regions particularly and the
whole country generally, women are mostly treated as a canvas to throw emotional and
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sexual baggage, so keeping the status-quo in mind, one can profess that lesbians have a
very long journey to travel, contrary to their male counterparts, gays, who somehow
manage to raise their voice for their empowerment and against the prejudiced societal
community of Pakistan seems to take refuge under the cocoons of Literature, e.g. the
pioneer gay poet Ifti Naseem who has written the award winning Urdu book ‘Narman’,
which is considered as a maiden direct conversation of a Muslim gay with the society.
Ifti’s work has inspired and given courage to the silenced queers of Pakistan, who has
now started a movement named, PQM –Pakistan Queer Movement—which aims to work
for the empowerment and emancipation of queers; as Modern Pakistani literature has
always given a cold shoulder to the queer community, by keeping them at arm’s length
The First Chapter of this dissertation deals with the sub-plot of the novel A Case of
between the protagonist, Ali Shigri, and his friend Obaid. Stereotypes and preoccupied
notions regarding queers are discussed in length and a parallel has been drawn to
compare it with the status-quo, in order to expose the plight of queers in our society.
Issues like identity crisis, hate crime and discrimination against queers are highlighted
experience of queers are also included via personal interviews as well as excerpts of
community.
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The dilemma of gender and its implications are discussed in Chapter II with
reference to the short anecdote “The Quilt” by Ismat Chughtai. The repressed female
sexuality and the hegemony of masculinity is not a news rather it is centuries-old due to
the patriarchal molding of our society. Female sexuality was never discussed openly in
literature but Chughtai’s The Quilt, for which she had to face trials and tribulations as
well. The homoerotic affiliation of the protagonist Begum Jan with her maid Rabbu is
treated as the main theme of the story. The perspective and attitude of society towards
Begum Jan’s homoerotic tendencies are discussed in length alongside the author’s
CHAPTER I
The Plight of Queers in Pakistani Society with Reference to the Story The Quilt.
\ In the South Asian society where kindergarten jingles fed to breed of undeveloped
minds, depicts the imbalance of a culture in which men and women have been ghettoized,
it lays the foundation of the male-controlled attitude which is hitherto the prime source
discrepancy which has categorized men and women into masculine and feminine (i.e.
gender). Sex is natural, unlike gender which is a socio-cultural artifact and man-made. So
male is measured as a symbol of power and authority while the female is restrained to the
lyrics as attractive, beautiful and delicate. The idea of gender is responsible for the
division of human beings into sex-difference which then lays the foundation of restriction
Ismat Chughtai, one of the forerunners of Urdu literature, was the most bold and
controversial woman writer of the twentieth century. Recounting the anecdote of Begum
Jaan in The Quilt—a translation of the original work titled as Lihaf written in 1942—
Ismat Chughtai poses this question of gender discrimination with such an ease in a
society, where women are barred from going outside the four-walls without the
permission of their husbands or any male family member. Female sexuality has never
been discussed and entertained in such fashion before. Chughtai’s new woman is a
symbol of rebellion against the hegemony of male sexual preferences. It is evident from
the historical fact that Chughtai had to appear before the High Court due to the obscure
content in her short story which she successfully defended and won; it shows the ultra-
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patriarchal molding of the society where mere discussing the issue of female sexuality is
geopolitical and religious footing of a society, societies like ours has always turned a deaf
ear to the voices of queers living in our society. Their untold stories and voicless pleas
are still waiting to be heard and answered. The story of Begum Jaan is an account of a
young girl who was happened to live with Begum. The selection of a young girl as a
narrator of the story itself tells that Chughtai was well aware of the consequences and
possible reaction from the society, due to which she carefully chose a child to narrate the
saga which marvelously exposes the marginalization of female sexuality akin to Bapsi
Sidhwa—who also chose a child to narrate her masterpiece novel Ice Candy Man, which
though generally deals with the dilemma of Indo-Pak partition yet it also shrewdly
unravels the homoerotic tendencies innate in the narrator— yet contrary to the popular
notion that this story(The Quilt) highlights the issues of queers, I think it has done
unconceivable damage to the cause: The story tells that Begum Jaan seeks sexual
satisfaction from her maid not because she is a lesbian or she is attracted towards same
gender rather due to the complete disfavor and lack of attention from her elderly husband;
she is compelled to seek sexual favors and pleasures from her maid Rabbu, which gives
the impression that her homoeroticism is nothing but a choice, she has to do that because
her husband is not willing to. “Having married Begum Jaan he tucked her away in the
house with his other possessions and promptly forgot her. The frail, beautiful Begum
appears that people still have no idea what being a lesbian means. They rely on the
preconceived notions that having sexual relation with the same gender makes one queer,
this mindset clearly tells how much the LGBT community is being neglected and
misunderstood. While ample evidences are available to prove that homosexuality is not
(NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland suggests that a specific stretch of the X chromosome called
Xq28 holds a gene or genes that predispose a man to being gay. (New Science Magazine.
