A review by mi7sma
Taboo: The Hidden Culture of Red Light Area by Fouzia Saeed

adventurous informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Dr.Fouzia Saeed's in-depth analysis of the Lahore's infamous Red Light district gives rise to a myriad of questions. But she meticulously answers Them in great Detail. From breaking cultural taboos to delving deep into the complex history of Prostitution in south Asia while comparing it with state policies of the ancient times. It is evident that this domain has evolved into something intangible and continues to fester as something that cannot be curtailed. Fouzia questions the double standards imposed by tradition and culture that people mindlessly follow and proclaims the issues regarding this "false morality". This was a field research study which probed the cultural limitations of south Asian Muslims. All in all, the main point I got from it was that the men of this region contort Islam into a crutch through which they corroborate their explicit behaviour while keeping the opposite gender forever in need of resources. It touched on the rights of transvestites and women alike as well as the Strange sub-culture of the shahi mohalla which questioned the patriarchal mindset of the people involved.