Electronic Purdah

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When I was a young boy, I remember there was the mother of a friend of mine who did not go to the market. I asked my mother about this, and she explained that uncle did not allow her to go because he did not want her exposed to things that went on there. I asked my father why he allowed my mother to go to the market and he smiled and said, “Your mother is a strong and intelligent woman. Why would I tell her what she can do?” I mentioned that there are some goods and conversations in the market that are not proper and he nodded his head and replied, “Your mother has a strong faith in Allah. She can walk through a pit of snakes and will not be shaken.”

My mother went to the market. My mother went wherever she wanted. Nobody dared to question her, either. At least not openly. I can’t imagine anyone telling her where she could and could not go without receiving a rebuke like you would not believe. I saw the women wearing burqas and felt sad for them. Not because they were hidden, but because I thought that it must be because they were not strong enough to face the world with only their faith in Allah. That they needed some extra security from that piece of black cloth.

Today, though, the judiciary and the PTA seems to think that all Pakistanis are too weak to go to the new electronic market without wearing an electronic burqa. First it was Facebook and today it is YouTube. Tomorrow it will be Twitter, then Google. Soon perhaps they will order that the whole nation be covered in a giant piece of black cloth.

Could these justices really have only now learned that there is some offensive materials on the Internet? What will happen if they find out about the stall at the village market with the certain DVDs and VCDs behind the counter? What if they take a look behind the curtains covering tea stalls during Ramadan? What if their drivers get lost and they end up in some slums at night? Surely their weak faith will be harmed when they see what goes on not on the Internet but in their own city!

The Internet is like a giant market. Facebook has popular groups for anti-Islamic things, but also there is a group for ‘I Love Islam’ that has over 900,000 members! YouTube surely has some offensive material, but has many beautiful videos about Prophet Muhammad and Islam also. Now we have banned these pro-Islam also? Users of YouTube can report offensive material and anything that is deemed offensive is available only to registered users over age 18 years. So why do we need these judges who are also self-appointed mullahs to tell us where we can’t go?

If JI and these judge-mullahs have such a weak faith that they cannot go to Facebook without being influenced against Islam, perhaps they should not go to Facebook. Actually, perhaps they should just stay indoors at all times and not bother those of us who are able to go to the market without being tempted to buy obscene materials or engage in improper gossips. I don’t need someone else to tell me what is right and what is wrong. My faith is strong enough that I am not tempted to go to some stupid ‘draw Muhammad’ page on the Internet. I feel sorry for these others who are so tempted.

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Author: Mahmood Adeel

14 COMMENTS

  1. It is not matter of having a weak faith or no faith in Allah to protect us .It is to subjugate to the will of Allah.
    And it is not a matter of not visiting a’ stupid page” It is a matter of making a protest.

  2. A sage stated; Stupidity is to look for something
    in a place where untutored imagination expects to
    find it.It is, in fact,everywhere that you can extract it.Allah’s Prophets are not harmed by the
    insults thrown by non-muslim media,but more by our
    own negative reaction,giving more vent to those who had initiated the distress.Do we have the Will
    or moral courage to cut off all relations with the
    West, from where Facebook and Utube operate or the
    media that pokes and provokes anger in our psyche.
    No! Me think we protest in a wrong manner and give
    further encouragement to the other players.

  3. Remember, Islam never allows Muslims to offer other cheek, if slapped on one. Under the circumstances, it must be an eye for an eye. Have every body forgotten the reaction of the Jews and the west on the recent statements of Iranian leadership on holocaust. “What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.”

  4. Brother ! Not JI and neither judge-mullahs are living in isolation, basically u r living in utopia.

    Since last one weak Muslims, protesting in peaceful way by using “Report” Option on FB, but FB administration criminally ignored & violet their own terms & conditions & policies. Its deliberate effort, so its our responsibility to raise voice & reflects our sentiments in peaceful manner, which we done by convincing other Muslims for boycott , which is very much welcome across the board. This is not at all the issue of one URL, whole FB administration is culprit.

    Lahore High Court verdict is landmark achievement in this struggle, I fully support this decision. It should be ban in Pakistan for certain time, this action will convey the message to all devilish mindsets that Muslims can’t tolerate any insult of any Prophet including Hazrat Mohammad (PBUH).

    Sorry Sir “. Blasphemy can’t be a civil liberty.& Blasphemy can’t be consider as exchange of idea

    I have around 700 close contacts at FB & after shutting down of FB, I am missing nothing in my life. These all are illusions, hallucinations & delusions of our narrow approach.

    Since, yesterday I didn’t met a single person who has any objection on court verdict. These issues raised in Pakistaniat by Adil Najam (who has liberal mindset, Awab Alvi Miss Saba Imtiaz of Express Tribune & some like these folks of so called Liberal Clan.

    Ishq needs sacrifices, don’t use Logic here, Ishq is above than any logic. & Isq-e-Mohammad (PBUH) is above them all

  5. Ban FB forever, and you will see it will fall like other American companies (AIG etc..). They rely so much on Muslim world we cant even Imagine, I guess almost half the revenue they generate is from Muslim world, FB earns when they show ads (even an impression of an ad can make money for them).

    Stop them , its not a big deal to loose your friends on FB for the love of your Prophet (PBUH).
    Better bring them to some other community place asap.

    Its more of a Tactical response than a “Burqah” let them feel how much they rely on us, and you will see a change in thier attitude. Thats why we want to block them, its the peak of FB’s popularity Myspace has gone down and if they loose that (Muslim) traffic I assure you they are going down, let them learn this lesson. Think intelligently 😉

  6. ELECTRONIC PURDAH, no human argument has logic, if it is directly encountering the will or way of Allah, brought to us through “QURAN”. Only Faithfull will be blessed.

