Photo: Twitter
KARACHI: Quite a flurry was created on social media recently when a rather ironic tweet made rounds on the internet. “No one in the world respects women as much as Pakistani men,” read the tweet in question. Of course, the sentence made no sense considering what the rate of crimes committed against women has to say. What was even more ridiculous was the fact that the author of the tweet was Katherine George, a white woman. While some mocked her ignorance, the reason for her experience was clear to many. Katherine George is not just a woman, she is a white woman. To anyone who knows even a little about Pakistan and our gora complex, the reason behind our nation’s treatment of women like Katherine is clearly her skin tone and the power and status that we associate with it.
We could go on about Pakistan’s colonial hangover and double standards but another amusing tweet made it to the internet soon after. According to the tweet, Katherine George does not exist. The author of the tweet, Fahad Desmukh, pointed out how the picture making rounds on social media is actually of Aleks Mroz. It is true that the Polish woman is currently residing in Pakistan and travelling, but the statements being made under her identity are not true.
Taking a look at her Instagram account, Golden Brown Baozi, reveals that Aleks is in fact, quite in touch with reality. She uses her platform to write about Pakistan and its cultural history, but she also does not make any sweeping statements. In fact, Aleks seems well aware of the gender inequality and sexism that women experience every day.
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The fact that Katherine George is a fake account seems almost obvious now. At second glance, she seems quite obsessed with Pakistan. Unsurprisingly, Pakistan is all that she tweets about. The truth may be a bummer for Pakistani men who believed the fake tweet faster than they believe myths regarding the COVID-19 vaccine but it is definitely a sigh of relief for those who live in Pakistan and know the struggle of women residing in the country.