2014). Hence it sparks the debate of Nature or Nurture i.e. whether homosexuality is
natural or unnatural, though LBGT activists are of the view that homosexuality is
completely natural which is also their core argument against the onslaught of society yet
the mainstream members of the society or straight people are not ready to buy this
argument for they deem that homosexuality is nothing but contradictory to the natural
species use same sex behavior to satisfy all sorts of needs like pleasure, pair
study conducted last year with 409 pairs of gay brothers found that
orientation is not a choice but that people are born gay or straight. (Laaltain
2015)
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Hence this question of natural or unnatural should be laid to rest as it serves no good
purpose for homosexuals do exist and are a part of our society, so instead of living in
denial, society must face the reality as to look deeper into the hardships, hate-crime and
discrimination faced by queers each day in our society. The question whether
debate, as why we need some biological evidences in the first place to prove that
well as allows freedom of speech to everyone, including Muslims, Hindus and Christians
for we don’t need any proof to show respect to ones preferences and choices, so why we
should judge LGBT community for their preferences and why should we discriminate
them for their choice of life, despite the fact that their preferences are innate and genetic.
An LGBT activist from Lahore shares his view: “It is so difficult to live a gay life but if
people are still living this difficult life, it has to be beyond nurturing and choice”.
(Laaltain 2015)
The Quilt does not seem to stop its misrepresentation of queers as the case of
Nawab Sahib, the husband of Begum Jaan, confirms this notion; Nawab Sahib is depicted
He, however, had a strange hobby. Some people are crazy enough to cultivate
interests like breeding pigeons and watching cockfights. Nawab Sahib had
contempt for such disgusting sports. He kept an open house for students—
young, fair and slender-waisted boys whose expenses were borne by him.
(Chughtai 36)
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Again a preconceived notion which has brought enormous defame to the LGBT
community. Sexual relation with young boys cannot be called homoeroticism rather it
falls under the notion of rape. Pedophilia has been badly mixed with homoeroticism
which has now further added fuel to the fierce fire of marginalization of LGBT
community. Pedophilia is an inhumane act of barbarism which should not be mixed with
homoeroticism at any cost. The curse of pedophilia has plagued the whole country,
especially Peshawar, where teen boys are subjected to sexual exploitation: As filmed in
the documentary entitled as “The Hidden Shame of Pakistan” produced by the veteran
British producer, Jamie Duane, directed by Muhammad Naqvi, which exposes the plight
of young adults and teens being exploited by grown men. In the documentary, a
pedophile shamelessly confesses that he is well aware of the fact that his deeds are
nefarious, yet he cannot help himself; on top of that he bluntly refuses to be a gay, when
asked. Numerous reasons abound to explain this odd behavior, top of them is the strict
Women are fortified inside the four walls and are not allowed to meet any male member
of the society but family. Confirming the above mentioned observations, The Guardian
journalist, Shahista Gohir points out that traditions involving abuse of minors is
only strictly forbidden but savagely punished, even between two consenting
adults. However, men who sodomise young boys are not considered
So the pedophiliac mayhems, which have engulfed this expanse, depicts the sexual
version of Islam and centuries-long cultural norms. As well as the lack of knowledge and
ignorance regarding the identity of LGBT community has also led the society to construct
false notions and beliefs which further act like catalysts in the ongoing process of
marginalization.
