Naumaan Ijaz lands in hot water following insensitive criticism of Ayesha Omar for opening up about harassment

Actor and host Naumaan Ijaz has landed himself in hot water yet again for his comments and viewpoint on serious and grave subjects, especially the #Metoo movement. Recently, Ayesha Omar appeared as a guest on his show G Sarkar on Neo News, where Ijaz made her extremely uncomfortable with an insensitive line of questions about her harassment.

A clip from the TV shows’ YouTube page, with a sensational and clickbait headline, is doing the rounds lately where Ijaz is telling Ayesha Omar that she is known to “spark controversies” and later he asks her if she does it “intentionally”?

While Ayesha handled the situation gracefully, kept calm and answered all the presumptuous questions aptly, it was disturbing to see how a veteran actor was shaming a victim. Not only that but Ijaz continued to blame her for over 2 minutes in video clip and forced his opinion on her.

The host discourages her and said that in his humble opinion it is useless to talk about past traumas – referring to her harassment ordeal – and bring them into limelight “for popularity or to jump a bandwagon”. He said: “Kabhi apki bold shoots aa jati hain, kuch aap statements aise de deti hain. I personally feel that if a person has gone through something in the past, it doesn’t mean they should start talking about it publicly just because they saw someone else do the same. You’re at a risk of damaging your image.”

Ayesha clarified: “I don’t do it because someone else did it.” But she was able to finish before Ijaz added that “why does she feel the need to do it? why do we forget that the society we live in, it will become difficult for us to survive because people here are not as aware?”

Ayesha partially agreed to his point and replied: “Yes, I do tend to forget that but I need to follow my truth. When I feel that the truth needs to be said, I say it.”

At this point, it is evident that the host has preconceived notions about the subject and irrespective of Ayesha’s constant corrections, he carried on with it.

Ijaz went on to ask: “So by speaking your truth, do you think you got a lot of praise?”

Ayesha, held her ground and again tried to make him understand. “No, but I don’t do everything for wah wah [praise].” Only to be asked again that why she did it?  “At the end of the day, you do it for personal (reasons). You need to answer to yourself, right?” she replied.

However, Ijaz remained unconvinced and said he doesn’t think so. He kept pushing Ayesha and probed if she was speaking in support of a person, or a movement? He even went on to say that: “Did anyone even ask you?”

“Yes, I was asked, not once, but by many. And I never said anything as openly as you’re presenting,” she responded but Ijaz didn’t back off. When Ayesha asked what is he continually referring too, his response was over-simplification to say the least. “I was actually discussing your harassment… thing.”

Ayesha, then, respectfully replied to him and explained what she went through and why she opened up about her harassment after 15 years., only to hear again: “Why speak now and not it all just pass? Why propagate discernment?”

Kudos to Ayesha who further elaborated. “On the flip side, there are people out there, who, when they see an influential figure speak about their ordeal, it inspires them. It humanizes us in their eyes and they don’t feel alone anymore. And there are so many women who are going through so much but they never speak up about it. I didn’t speak about it for 15 years too, not even to my best friend. And then when one person, having suffered a similar fate, came out, it gave me the strength to talk about what happened to me. And it is more important to me, than getting wah wahs, that we influence someone’s life positively.”

The conversation ends here in the video clip, but it is important to establish the context of this conversation. In 2019, Ayesha Omar opened up about being sexually assaulted by someone influential in the industry. She didn’t name anyone till date, but she shared her ordeal with Hollywood star Rose McGowan.

 

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A post shared by Ayesha Omar (@ayesha.m.omar)

Now, the irony is that it is 2022 and yet our anchors have not learnt how to conduct themselves. They need to know how to talk about sensitive subjects, more specifically speak to victims of abuse or harassment. It was clear that this extremely rude line of questioning, with total disregard to a victim’s opinion was intentional. Is it so hard to understand that making someone uncomfortable by your demeanor as well as words is also harassment.

It is far-fetched to expect everyone to act sensibly and understand the importance or relevance of #MeToo movement, but it is more disturbing to see veterans taking it so lightly. Ijaz implied that those who speak up about their harassment are tarnishing their own image and inviting judgements. They should just move on and live like nothing ever happened to them.

What about the accused or the perpetrators who will get to roam free if no questions will be raised? Does he feel that the practice will make ours a better society to live in? Or will it make it more safer for men and women alike?

This is not the first time Naumaan Ijaz has dismissed the movement or cracked a joke at the harassment claims. In 2020, he gave an interview to Iffat Omar in which he said things that shouldn’t be said. Period. He talked about how he cheated on his wife and got away with it because he is a “great actor”. He also stated on domestic abuse that “taali aik hath se nahi bajti‘ [it takes two to tango]. And his views on the #MeToo movement were alarming: “Yeh #MeToo, she too, he too are dangerous, people are using it as a weapon. This is only happening because people are turning away from religion.”

Previously, a similar incident happened when Ayesha Omar was questioned by Waseem Badami about her sexual harassment experience in the most callous manner.

All these exchanges are too heartbreaking to watch. Ayesha is a successful model and actress, and she is getting this treatment on public platforms from her colleagues. These men might know her in some capacity, have mutual friends or have worked with her, but they make light of her ordeal for ratings, spreading sensationalism or just because they can.

Imagine, what would be happening to women who are not in a position of power or influence? The ignorant attitude is reflective of how women are treated in our society, irrespective of their position or social background. It shows how men proudly and unabashedly question women to prove their claim or its worth, rather than standing up for them and empowering them.

Ayesha Omar’s interviews are just one example of how women who speak about their trauma are being treated, and the picture it paints is bleak.