Rejection is not something people deal with easily. When people are turned down because the other wants to preserve her own freedom, it is hard not to feel a small bit of resentment for the person who made them feel rejected. But, as individuals get older, most learn to deal with rejection in a mature manner, because people who are self-aware understand they are not the only ones who matter in the world. Unfortunately not in cases of domestic abuse, the partner who feels rejection takes this as a sign of their significant other attempting to break free, which causes the abuser to reassert power by any means necessary. This happens all too frequently, particularly in relationships where the individual lives in a society that has always made people feel entitled to act as they please without facing the consequences.
This is what brings us to Asma Yaqoob’s story. As a young 25-year-old woman in Pakistan, Asma was a devout Christian who was proud of her faith and her independence. Although she was illiterate, Asma held her Christian values very near and dear to her heart and preached God’s word as often as possible.1 She was considered a minority in Pakistan since Islam is the majority religion, but she still refused to conform to the traditional Pakistani values and continued to openly practice her Christian Faith and share the gospel with everyone she encountered.
Asma was a headstrong woman who was not easily taken advantage of, unlike many Pakistani women taught to be submissive at a young age. Asma was a unique woman because rather than succumb to the oppression, she stood up for herself and her independence. However, not all people support women standing up for themselves and their rights. To improve women’s participation in the political system, Pakistan is finally creating laws that help women to slowly break through the walls of political confinement. For instance, in the 2011 Prevention of Anti-Women Practices Act, it finally became illegal for women to be forced into a marriage. This caused much controversy, as it has always been the tradition for families to arrange their children’s marriages. This is a massive breakthrough, as this is a start at giving women the necessary freedom they deserve.2 Another massive breakthrough is that 2018 is the first year in history when Pakistani women could vote in a public election. This was accomplished when Pakistan’s government enacted a mandate stating that no voting results will be accepted unless 10% of women have voted in the district. A major step for women was accomplished this year, with percentages of women who voted rising from 12% to 44% this year alone.3
Although history has been made in recent years with women inching closer to gaining more rights, the majority of the population are not always ready to support this modernization and prefer women to stay in their place confined to the private home sphere. Muhammad Rizwan Gujjar, Asma’s boyfriend, certainly felt that way. He met her through Asma’s brother, and he immediately fell in love with Asma.4 After a few weeks, Muhammad immediately knew that he wanted to marry Asma. She was smart, beautiful, knew how to cook and clean, and perfect for a family. Muhammad had a job and would be able to provide for a family in the future. Sounds like a 1950’s match made in heaven, right? One would think so, if Asma conformed to societal norms and did not speak her mind. But, this was not the case. He was determined to have a wife and family who practiced his religion and supported his values, no exceptions. The couple began arguing incessantly over Asma’s refusing to convert. Eventually, Asma realized that the relationship was not worth converting over and broke up the engagement with Muhammad.
Asma was happy to move on with her life, as she was no longer bound to convert to a religion that she did not want to follow. This was a defining moment for Asma. Around the world women are typically too afraid to leave abusive relationships, instead choosing to endure abuse. They feel that they have no other options and would rather have security in a life of oppression than face the world alone, scared of the violent response of their forlorn husband. It is still taboo for women to get divorced. So much so that women who get divorced are ostracized from their communities and forced by their own families to return back to the abusive husband because protecting family honor is prioritize over women’s safety.5 Asma had not married him yet and so she decided to get out of the relationship. Enjoy her return to freedom, Asma went back to her normal life. One of her father’s friends came to visit her family when there was a knock on the door. Asma went to answer the door and saw Muhammad who told her that she must convert and marry him the next morning.6 Strong in her stance, Asma rejected his demands. Muhammad grew extremely angry with her. He dowsed her in gasoline and set her on fire before fleeing from the scene. Asma’s family heard her screams and rushed her to Lahore’s Mayo Hospital where she eventually died because the burns were too severe and covered most of her body. Muhammad was eventually found and arrested.7
Asma’s story is one of courage and inspiration to women around the world. She stood up for herself and for her freedom in spite of the impossible circumstances surrounding her. Although Pakistan passed the “Acid and Burn Crime Bill 2017,” the list of victims continued to grow every year.8 But, it is because of stories like Asma’s and many other women who resist abuse that these cases are slowly decreasing. Pakistani society now takes legal action rather than the previous traditional ignorance of these crimes. Asma, an amazing woman has put the Pakistani society on a better path to a better future. Although there is still a long way to go, Asma has shown women that saying NO is an option and their fight for freedom and equality continues. Asma’s name and honor stance will live on in the hearts of many women who grow strong inspired by her strength and faith.
