Mind your Language, Please!

Despite not wanting to, I just had to talk about the issue of the day. A classic sexist discussion between a man and a woman graced the T.V screens yesterday. I prefer not to indulge myself in watching News talk shows anymore so I just watched tit bits on Twitter. Khalil-ul-Rehman Qamar exposed himself and Marvi Sarmad in a talk show in one of the channels of our rating-loving channels.

“Mera Jism Meri Marzi”, “Meri Zubaan Meri Marzi” was the talk of the town today. Both the said individuals have a history of misogyny and liberal feminism. I was naturally appalled by what the man said. However I cannot defend the woman in this case either. Not because what Khalil said but because what Marvi represents.

Marvi is a breed of women who openly and bluntly encourage women to expose themselves. The slogan of my body, my choice is an extremely vicious narrative. It is against Islam in more ways than one. It inculcates a sense that a woman may expose herself, fulfil all kinds of fantasies and get away with it simply because it’s her body.

From an Islamic point of view it is completely wrong because our body is for Allah and if we commit sinful acts, we are to be punished.

Already a sexually repressed society on the verge of social change is bound to get lost. Last year’s Aurat March brought shame. We are to choose whichever way to go and we can’t really judge a book by its cover. Manto is missed a lot these days. He showed the reality through his portrayal of sexual desires overcoming morality in the subcontinent. Look around and it is in such a larger scale that even religious institutions around the world have succumbed to it.

What a parrot is taught is what he/she does. Most of our Pakistani society has been influenced by either Hollywood, Bollywood, Lollywood or stage dramas and miscellaneous choices. End result is a society with identity crisis. Why we are prone to Bollywood hoax is a theory for another day. I just simply wish to reiterate that disconnection of ‘flesh’ and ‘soul’ leads both men and women to astray. Consequences of such actions do not cross anyone’s minds.

Now lets come back to the all knowing Khalil. When success comes to someone’s head, that head looks like Khalil’s. I feel sorry for his wife and daughters. A man with daughters using such a tone and language for a woman no matter how she is, is quite questionable. The writer of ‘Mere Pass Tum Ho” just showed his calibre. A man’s character is best shown how he handles himself in anger and adversity. This was a new low. A chaotic mess has been made.

My twitter friends mostly support Khalil. I, however don’t want to take any sides. For me both are victims and perpetrators. They both bring out the animalistic natures of humans. The louder you are, the more you get heard? The more foul a language you use, the more authoritative you become? Marvi also uses language below her pedigree all the time but nothing should have prompted such a response by Khalil.

Men and women have strayed away from the righteous path. The moral values are completely forgotten and we are back in the dark ages. A moment of passion changes into a moment of sin in a jiffy because of loss of control. Many factors are the reason for this. Most exponential is our being away from our Deen which has given more rights to women than all the Western societies combined. If you read the History of the West and then compare it with Islamic history we can draw a comparison. Lets just hope, wish and pray that we get our acts straight soon.

Remember, Allah is all knowing and forgiving and He loves repentance. Even though someone has provided himself or herself bodily harm because of such acts, forgiveness can be granted by Him unless they are not repeated. Stay true to yourself.