The institution of marriage is a safe haven for most of the queers in order to avoid
walk of shame and eternal humiliation yet the consequences of such marriages are drastic
and tragic. The failed married life of Begum Jaan rightly points out that such marriage is
estrangement and regret keep haunting them for eternity. Behind the closet queers exist,
who unwillingly find asylum under the banner of marriage and are destined to carry this
burden of guilt for rest of their lives. According to a true story published in The Express
Tribune Blogs: My Husband is a Gay-A Difficult Truth, a couple Sohail and Ifrah married
happily for six years and a four-year old baby to complete their family, were living
happily until Ifrah found out that her husband is a gay. She discovered that her husband is
“Her happy little world, the family she built over years, all fell apart. She
thought of giving her husband a divorce, but her parents refused to support
her decision, fearing disgrace and finding it hard to get good proposals for
advice to Ifrah was to somehow ‘manage and get along’ with the same life”.
(Hira 2015).
Ifrah is not alone who is facing such situation rather each and every married queer, as to
avoid humiliation and disgrace to their families, is weathering the same storm. Hira
“On her wedding night, Hira found out that her new husband had a male
partner. Her world came to a standstill. He told her not to expect much from
him because he had no inclination towards her as a wife. Hira came back to
her parent’s house the same night and when she confronted her in-laws, they
sheepishly replied that they thought he would be ‘fine’ once he got married to
While these tragedies could be averted, if society for once cease to act its ‘taboo and
unnatural’ attitude and face the reality, instead of sinking its head into the sand of denial,
like an ostrich. Countless families are suffering like the families of Ifrah and Hira
because discussing homosexuality is a taboo, hence silenced queers have no choice other
than plunging into a marriage which would end up making their life miserable. The
solution of being gay is to marry him to a girl, which as a result makes him ‘straight’, as
the case of Hira exposes how people in our society think about queers. While in India a
campaign named as “corrective rape” has been launched with the sole purpose, to cure
the victim to rape someone; this mentality is not only found in India but also in Pakistani
treated by using various methods including religious practices like dua, (prays) tawiz
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activist spotted saying: “Family members forced a gay boy to have sex with his mother,
in a bid to turn him 'straight”. (Daily Pakistan Global 2015). In a nutshell people perceive
homosexuality more nefarious than incest for the above mentioned victim was forced to
have sex with his mother, such amount of antagonism towards homosexuality reveals the
plight of queers in our society. While The Independent newspaper claims that the
ongoing ‘corrective rape’ has given a golden chance to people, who consider
homosexuality as a disease, to sexually harass queers in order to cure them, so far dozens
of queers have been raped: “Among the victims was Mvuleni Fana, who was walking
home from football practice when she was gang raped by four men who told her they
would make her “a real woman” before beating her and leaving her for dead. (The
Independent 2015)
As mentioned earlier that Ismat Chughtai faced public’s wrath, mainly from
religious groups who dragged her into court of law for she dared to touch upon the issue
of female sexuality. In our society where we only see women in the role of sister, mother
and wife, where obedience is what expected from them, in such atmosphere discussing
the female sexual preferences and desires would be considered as a sign of Armageddon.
