Hypocrisy or mental illness? Marvi Sirmed
When I first watched Junaid Jamshaid’s video that later landed him in
trouble, I freaked out seeing the amount of misogyny that oozed from this pop
singer-turned-televangelist. In his strong convictions about the inherent flaws
of women, he forgot whom he was talking about.
Had it not been the blasphemy vigilantism, the video would have gone unnoticed just as all misogynist and sexist content routinely does. This was not the first time JJ demonstrated his utter contempt for women. It was probably last year that his disturbing statement emerged about women driving cars. He advised his fellow Muslim men to restrict women’s mobility and to never teach them how to drive a car. In the same statement – available on video – he gave his personal example and informed the audience how he had so far resisted letting his wife drive. This, he informed, was because the women who drove insisted on going out alone, which was the root cause of increasing obscenity and indecency in society.
In the recent video, the crux of his jeremiad was that women –
irrespective of who they are – are inherently flawed and always seek the
attention of men by deceit and manipulation. The core was missed but the
periphery was picked up on. Now, the issue is not what was said but whom it was
said about. In other words, it would have been all right had he said those
words without bringing Hazrat Ayesha (RA) into it.
Disturbing
Even more disturbing was when after being booked for blasphemy, he made
a video of himself making apologies to Muslims. In a passing reference, he said
he sought apologies from the Almighty, but the main thing remained the
forgiveness of the Ummah, having loaded a gun at him. In simple words, for him,
God doesn’t matter all that much; what matters is the sword and the gun and the
people who wield it.
Perplexing
Even more perplexing is the fact that most of the religion sellers – the
‘preaching’ class – seem to have either already decided to forgive him or to
carry on with the holy duty of murdering and slaughtering. Cases in point are
televised statements of Amir Liaqat Hussain and a video documented by Maulvi
Tariq Jamil of Tableeghi Jama’at. Tariq Jamil showcased his tears and lamented
on the state of an Ummah that insists on killing in the name of religion, while
Amir Liaqat, in his usual flowery language demonstrated his even deeper
misogyny.
In his bid to exonerate JJ, Amir Liaqat took two-thirds of his airtime
in explaining what a big sinner JJ was for having said those things, and how
righteous he himself was for hating on the blasphemy committed by JJ. His final
lines asked the audience to forgive Junaid for he was human and it was human to
err. He, however, deemed it fit to include as much misogyny as possible.
In order to appear more righteous than Junaid, he called the mother of
anyone who didn’t love Ayesha (RA), a prostitute (fahisha). When he said he’d
like to clarify his statement the following day, he arrived with another choice
word, claiming that his own mother should be accused of being what is basically
a contemptuous term for dancing women, if he ever fails to love Hazrat Ayesha
(RA). One wonders why all the bad words about mothers? Why not about his own
self? The icing on the cake was his declaration that if he ever took money for
the Ramzan transmission on TV, it would be like committing zina with his own
mother. The absence of any outrage over these statements is enough to safely
believe that society is okay with it. Abuse mothers and women whenever you feel
like abusing one another.
Both of them were joined by Mufti Naeem of the Madrassa Binoria who was
quick to declare the matter closed and disposed off because Junaid had already
apologized. Anyone who still makes it an issue on media, said the Mufti, would
be creating fitna – unrest – amongst the Ummah. The matter was then taken up by
Allama Tanveer ul Hassan from Jaamia tul Madina of Faisalabad. He declared
Junaid liable to be slaughtered, beheaded to be precise, because the Ummah in
his opinion was not mandated to forgive him. It was Allah alone who could
forgive him after his beheading.
This has now turned into a whack-a-mole. There emerges one Barelvi
‘mufti’ or ‘aalim’ who declares JJ liable to be killed and there appear several
Deobandi ‘aalims’ to exonerate him based on his video apology that he sought
from Muslims. The consensus however, so far, is to let him go. Great, isn’t it?
The Ummah is coming of age, right? The Ummah seems to have decided that
blasphemy can be an error of judgment or a mistake. The Ummah seems to have
decided that such mistakes, if realized and apologized for, can be forgiven.
It has so far not occurred to us what happened when Aasiya Bibi sought
our apology? Or Junaid Hafeez? Both, while believing that they didn’t even
commit blasphemy. Now that we have done it, can we do the same for Aasiya Bibi?
Why couldn’t we watch two consecutive programs by Amir Liaqat when the pious
demonstrated the ‘peacefulness’ of their religion in Kot Radha Kishan? Why
didn’t a video come out showing Tariq Jamil shedding tears on the overreaction
on other blasphemy accusations? Why didn’t Junaid Jamshed write the statement
while making a case of his victimhood based on his sect? Can’t we smell
something dreadfully rotten in this state of the pure?
Why didn’t we see outrage to save the honour of the Prophet (PBUH) when
it was proven in the court of law that Khalid Jadoon, the local cleric, had
burnt the pages of the Quran to put the blasphemy allegation on Rimsha Masih?
This passion for ‘forgiveness’ was not seen when Shaista Lodhi sought an
apology based on something she had never committed. But that went on deaf ears.
When a powerful institution of this country wanted, it used blasphemy against
Geo selectively while ignoring exactly the same incident by ARY.
Even the ‘last hope’ for a ‘Naya Pakistan’ had invited the Pakistan
Sunni Ittehad Council to seek support in their Faisalabad shut down call. The
Sunni Ittehad Council is the one that had once supported the fatwa against
Shaheed Salmaan Taseer and have now registered a blasphemy case against Junaid
Jamshed.
Amazing to see how these ‘small’ decisions of our
establishment-supported powerful ruling elite, their little marriages of
convenience are strengthening and empowering the elements that keep playing
havoc with the collective mental health of this nation. I don’t think we need
interfaith harmony or de-radicalization programs anymore. What we need is an
entire army of psychiatrists to treat us from the mental illness we’ve embraced
as part of our existence.
The writer is an Islamabad based freelance columnist.
The writer is an Islamabad based freelance columnist.
Email: marvisirmed@gmail.com
Twitter: @marvisirmed
Was originally published in The Nation on
Tuesday December 9, 2014
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