‘I march for my mom who was not allowed to go to school’; so stated a placard at the Aurat March, pictures of which went viral on Twitter.
Now Ehtesham Hassan, the man behind the poster, has taken to Twitter to share the inspiring story of his mother.
Hassan revealed that since the age of 10, his mother was fond of reading and writing and had wanted to go to school like her brothers did.
When his mother expressed her desire to her grandmother, she purchased a takhti for her because of which the mother was able to go two school for two days. Hassan revealed that every night, his mother would clean the takhti with mud so that she could use it again the next day.
However, Hassan said it was Maulana Fazal Rehman heard about his mother going to school and forbade her family from sending her because this way the girl would write letters to the men and violate the honor of her family.
Hassan narrated that his mother was restricted from going to school, a fact that she is sorrowful about to this day. Hassan said that being deprived of her fundamental right to receive an education, and not being supported by her family is the reason why he choose to march today so that no other woman would be treated this way.
Since the story was posted yesterday, women on Twitter have praised Hassan for pasionately defending the right of women to receive education, calling his thread a moving tribute to his mother.
Many women said they had witnessed the same in their families.
“This is the story of both my maternal & paternal grandmothers. They were both not allowed to go to school after 8th grade. They made sure their daughters were highly educated – they advocated for them against hell or high water,” this user wrote.
Another user wrote: “Mother’s carried the burden of thier broken dreams and planted seeds of hope for future generations. She might not have gone to school but her son’s daughter would! Women have been forebearers of a silent revolution for generations.”
We hope that more men out there step out of their bubble and follow the lead of Hassan to empower the women of their lives to never stop reaching for their dreams.