A 1996 Indian film Fire, which was loosely-based on Ismat’s The Quilt, received a harsh
public treatment, including attacks on cinemas, which later on led to the banning of the
film. Bal Thackeray, the then Leader of the extremist Hindu political party, feeling the
heat of the movie Fire, termed Lesbianism as a ‘Social-AIDS’ which might spread as an
epidemic, engulfing the whole society and tradition.(New York Times 1998). Almost
everyone in Pakistan shares the same opinion that lesbianism is completely alien to our
Ahmed 25
culture, tradition and history, hence the depiction of homosexuality should not be
tolerated at any cost; rather the spreaders must be dealt with iron-hand. Those are the
people who only want to see women in their assigned roles and anticipate that deviation
from such ‘noble-path’ would ultimately disturb the whole social fabric. Shabana Azmi—
“What the women are doing basically is negotiating more space for
themselves, what they are doing is trying to break out of the tradition that
places them only as wife and mother, as the bearer of male’s children and the
fact that they are moving out of that and also claiming desire. My God if
women start claiming desire, can you imagine how dreadful it would be for
It is noteworthy that Hindu culture allows somehow few degrees of freedom to women or
to be more precise they are little bit tolerant about issues like lesbianism though it is true
they did attack and harass the film’s crew alongside destroying cinemas yet at least they
are still alive. If ‘Fire’ had to screen in Pakistan, situation might be completely different
as Pakistani society is intolerant along with icing on the cake, religious fundamentalism
has also fueled the fire of intolerance. When Deepak Mehta—Director and Writer of the
movie ‘Fire’—was asked that if she would have been a Muslim-director, would people
“Oh absolutely. In this climate right now it would have been a disastrous. If I
was a Muslim, I would have been lynched by now and the film would have
been put into cans and dug up into some cave or the other” upon asking
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whether she is serious, “Oh absolutely, there is no question about it”. (Fire,
The dismal situation and sordid state of the affairs profess that there is no silver-
lining for Pakistani queers as society grows more and more intolerant with each passing
days contrary to their Western fellows who are enjoying the perks of secular-democracy,
as gay-marriage has been finally legalized in USA. In the wake of legalization of gay-
marriage Pakistani queers show support on internet and social sites, along with some civil
society activists. The only hopeful aspect for the calamity-stricken and persecuted queers
in today’s time is Internet and social sites, where they can openly communicate and find
likeminded people. Also Internet and social media are acting as the only hope for LGBT
community by raising awareness among general masses through blogging and promoting
it on Social sites. If we observe the response from society upon the selected works for the
dissertation i.e. A Case of Exploding Mangoes and The Quilt it can be safely said that
modern society has somehow developed some patience towards LGBT community, as the
comic novel by Muhammad Hanif, A Case of Exploding Mangoes didn’t spark any
agitation like The Quilt; maybe it is due to the fact that Muhammad Hanif resides in
homosexuality in his novel. Secondly his novel is comic and satirical in genre; that’s why
it has successfully diverted people’s attention otherwise people would not let such an
excellent chance to protest against obscenity and vulgarity, as it happened in the case of
The Quilt.
Ahmed 27
Pakistani director Siraj-Ul-Haq, in order to test the patience and acceptance level of
Pakistani society regarding LGBT community, has recently depicted a homosexual scene
in his famous serial Humnasheen, which is being aired on Hum TV. This has already
sparked a controversy over internet as well as on social sites. Upon asking a fellow
student at my university that what is his opinion regarding the depiction of homosexual
scene, to which he responds that Hum TV is crossing all set rules and regulations of our
society. “It is immoral and un-Islamic”, (Zia 2015) he further adds. Now keeping all the
above mentioned facts in mind I can safely claim that LGBT community will continue
facing discrimination, hate-crimes, social abuse and marginalization unless and until
society accept them as an integral part of the community rather chanting the mantra of
CHAPTER II
Queer Theory.
after another without slightly disturbing and shaking the deep slumber of its inhabitants.
Haq, whose plane had blown in the air just after taking off. Hanif, using his literary-wit,
tries to suggest various possible plots, which roasted the then Chief Martial Law of
Pakistan, alive in the air, alongside the American Ambassador and numerous other
Generals and high-ranked officials. Apparently this dissertation has nothing to do with
the main theme of the novel as it does not resonate with the core attention of the
dissertation i.e. LGBT community, yet the author has discussed homosexuality as a sub-
plot of the novel: Ali Shigri, the protagonist, is involved in an intimate relationship with
his friend Obaid, who also happens to be his roommate, as they both are cadets at
that Modern literature still does not ready to give space to the silenced LGBT
community. This is the only novel which somehow exquisitely depicts the genuine vows
of queers, while the rest of them have completely sidelined the pleas of homosexuals.