  7. Allama Iqbal had this wisdom for the mullahs and
    those who followed them blindly;
    Khuda tuje kisi toofan se ashna ker deh,
    keh teri moh joh meh ista rab nahi.
    Tu kitab kho wan he, mag r sahib e kitab nahi.
    Centuries before Jalaludin Rumi tried to tell his pupils that the aim of a book may be to instruct,
    yet you can use it as a pillow; Although its object is to give knowledge,direction,profit.Rumi
    was not discussing Plato’s Dialogues.But the Koran
    itself a book which imparts knowledge of Universe.
    Direction to paths that we should adopt and avoid
    and the benefit we can gain if we do not misuse it
    for our vested interest.In the recent pardoning of
    an NRO convict? We found there is honor among the thieves.I wonder if such unity exists among our so
    called religious leaders!

  8. please don’t compare pardah with the ban on FB. u ppl are touching a very sensetive topic. Pardah is the order from Allah & Fb is the production of western world. so no comparison.if a women cover herself in a black or of any color’s cloth, it doesn’t mean that she don’t have strong belief, it actually means she have a full trust on Allah. She only follows the Allah’s order.Kindly read Surah Marrium, Surah Nisa, & Surah Ahzab. Then you will came to know that a women who cover herself is not actually following her husband’s order bt She is following Allah’s order.
    As for as ban on Fb is concern, its a gud decision.We should make the western media
    realize that Muslims never tolerate such activities.If someone don’t understand by words then you should use actions.

  9. HI
    oho oho why u people is just wasting your time, simple thing is ! that Facebook and like this other sites must be blocked forever in Pakistan,Simple answer

  10. Dear mr.

    I warned you not to say any word againt Islam , And any other topic related to Islam.

    I f you have read the HOLLY QURAN YUO MAY SEE THERE TAHT ALLAH HAS ORDERD THE MUSLIM WOMEN TO WERA VAIL ON THERE FAEC , SO THAT PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT TAHT IS A MUSLIM WOMEN , SO THEY NOT HURT THEM,

    yoU ARE APEAKING AGAIST ISLAM AND ALMIGHTY ALLAH , YOU ARE NOT MAKING PAKISTAN , A NEW PAKISTAN, YOU ARE MAIKNG PAKISTAN , A PALCE FOR MUSLIM BUT NOT FOR MUSLIM WHO HAS STRONG FAITH ON ALMIGHTY ALLAH, SO THINK BEFORE YOU LEAP.

  11. I think Facebook should be blocked forever. Those who love facebook, and ignore their crime against Prophet Mohammed PBUH, should fear Allah. What they will answer on the day of judgement.

  12. Boycotting Facebook and Islam.

    It is undoubtedly a shameful and most condemnable effort by a few western extremists to draw sketches of our most beloved and respected prophet (PBUH). While, we must protest and utter our voices to show our resentment and grief. We must not get carried away and loose sight of the objective by trying to respond in a similar fashion i.e. through hatred. That will bring us down to their level and that’s what they wish us to do. This must be done in accordance with the teachings of our prophet (PBUH), in whose name this all is being done.

    Let us try to examine this whole scenario in the light of our prophet’s methodology (Uswa-e-hasna), teachings and preaching. He was stoned, abused, garbage was thrown upon him but did he ever boycott any of those non-believers ? which would have been so easy for him and could save him from all the hassle and pain !!. No, he never boycotted them, nor did he ask his followers to boycott the non-believers. Instead, he asked them to approach with more love and patience.

    Even when he was being stoned in the valley of Taaif, angles came to him with God’s message, seeking his permission to destroy all those people who stoned and abused him.
    But our prophet (PBUH) prayed to seek mercy for them, saying that those people did not know of what they were doing. They were unaware of their grave crimes and sins.

    That is the way of our prophet to pray and to seek mercy for those who do not know, who are ignorant. Instead of simply hating them or to issue Fatwa’s to behead them, it is our duty as muslims and as followers of the greatest of all the prophets to approach them with love and patience to conquer their hearts and make them understand the message of love and peace brought by our prophet (PBUH) for the entire humanity.

    I am rather shocked to read the suggestions about banning and boycotting all such sites with a view to FORCE and black mail them through financial losses, to stop such activities. If we are to achieve a noble objective, how can we adopt such negative tactics !! Won’t it be a lot better that we convince them, instead of black mailing or forcing them ? Conquer their hearts and souls instead of wasting our energies to plug their mouths only.
    Are there no muslim scholars left ? who can logically answer and make them all understand the message of Islam and our beloved prophet ?? Explain and prove to them that by their efforts to disrespect the prophet (PBUH), they are actually and only destroying themselves, and inviting God’s vengeance. Our prophet (PBUH) simply can never be disrespected, for he is above and beyond every one and every thing. It is not the people but God himself is his savior. These people are not fighting Muhammad (PBUH) but they are fighting God and no one can ever succeed against God.

    God will Inshallah destroy all those who try to disrespect his beloved. While we leave that to God, for only he has the right to judge and to punish. We are supposed to do all that we can in accordance with the message of God, sent to us through our beloved prophet (PBUH). We should look upon them as most unfortunate people, who have no idea of what they are doing to themselves. They know nothing about our beloved prophet and his teachings and only get carried away by hatred as a result of their ignorance. Let us all do some thing constructive, instead of fighting with each other over this issue, fight the ignorance with knowledge, love and patience.

    Boycotting and use of force is not permitted in Islam.

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