(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Culture is a complex subject usually understood by experts but misunderstood by the laity. Man is a byproduct of the social institutions and associations that influence him from childhood and contribute to his development. The complexity of cultures and habits that emanate from them often leads to conflicts and unrest.
When individuals within a society tend to deviate from norms, tensions are created and such strains can often prove fatal. This is what happened with Qandeel Baloch, the controversial social media star strangled to death by her brother in a honour killing that drew international media attention.
Dis-traught by her killing, Baloch";s parents have voiced resentment against their son who was responsible for murdering her in sleep. Her father wants his son to be ‘shot on sight"; while her mother cannot get over the grief of losing a daughter who used to share all joys and sorrows with her.
In conservative Pakistani society, Baloch was considered a woman with loose morals. Her social media posts, which drew tens of thousands of views, came to exemplify the tug-of-war between conserva-tives and the secular, upwardly mobile Pakistani who saw in her a way of breaking out of the fetters of strict social mores.
Her provocative photographs and comments bordering on the explicit drew deri-sion from a social order in which women are supposed to be inhibited and any sign of liberalism is frowned upon. In conservative societies, which are largely found in the eastern hemisphere, coyness is a prized virtue among women while men are expected to be bold and aggressive — a supposed sign of machismo.
Baloch";s actions, which were in rather poor taste and wouldn";t qualify for cultivated showmanship, are being seen as a sign of redemption for the uplift of women by feminists in the country.
Her murder by her brother has triggered a heated debate among conservatives and liberals. A Muslim cleric with whom Baloch had taken a selfie is also being probed by the police in connection with the crime. That her brother has no regrets about eliminating her comes as a shock and shows the intensity of conflict related to social norms.
The brother was not only driven towards the cold-blooded murder because he hated her actions. It seems the taunts he was subjected to forced him to commit the heinous act. In this regard, the law drafted by the government to plug a loophole in honour killing legislation is praiseworthy. It will lead to more convictions and deter people from repeating what Baloch";s brother did.