Modern Pakistani English literature though has gained enormous public’s attention
through its bold and unique theme and marvelous portrayal of social issues, yet when it
comes to the dilemma of LGBT community, it always turns a deaf ear for after all
alongside comparing it with the rampant position of queers in our society. In the prologue
of the novel, Hanif uses the word “homosexual” as to describe the physical appearance of
the American Ambassador. “Arnold Ralph, whose shiny bald head and carefully groomed
moustache give him the air of a respectable homosexual businessman from small-town
America”. (Hanif 1). I could not understand, no matter how hard I pondered in order to
get any epiphany, for there is nothing more absurd than the above mentioned statement.
The author is possibly trying to mock foreigners by coining such phrase. Stereotypes are
often called as the false shadow of reality and truth, Muhammad Hanif also seems
intoxicated by stereotypes for it is a widespread perception that white people are mostly
community. How does a homosexual look alike? Does he/she have any special looks?
What is the set rules to define and judge a queer by his/her appearance? Hanif is not the
only one who mocks homosexuals; rather it is a routine handling and a well-established
societal habit. Our society takes pride in discriminating queers for people think that
queers are abnormal people; rather they are under some monstrous spell which is forcing
them to behave in such unnatural and wicked way, therefore they are vulnerable to shear
hatred and estrangement. If there is no phrase like “heterosexual looks” then why the
writer is implying the phrase “homosexual looks” for I have never heard someone
addressing that way, while describing a “normal” and “straight” person. Later on, Hanif
Ahmed 30
also pictures Brannon—the drill instructor at Pakistan Air Force Academy—as a gay,
Estrangement and entitlement are chief gifts from our society, given to those who
declare themselves as queer, while in most cases such favors and designations are
awarded by ‘straight’ people to those who act opposite to what they consider natural and
normal behavior. The word ‘gay’ is more like a slang and people who dare to deviate
from the established course are often awarded with such terms. Hani Taha in her article
“The very word ‘gay’ is used as a derogatory term, liberally used to label
And for those who are in fact homosexual, there can be more unpleasant
Based on personal experience, I myself got awarded with such title from friends and
relatives for selecting such unholy topic for dissertation. While most of them think I am a
gay for people, whom I know very well, are now a days looking at me with abysmal
suspicions, as they anticipate that I might have switched my sexual preferences. Well in
such atmosphere it is not a difficult task to feel and find out what is happening with real
queers and how they are coping with such challenges posed to them every day by our
gay, who on the condition of complete anonymity, agreed to share his excruciating
anecdote. He said:
Ahmed 31
“I am a gay and I have been a gay for my whole life. It is not an option or
choice, I was born that way. From my childhood since today I am attracted
towards same gender only, I never felt any infatuation towards opposite
gender. I like to hang out with guys, it gives me real pleasure and
satisfaction”.
Upon asking how his family and relatives treat him, he added:
“When I realized that I am a gay I told one of my friends, soon it spread like
call me that I am not a man since I am a gay; therefore I don’t have any
maleness in me. Life became unbearable for me, soon my parents got the
from my dad without even asking anything. I had no idea what wrong I have
done. My parents never treated me like they used to treat me before, I was
like an unwanted child. That night I cried for hours, I could not understand
why they are so furious, it is not my fault that I was born that way, to be
honest I simply cannot help myself. My parents did whatever they could do
to stop me, I have been medically examined twice along with frequent visits
to local quack in order to treat my illness, that’s what my mom thinks. I was
home. One of my uncles advised my dad that they should find a girl for me to
marry as it would cure my illness. Well, what can I say! I was a married man
I asked, so did marriage change anything? He smirked for a while and then responded:
“Believe me! It was like a prison. I could not feel any attraction towards my
and my partner went from bad to worse, I sometimes feel sorry for her, as I
badly messed up her life as well but what can I do? It is not in my control like
I said I cannot help myself. I never thought that being a gay means eternal
punishment. I often ask God, why he created me in such fashion at first place,
while he already knew that I have no place in this society let alone at my
This story unveils the dark aspects of our society, as when it comes to treat a queer.
