KARACHI, April 27: Five full-length papers with some brief speeches were received by young participants with rapt attention on the second day of the national workshop on “Feminism in our context,” organized by the Women and Development Association.

There were occasional fireworks as well, particularly at the close of the session when Asif Farrukhi quoted some unpalatable remarks of Shamim Ahmad on the writings and person of Qurratul Ain Hyder, meaning thereby that her experience in life was incomplete as she never married and did not lead a family life.

Aslam Farrukhi in his paper debunked those remarks, but after some speeches Prof Moinuddin Aqeel came to defend Shamim Ahmad. This time Intezar Hussain refuted Aqeel saying that a writer and a poet owned the experience of different characters. For example, he said Shakespeare did not live all those lives he portrayed in his plays. Fehmida Riaz was even more emphatic in defence of Qurratul Ain. In the process, the examples of many other writers and poets like Miraji and Mohammad Hasan Askari were quoted in support.

The full-day session never saw a dull moment when Fehmida Riaz read out her paper on feminism bringing reference from Urdu’s classical literature. The capitalists, who wanted the women in Muslim countries to remain inactive in their ‘parda’ and enclosures were hatching a conspiracy against feminist movement and the rising awareness among women in Muslim countries, Fehmida said.

Another paper based on feminist poetry being written in Palestine, Europe and North America was presented by Shaheda Hasan who had recently participated in a seminar on literature at the US. Shaheda, herself a poet, is an English teacher.

A balanced and very well written paper on the poetry and also fiction of Fahmida Riaz was read out by noted fiction writer Khaleda Hussain.

An article by Tanvir Anjum on “feminist consciousness in the stories of Asmat Chughtai” was presented and received well by the audience. Fehmida Riaz and Kishwar Naheed were the two pioneers of the 70s who brought women on the fore as the active participants of the changing society; this was expressed in many papers.

Intezar Hussain in his concluding remarks was happy that “we were now getting rid of romantic poetry — Akhtar Sheerani”.

Most of the proceedings were conducted by Fatema Hasan. Most discussed during the proceedings were Asmat Chughtai and Manto; inciting many questions by young students.—H.A