Aren’t there more important issues these people should be moaning and groaning about? How about working on poverty, lack of education and the environment for starters? And how about lowering your gaze jinaab?
MMA for change in media policy
By Our Staff Reporter
RAWALPINDI, Oct 21: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has accused the PTV authorities of airing Western norms instead of promoting Pakistani culture.
The alliance of religious parties strongly criticized the Western-specific approach and demanded of the government- controlled electronic media to set its direction right.
“The PTV authorities perhaps are sleeping and not aware of the changes in ground realities. They will have to break from the past while keeping in view the changes in the government,” the MMA secretary information, Malik Mohammad Azam, said.
The secretary also protested against stoppage of the evening call-to-prayer on the PTV and demanded its immediate restoration.
Mr Azam said it was the duty of the government-controlled media to propagate Islamic culture and traditional manners and rites.
“Instead of making its own culture more effective to save it from the onslaught of alien cultures, our media managers are abetting in giving dominancy to the later.” He also demanded that scarf-wearing and head-covering be made compulsory for women appearing on the screen of the official electronic media.
“Pakistan is an ideological state and its media policies should be devised in accordance with the teachings of Islam,” the MMA activist said. There is no room for promoting Western culture, he added. http://www.dawn.com/2002/10/22/top10.htm
Well let me point out two things here or rather let me say that I agree with u and at the same time I have something to say about our electronic media too.
You are absolutely right that there are many other things that these ppl should take into regard. But no why should they. THe first thing that they will do is to seclude women from all the social activities, make our society a segragated one. Being a conservative person myself , I belief one should be modest but these ppl consider women the biggest fitna. And that the first step to Islamize the country start from curbing the danger posed by this section of the society. Naheen janab, they would never talk about spending money on R& D, they would never present a grand strategy for the country to cope with a host of problems faced by it. This I am sure would top their agenda.
As regards our electronic media, the above point is linked with this one. I don't mind an open policy with regard to the electronic media where issues that are considerd taboo are discussed, where controversial issues pertaining to politics, political parties and figures are discussed and debated , where the daily problems that are faced by the common man in the country are brought to the fore and discussed rather than ignored. And during my stay in Pak I really appreciated the advancement and open policy of the government with regard to the media but there is always a limit to everything. THe points that are right now in my mind might seem very trivial but for me they show a lack of consistant approach that we have towards different things while devising a policy.
I noticed that the new channels have started their independent news programes. good
I noticed that they don't shy away from criticizing the government. good
MAy be I am viewing all this with a red lens on but frankly speaking I didnt like the way theyread Urdu news. Urdu news should be read in Urdu rather than being presented as a mixture of urdu,hindi and english item.
As regards the dressing. Well, the newscasters look good and cool wearing those blazers but again one day u'll find them wearing shalwar kameez with a tight shirt and small duppata , the other day u'll see them clad in nice shirts and pants. I mean it doesnt look good. I have seen Indian channels and the way they wear their saris is awesome. And when they wear coats or shirts that look equaly good. Whats the harm in wearing ur national dress and that too properly.I mean there should be some clear cut policy
Agreed. One of the greatest things about Pakistani TV is that they take risks and produce thought-provoking dramas. They are not inhibited by "masala" like their Indian counterparts. Pakistan also has perhaps the most vibrant women's movement in South Asia so I am sure the mullahs will be forced to eat crow. But this is just the sort of thing people worry about when they hear that a group of mullahs has won lots of seats. Look, this is Pakistan and we are all proud Muslims but you have to draw the line. Whose version of Islam are we going to implement? Most of our men don't pray in the masjid, countless don't fast during Ramadan, people cheat on their taxes, electricy bills, etc, so why don't we focus on creating decent people first? The country will reflect its citizenry...the mullahs are not all bad but their goals are pathetically mispalced in this instance.
I think it is unfair to criticise MMA at this stage. MMA did not come from nowhere. They represent a fair percent of the population. They must be saying things that their constituents want. From what I read, all they are asking for is further and complete arabcising of the Pakistani culture. They want the PTV to resemble Saudi TV, and the pakistani civil society to resemble the Saudi TV, and very likely with the fervor shown by any good student they want to outdo what they are trying to emulate, and hence they will likely try to be more conservative than the Saudi society. I think that is where the money and the policy that drive the MMA comes from; doesn't it?
You meant that they should first focus on the citizens in order to make them good muslims. But I am still not sure whether we should give somebody else the right to decide whats good for us and whats not.
Anyways, its too early to predict anything in this regard but if they are going to implement Taliban's version of Islam , then I don't think majority would support them. I don't think the moderate masses of Pakistan would give them the right "kay unka kaba darust kiya gai"
On a lighter note, I once read that Talibaan didn't allow women to wear white socks'coz they looked very sockcy :D ( I hope atleast that doesn't happen)
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*Originally posted by OldLahori: *
I think it is unfair to criticise MMA at this stage. MMA did not come from nowhere. They represent a fair percent of the population. They must be saying things that their constituents want. From what I read, all they are asking for is further and complete
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yup but then there are a larger group of people who dont support them. Just because they have secured some votes do not make them sole representatives of Pakistani people. The population group that supported them to get votes can ask these guys to do their bidding, and the people who do not support them can criticize them.
Should democrats sit down and shut up in US if they dont agree with the republican president? Not at all, so why should we not criticize or oppose MMA's plans or thoughts. As a matter of fact the more of us who oppose them and more of us oppose them openly and actually lobby the other groups to oppose these guy's plans, the better chance we have of thwarting MMA 's agenda.
You are right, Mr. Fraudia. I guess it should always be fair game to influence a party's stance on any issue. If MMA really wants to go mainstream then it will have to attract additional people. Lost soul writes: "hmm, interesting point there Old LAhori but the problem is that we are not Saudis.
Why can't we have our own distinct culture. I don't think that emulating Arabs would make us good and pious muslims. "
I agree. The question is what culture? As I understand, most people are Panjabis but speaking and writing in Panjabi has been considered for the uncultured "paindoos". Similarly other local languages have been shortchanged for the benefit of Urdu, which I understand is not faring very well either since the educated and Powers that be prefer english (I speak from distant second hand information, so correct me please if I am off base here). Local customs have been poo-phooed because of the baggage they carry that they are derived from the "hindoos". Native sufi culture was mostly in the local languages ( Waris Shah, Bullehay Shah, Shah lateef, etc. ) and they are being discarded for a purer form of Islam, which I believe is closely identified to that practised in Saudi Arabia. As I understand, MMA wants to go for a purer Islamic state, and the local intelligensia has been defining that to be the Saudi variety for a long time. So if MMA is to be modulated then the defination of what Islamic culture is for Pakistan needs to stated by the establishment and the intelligensia.