Certainly this is not a unique story rather it is a story which each and every queer in
Pakistan shares. May be the others might never get a chance to tell their story for our
society has no patience to hear such crap, also what would happen if they do listen for at
the end of the day queers will remain unnatural and abnormal, out casted and abandoned
Hanif did discuss homosexuality, though as a sub-plot, in his novel yet how come
he easily got away with it i.e. without any public furious reaction, as it has been a
tradition in our society like the way Ismat Chughtai was brought in the court of law for
discussing such filthy and obscure topic, as discussed in Chapter I. This may sound that a
paradigm shift has been occurred in our society with the passage of time, hence it can be
seen as a positive gesture for the doomed LGBT community. But I think it is not the way
it seems to be, the only reason Hanif was saved from harsh antagonism is due to the fact
Ahmed 33
that he has adopted a satirical and comic tone trough out his novel, therefore he
inevitable. Perhaps, Hanif was aware of what Oscar Wilde said: “If you want to tell
people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they will kill you”. (Wilde 12) Ismat in her
short story has discussed the issue of homosexuality clandestinely, which requires an
expert reader to trace out the meaning hidden between the lines, yet she was trialed and
humiliated publically. Another aspect worth pondering is the fact that A case of
Exploding Mangoes is written in English while Ismat Chughtai’s The Quilt was originally
written in Urdu entitled as Lihaf, hence due to the limited readership of Pakistani English
Literature Hanif’s novel has not attracted the expected attention of public. Secondly
that they have developed certain level of acceptance regarding LGBT community due to
the Western factor i.e. homosexuality is an officially celebrated phenomenon in almost all
advanced societies, as elite class in our country generally copycats their Western peers.
media nor in public forums. A very few articles have been published on this
issue, only in a few English language magazine, which has hardly a two per
between Ali Shigri and his friend, Obaid. This is definitely one of its own kind for no
other literary artefact in Pakistan has dared to touch this topic. Muhammad Hanif is
“I breathed in the smell of jasmine oil from his hair and sank back into the
mattress ….His lips travelled along the outline of my jaw, his fingertips made
tiny, airy circles on the tip of my cock…his eyes were shut and a gentle smile
was spreading around his lips, a smile so serene, so full yet gentle, that he
seemed to have retreated into his world where the wind whispered in his face
The important statement follows after their intimate physical love, when Obaid said that
we must not leave any trace, “No, No,” he whispered in the end, cupping me in his hands
in a futile attempt at not leaving any traces on the bed, “Not on the sheets”. (Hanif 164).
Fear of being caught is obvious in this statement which shows that they were both aware
Pakistani Constitution homosexuals are abound to prison for two to ten years, according
“Under section 377 of the PCC, whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse
against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished
term which [shall not be less than two years nor more than] 10 years, and
Obaid probably realized the gravity of the situation therefore he insisted to not leave any
sort of traces. It is not difficult to anticipate what might happen if they were caught red
handed as various precedents are available to tell us what happened with those who were
human rights situations and issues in foreign countries —states the findings by The
American Gay Rights Organization, GLAPN, with the references to the World
the recent whipping of two males allegedly caught having sex in a public
(GLAPN 2007).
silent whenever a pedophile rapes a minor, through some unspoken agreement which
further allows people to molest young boys. In our society everyone knows what is going
on yet they don’t want to discuss it as it is a taboo. Kennedy in her article ‘Open Secrets”
affirms: “Most people know it happens – from the police to the wives of the men
involved”. (Kennedy 2004). Our society thinks that homosexuality is a grey-area hence it
chapter, which provides sound grounds to persecute LGBT community. The lack of
awareness regarding the true identity of queers is the most important reason which breeds
hatred and antagonism among people. The nature of homosexuality, in Pakistan, is totally
different as most of homosexual cases registered indicate that they are direct
repercussions of sexual frustration. In a society where male and female gender are
homosexuality becomes the only possible solution to satisfy ones sexual desires. People
eventually become bisexual as they categorically refuse to be gay yet they continue to
camps and boys hostels are nurseries of homosexuality in Pakistan. Just like the
protagonist, Ali Shigri and his friend Obaid, in the novel A Case of Exploding Mangoes,
are involved in homosexual relationship as they are sharing the same room at Pakistan
Air Force Academy, where generally all cadets belong to same gender. Hence it also
confirms the above mention statement that homosexuality in Pakistan, is mere lack of
opposite gender as well as opportunity due to patriarchal societal setup and it has nothing
much to do with one’s sexual preferences i.e. one does not necessarily need to be a gay in
which I observed many homosexual incidents among students. Some of my friends were
also engaged in homosexual activities contrary to the fact that they all were ‘straight’ and
‘normal’ i.e. heterosexual yet due to unavailability of opposite gender they tended to seek
sexual pleasure from the same gender. Ironically all those who were involved in
also became furious when labeled as gay, for they simply hate being called as a gay,
Pakistan, where homosexuality is illegal both in the eyes of constitutional and divine
laws, yet in today’s society our seminaries has left behind everyone as far as homosexual
incidents are concerned. Homosexuality is a common and well known practices in the
Ahmed 37
seminaries all across Pakistan despite the categorical disapproval from religion.