- Asif Aqeel, Pakistani Christian Dies after Being Set on Fire by Muslim in Alleged Dispute over Who Should Convert (Pakistan: World Watch Monitor, 2018). ↵
- Punjab Information Technology Board, Prevention of Anti-Women Practices Act, 2011(Pakistan: The Punjab Commission On The Status of Women (Pakistan: The Punjab Commission On The Status of Women, 2015). ↵
- TRT World and Agencies, Pakistani Women Make History As Some Vote For the First Time (Turkey: TRT World, 2018). ↵
- Asif Yeshel, Relationships Cannot Be Forced, We Must Learn to Take a ‘no’ (Lahore: Daily Times, 2018). ↵
- Lauvut Zahid, These Women Stayed in Abusive Relationships Because Pakistan Failed Them (Pakistan: Dawn, 2017). ↵
- Mark Ellis, Pakistan: Christian Woman Set on Fire after She Refuses to Convert, Marry (God Reports, 2018). ↵
- Kaleem Dean, Asma Yaqoob- A Tale of Courageous Woman (Lahore: Daily Times, 2018). ↵
- Leena Nishtar, Eradicating Acid Violence (Pakistan: The Express Tribune, 2018). ↵
61 comments
Avery Mascorro
The ending of her story was very sad, but Asma did not die in vain. It was very brave of her to stick to her religious beliefs in a place where she was a not only a minority, but in a place where dissent is often retaliated against with violence. It’s good to see that pakistani government is making strides for the equality of women. Hopefully one day people like Asma won’t have to die because they want to have the freedom to practice their religion.
Emily Velazquez
Asma was a truly an inspirational person not only for women in Pakistan but all over the world. Women should not be submissive to men and should not be afraid to be independent. Unfortunately, countries like these still haven’t completely grown out of that stage and a lot of women are being taken advantage of. Asma was determined to not be one of those women and she was determined to stand for what she believed in. I think it is truly an honorable thing.
Octaviano Huron
What a very brave young woman. It is sad to know that disdain exists simply because of difference in religion. Her life, and countless other lives, should not be the cost of nonconformity. Too often, we do not appreciate our differences, or at the very least, recognize and respect them. I believe that no matter the religion, all will encounter some form of prejudice, but we have to fight against this disdain, instead of each other. Thank you for this intriguing article.
Christopher Hohman
Nice article. Poor Asma. It is terrible that such a promising life was taken in such a terrible way. She died much too soon. Asma was just ahead of her nation’s time. She wanted to live her own life and do her own thing. It is terrible that so many times in Pakistan and other countries women are often forced to marry and forfeit their own dreams. But Asma refused she is now an example to other women who live in oppression. She will not be forgotten.
Fatima Navarro
What an inspiring individual, Asma was. This article upset me because as woman, it’s repulsive to see what woman have to go through when they stand up for themselves but a patriarchal society does not agree. It is infuriating that she had to die (and I am sure many other women have gone through the same tragic ending) in order to push Pakistan to more laws protecting women and their freedom of speech. Asma left a legacy behind her and I hope not only Pakistan but many countries can learn from this. I also hope us women can keep being brave and speak up any injustice and inequality.
Leeza Cordova
Asma’s story and power in this article stood out to me. She was not scared of telling people “no”, and was incredibly brave to do so knowing the situations she might face if she did so. This article shows how many different countries have different laws and rights towards women, and also how men think they have the upper hand in some situations. This article was well written and very informative on this case.
Chelsea Alvarez
Asma’s story is one of bravery and self-respect. Asma’s dedication to her religion despite what others thought of it proves that she wasn’t going to conform to society’s expectations of her. Unfortunately, Asma was unable to recover and survive from her ex-boyfriend’s brutal revenge. The title of this article is very captivating, and I loved the in-depth background of women’s rights in present-day Pakistan. Hopefully in the future more women are able to have their voices heard with the help of the government, so that there are less instances for them to be victims of domestic violence.
Nathalie Figueroa Soto
Asma was incredibly brave for standing up for her beliefs, even at the times when her stance was that of the minority. She preached her faith genuinely, and it is a great tragedy that she had to end up dying because of it. Asma’s story will go on to inspire more women in Pakistan and other countries to stand up for their rights, even when the society says that is wrong.
Gabriel Dossey
This is an inspiring story of courage and faith. I appreciate that this goes against the usual narrative that Christians have and continue to oppress others with a different faith. I find it remarkable that a this woman was able to stand headstrong in the face of such adversity. A fantastic job! Keep up the good work. I pray that her soul found its way to through the gates of St. Peter.
Samire Adam
I think this is an important story to share. The article reveals a hidden epidemic that’s been neglected for centuries, especially in most south Asian culture. Although, most acid attack cases are different from the other, they all share one common thing: toxic masculinity. This form of hate crime often time targets minorities and is motivated because of race or religion