Looking to Nietzsche for Answers in 2016

The recent killing of the controversial Pakistani social media star Qandeel Baloch in July has sparked up a discussion of feminism in Pakistan.

Baloch, who is compared to Kim Kardashian-West, carried a sexual persona on social media. She took pride in her body, posting daring and risqué selfies, as well as making provocative videos. Baloch became a figure that defied the Pakistani norms, she embraced sexuality and emitted body positivity. Even more significant was Baloch’s background. She came from a working family, whose parents had only treasured her. She was married young into an abusive relationship where she gave birth to her only child. In her fight against her abusive husband However, that feeling of adoration was not entirely common feeling in Pakistan.

To most traditional Pakistanis Baloch was no role model nor a proper woman. She embodied the antithesis of their values, and forced herself to be seen. This naturally made most conservatives rage. In terms of her family, her parents had no ill thing to see. Baloch’s relationship with her father only testified to the strong bond and acceptance between them. Except for Baloch’s brothers. She was drugged and murdered by her brother, Waseem Azeem, who also drugged his parents to commit the act.

Azeem proudly declared ownership to the crime, stating that Baloch had only brought dishonor to the family name. On this, her parents defended her honor with her father even stating that his son should be “shot on sight”.

Murders in the name of shaming/honor range to over 500 people per year in Pakistan. With such a high number, we often find ourselves asking why and how such violence can plague nations and people. Perhaps with Nietzsche we can begin to understand possible answers.

Calling on the philosopher’s popular work On the Genealogy of Morals, he explains the “carnal delight of the “enjoyment of doing violence: which enjoyment is valued all the higher.” While this concept of evil for the sake of evil can be taken at face value, we can also use this to understand the violence Baloch’s brother exerted upon her.

While the pleasure of committing is obviously apparent in Azeem’s attitude. As explained earlier, the social and economic status of the family was obviously apparent despite the fame of Baloch. The relationship shared with her parents signify their respect and appreciation for her ability to express self sufficiency, which we can assume must have been shared with her family. Baloch’s clear intention to defy the norms set her as an enemy to the patriarchy and therefore an enemy to her brothers. According Nietzsche’s theories, her brother needed to commit the crime in order to elevate his status above her.

Regardless whether we can say NIetzsche’s theories are concrete, Baloch’s death set her movement in motion. Violence can only be ignored for so long, and Pakistan will do next could define a historical shift in the patriarchy.