on some occasion death penalty has been also offered to those who involve in
manifestation of sexual frustration let alone the perks of strict gender segregation. Under
such circumstances the only community who suffers at large is indeed LGBT community
as they are always misunderstood for our society thinks that every homosexual is a queer
who is essentially a guaranteed pedophile. Such stereotypes has worsen the lives of
Pakistani queers, reducing them to hide their identities and forcing them to live a dual
life.
In Chapter Eighteen, Hanif has painstakingly discussed the hardcore issue which
almost every LGBT community member faces each day. As it depicts that how our
society treats a queer, for generally queers are considered sub-human therefore the
concept of sexual rights for queers in our society is obsolete. As a result sexual abuse,
hate crimes and discrimination are an integral part of a person who dares to declare
“He tries to move the blindfold above my eyes and his fingers linger on my
cheeks more than they push the cloth…then he puts his teeth on the knot and
I can feel his slobbering lips at the back of my neck, inches below where he
Ahmed 38
should be directing his efforts. He comes closer and I can feel his cock
The manner in which the solider has tried to take advantage of a blindfolded queer, Ali
Shigri, actually epitomizes our social mentality and routine handling of queers, as
everyone in our society believes that the existence of queers, brings a disgrace to our
mighty culture, moreover they are indeed a termite in our social fabric therefore they
must be treated accordingly. Our society, literature, culture and religion not only castoff
homosexuality rather they all are homophobic in nature, therefore the marginalization
does not seem to cease at least in near future. The only bright aspect or silver-lining for
non-political body, whose aim is to emancipate and empower queers in Pakistan. The
optimistic and confident regarding the future of his community. In an article, ‘Let’s get
this straight. I am not”, published in The Express Tribune he says: “You won’t see us
marching in pink underwear, for instance. What we are working towards is something
like the Progressive Writers’ Movement who aspire to bring about a mental state of
change through writing” (Taha 2011). Estranged by Pakistani literature and despised by
society, queers of Pakistan have now united and are aware of their rights, due to massive
global communication and information available on Internet and social sites, though the
inception was not promising as Pakistan’s first gay website Queerpk.com was shut down
by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), as how dare they leave their cocoon of
silence. The website’s motto was “Don’t hate us, Know us”, primarily an effort to bridge
the gap of misconception widespread in our society, regarding the identity and nature of
Ahmed 39
LGBT community, which was hammered down in time by Pakistani Government in order
to ensure and safeguard purity in our society. Amna Iqbal in her article, “‘Don’t hate us,
know us’, but PTA disagrees: Pakistan’s first gay website banned”, brilliantly explains:
“After all, they had to keep the pristine white purity of the land intact, and this website
was just a tad too colorful. So the PTA did what it does best, shoved it under the carpet
like it didn’t exist and brought back their golden silence”. (Iqbal 2013). Though not an
encouraging initiative by government as far as the status quo of LGBT community in our
society is concerned yet the positive side of this picture is indeed promising for queers
have now started to speak up as they have stood for their rights by breaking their prolong
silence.
