Maya Khan once again in trouble…
Saturday, July 28th, 2012 12:22:54 by Faisal Farooq
Everything is fair in love, war and ratings between television channels. There is a vigorous competition between television channels for higher ratings and ultimately higher revenue in the holy month of Ramazan.
The month is a roll-over prize for religiously-oriented programming on the Pakistani airwaves. The trend of this year was to hire controversy magnets including channel-hopping televangelists; date-busting morning show anchors; or-the-radar starlets as hosts of the Ramzan transmission.
Maya Khan, who was sacked by Samaa TV channel earlier this year after she earned the ire of people across the country when she chased couples dating in Karachi’s parks, has become embroiled in another controversy.
She has now invited criticism by having a Hindu boy convert to Islam live on television during a prime-time Ramzan program. However, the act has been widely panned as being a rating stunt and has sparked criticism on behalf of religious minorities.
The Hindu boy, who appeared to be a teenager and was identified as Sunil, was converted by Maulana Mufti Muhammad Aqmal.
During the show beamed on Tuesday, the Hindu boy said he had decided to convert to Islam while working for the non-governmental organization (Ansar-Burney Trust) headed by rights activist Ansar Burney.
In response to a question from Mufti Aqmal he stated, “Two years ago, I observed the fast during Ramzan. There is no pressure on me to accept Islam; I want to accept Islam of my own will”.
Obviously, there is nothing wrong with a Hindu converting to Islam. However, conversion showing live on a TV channel sparked criticism by rights groups.
In an editorial titled ‘Religion for ratings’, the Pakistan’s daily Dawn said it had become apparent that the electronic media will go to extreme lengths to spice things up and even religion was now fair game too.
On the whole, the media should act as a mediator of tolerance but it is pandering to the base instincts of the majority.
The most sadistic part is that it is using religion for earning attention and notoriety and, most importantly, the advertising revenue.
Tags: Ansar Burney, ARY, Dawn, electronic media, Hindu, Islam, Karachi, Maya Khan, media, Mufti Muhammad Aqmal, Pakistan, ramzan, Samaa TV, SunilShort URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=29803
Posted by Faisal Farooq
on Jul 28 2012. Filed under Opinion, Pakistan, Society.
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Journalism is said to be the watchdog of everything that goes astray in our daily lives; it reports events and developments honestly and objectively without playing into the hands of vested interests. This woman Maya Khan, a self-tyled journalist (she behaves more like a female pimp!) with access to broadcasting tools, has done journalism a disservice by joining hands with mullahs and religious fanatics. Pakistani journalism, which was never independent or free, and always considered to be perverted and seen as what we call “useful idiot” by the mullahs, military and politicians, has lost its credibility in the eyes of the world. Even various international journalists’ associations have condemned this action to highlight the “greatness” of Islam by making an unsuspecting and naive Hindu boy (who, many fear, was probably forced to make a public appearance about his conversion). It is a big cloud of shame that will hang over the freedom of press and speech (that is, if you have any in Pakistan) for a long time to come. You have desecrated the sanctity of the freedom of press. The best measure of freedom of press when you can criticize those evil people whom you are most afraid of. I don’t have to tell you who these are: look around you. Your country is full of them. No wonder, your country (which was artificially created) is sliding down the abyss.