Face the Reality.

By Misha Saqib Pal

Veena Malik has crossed the line during her participation on the Indian reality TV show Big Boss. Her behavior has shamed Pakistanis and is so devastating that it has called the Maulanas of the country to put forward a fatwa against her. Pakistan is being disgraced because of the physical contact she displayed with a Hindu man. This is a national crisis and a cause for major concern that requires that she is shunned and embarrassed in front of the entire world. The Supreme Court should take action against her because there is nothing better that courts could be used for.  Because, really, what she did was extremely shameful that caused Pakistan and Muslims both, a tremendous amount of embarrassment.

Please tell me I am not the only one who finds the statement above outrageously ridiculous. Where is the shame when our politicians lie, cheat and steal from the poorest of our people? Where is this shame when leaders of our country make barbaric statements claiming they have a right to corruption? Or when innocent children are beaten to death witnessed by a multitude of people who don’t even question the situation? Does this shame not boil in the blood of your veins in the fraudulency of everyday affairs that take place in your country? Or perhaps this shame is strangled and put in a coffin when the needy are evaded of their rights and the justice system runs according to who is burning the biggest holes in their pockets. No, none of that is noteworthy of instilling shame amongst us but acts related to sexuality and how women are clothed cause upheavals about tarnishing the Muslim reputation of Pakistan.

Raise your hands if this makes you laugh. A laugh for the time a murderer is proclaimed a national hero because he took the life of an individual that stood up for humanity, benevolence and the very essence of Islam itself; tolerance. Another round for the President for when he was merrily strolling around Europe during the time which his country was experiencing one of the most devastating natural disasters in recent history. It is then beyond my comprehension why we do not realize the real reasons to hang our heads in shame.

Wake up Pakistan. We are not being disgraced because some Pakistani actress wore short dresses on a TV show but rather because we refuse to pay attention to the graver reasons behind the deterioration of our nation. Do we really blame the world for thinking that Islam is just about fundamentalism and suppression of sexual behavior? While modesty and Pakistani culture holds its value on its own, I do not believe that the acts of a single woman can be condemned nationally and made into a fanatic movement. If we are able to raise our voices against something we do not find appropriate then it is rightfully assumed that we are all okay with everything else that is seriously wrong in Pakistan.

We are then horrified that the world views us as extremists, terrorists and non-tolerant people. In a country where people cannot have discussions on television in a civil manner without going at each other’s throats, how can we expect to be respected globally when we do not have the decency to tolerate anything that goes against our personal views? 

While the terrorist label is another argument intricately woven into a war of power and money, I am simply saying that our behavior gives the world more of a reason to support their biased views.

Please do not think I don’t love my country and am not proud to be a Pakistani. These few words are not aimed to criticize Pakistanis but only consist of the thoughts in my head. Thoughts that should provoke all of you to ponder upon what action ought to be taken towards a more progressive and successful Pakistan and how the Pakistani media should not waste its time with such matters of insignificance.

It is a waste of time to obsess over such trivial matters; let’s move on to something bigger and better.