Ahmed 40
Conclusion
Pakistani society has always chosen to remain silent and homophobic at the same
time as to tackle the issue of homosexuality. Religion by far surpasses every other aspect,
attitude from religious people is obvious as the holy books of almost every religion,
even death. Hence queers in Pakistan would not be able to clutch their rights, unless and
until Pakistan becomes a secular state which by far seems next to impossible as the
Pakistani society on the issue of homosexuality is also one of the contributing factors in
the unending practice of relegation. Instead of discussing the naked reality that
homosexuals are part of society and admitting the fact that homosexuality is rampant
across the country, our society hides itself under the sheets of denial, while most of the
time debating over the nature of homosexuality; whether it is natural or unnatural. The
absolute notion from large section of society that homosexuality is an abnormal human
activity and it can be cured, has destroyed the very idea community and identity, as it
implies that queers are not a community, rather a bunch of people suffering from
psychological disorder. This mindset had and would continue to pose serious threats to
LGBT community and their rights let alone their survival. While cultural norms and the
dagger of morality, hung around the necks of queers, are also crucial as far as their
alienation and abashment are concerned. The cold shoulder given by Pakistani literature
as it never addressed the plight of Pakistani queers like any other social issue, hence
Ahmed 41
instead of bridging the abyss of misconception wide spread among society it contributes
in widening the gap. As a result, an atmosphere has formed which makes sure that queers
do not survive, one of them is the fact that most people consider pedophilia falls under
Statistics indicate that Pakistani society is one of the most sexually frustrated
societies, where thousands of pedophilic cases are being registered each year let alone
and state, yet it tops the ranking by sheer hypocrisy as majority of pedophiliac cases are
reported from seminaries let alone the homosexual mayhems from the tribal belt and the
province of KPK which are generally known for their strict religious temperament. The
prime reason behind this paradoxical pattern is the fact that gender segregation to an
extreme level is incised in their society, powered by centuries-long traditional values and
divine restrictions. Hence, homosexuality prevails in these expanses mainly due to the
scarcity of opposite gender, as women are mostly confined to the four walls, which
makes homosexuality a matter of choice, as people bluntly refuse to confess that they are
queer which makes matters worse for genuine queers, as they suffer from sever identity
crises for they do not involve in homoerotic intimacy out of sexual frustration or due to
unavailability of opposite gender rather they are attracted to same gender due to genetic
and innate impulses. The only reason behind such confusion is the sacrilegious status of
homosexuality, and discussing it openly, by giving fair space to queers as to present their
Ahmed 42
case, so that the mist of confusion could settle down, providing queers the lost sense of
community.
The future of LGBT community does not seem indifferent than the present for our
societal structure is quite different from the Western societies, where homosexuality
enjoys the perks of modernism and secularism. We have family oriented social structure
while the Western societies are mainly individual-based, hence no matter how secular we
empowerment seem next to impossible for there is no active participation from LGBT
community, not because they are not interested rather due to the fear of being persecuted
once they reveal their identities. As everyone knows closet queers do exist who out of
fear and social discrimination and hate-crimes don’t dare to speak. A positive
development, though has been observed recently which gives some hope to the
marginalized- queers, as various gay writers have taken pen and started raising voice for
their rights alongside highlighting the plight of their community. Internet and social
forums are proved to be blessings for queers as they are successfully campaigning for
their rights. They also have gained some support from liberal section of our society,
though very negligible yet the most important development is that they have stood for
themselves, breaking their forced-silence, which, I think, is a positive step as far as their
fairly like any other irrespective of the moral and immoral debate for whether we like it
or not they do exist in our society, so instead of living in the state of denial, this issue
Works Cited
Anonymous, “I did not ‘choose’ to be gay”. The Express Tribune Blogs. March 20, 2015.
Web.
Bearak, Barry. “A Lesbian Idyll, and the Movie Theaters Surrender”, New York Times.
924
Kennedy, Miranda. “Open Secrets”. The Boston Globe. July 11, 2004. Web.
N, Hasham. “Pakistanis should no longer live in fear of other Pakistanis”. The Express
Tribune
Blogs. May 17, 2015. Web
Ahmed 45