Ramazan shows are like a slice of Pakistan: A bit of religion followed by a lot of gossip


Religion, as presented on TV back then, was something to be respected and honoured on the media

I recall care being taken even about the kind of advertisements that were run between religious shows, if they were any at all

But then the Aalim Online era begun

Make no mistake; as an objective bystander I appreciate the fact that Aalim Online was the first show that brought Islamic scholars of different schools of thought on the same podium, and acted as an interfaith forum of sorts

Many similar shows followed, providing useful information

https://www

youtube

com/watch?v=LjBxiuHQRqY But then something dangerous happened

These shows started bringing in ratings

And advertisements

And money

Ramazan, followed by Eid is of course heyday for marketeers and consumerists

Therefore, religious shows were morphed into Ramazan religious shows – all in one type – with the azaan, religious scholars and verses of the Holy Quran in one hour and full throttle live entertainment show the next

Every one followed this trend

Money kept rolling in

Ramazan’s spirit of giving was abused into marketing gimmickry

Thousands of motorbikes are given away to people who are willing to sacrifice their self-respect and let their humiliation be broadcasted for it

Karachi’s legendary killer motorbiker boys keep increasing on the streets of a city where 23 million or more reside, but there is no dependable public transport system

Sadly enough, these shows are a reflection of what is going on in our society

These Ramazan shows are a slice of Pakistan today

A bit of religion followed by a bit of gossip and a bit of extravagance and a bit of unethical humiliation of someone who cannot stop us from doing so and a bit of retail therapy – all in a single breath

It may be very easy for the affluent upper tier Pakistanis to judge the people coming on these shows for that motorbike and say, “In kee koi izzat e nafs nahin?” (Don’t they have any self-respect?) But the reality is that in a society with such drastic socio-economic disparity, we often cannot relate to what winning a motorbike or a mobile-phone means to the masses

They struggle every day and pretend to be carrying on a comfortable life, but in reality are exhausted by financial crunches

Here we are, witnessing the beautiful spirit of this month being hijacked by money making machines

These shows, for instance, Pak Ramzan Amir Liaquat Show and Jeeto Pakistan with Fahad Mustafa, in the long run, will have disastrous and sustained effects on our social fabric

Some are beginning to show already

Thanks to the fact that gifts are given even if the person does not know the answer to “which are Pakistan’s neighbouring countries?” the bar for intelligent general knowledge quizzes is not just being lowered but has been smashed

Levels are also being lowered with regards to collective entertainment

Publicly ridiculing others is considered funny, or people pretend that it is funny because the host is often being praised collectively, so that s/he is happy with the audience and gives away a gift

https://www

youtube

com/watch?v=Jvpnkkvg2X4 https://www

youtube

com/watch?v=bF6bvwsC-5I There is certain decorum – call it adab, if you may – that is required for religious and spiritual messages to permeate a heart

When that is absent, the soul does not absorb the beautiful messages Ramazan is transmitting to it

When a large part of our post-iftar eve is spent watching these shows even though we criticise them, something inside us dies

What’s worse is that the few genuinely informative and interesting religious shows that are on television in Ramazan, such as Baran e Rehmat with Hamza Ali Abbasi, also lose their credibility due to the blanket assumption of viewers that all Ramazan special shows are just the same sub-standard offering

The genuine scholars are respected less due to those who have not yet embodied the beautiful spirit of Ramazan, and in fact of Islam

Thus, some genuinely good shows no longer get the recognition they deserve

https://www

youtube

com/watch?v=cTH1MeMnHc8 https://www

youtube

com/watch?v=Yr4hWLlOqCk Do the hosts and producers of these shows realise what a powerful medium they have in their hands, and how productively this could be used to propagate the real ideals of Ramazan like charity, hospitality, simplicity, love and compassion? Maybe it’s time to make it a regular dua in Ramazan that may Allah (SWT) guide those who have been given this power to use it responsibly



Date:16-Jun-2016 Reference:View Original Link