Adil Najam
Given all the discussion about cricket and Islam (here), sooner or later we will come to beards and cricket and whether beards of a certain length or style are ‘religiously intimidating’ for some (related story here).
I thought I would pre-empt the discussion by sharing some images of a few ‘great beards’ of cricket. Readers are, of course, welcome to add to the list. You can also look into Joshua Bartlett’s blog to get more information about men’s grooming and the products often used for it.
For that it seems to me that the obvious choice is one of Pakistan’s most graceful batsmen ever (and that is saying something!) Saeed Anwar. He is also generally considered a mentor to many of the more religiously inclined players in the current Pakistan team.
His, however, is not the only set of religiously motivated set of facial hair to adorn cricketing fields. One of my all-time favorite cricketers and all-time favorite famous persons is former Indian Captain Bishen Singh Bedi. His fine-looking facial hair and head-dress – and of many others – were also clearly religiously-motivated and a constant expression of his faith.
By way of disclosure I should add that I occasionally sprout facial hair of my own but am mostly clean-shaven. But as a deep and committed adherent of people’s right of expression (how can a blogger not be that!) I stand committed to defend people’s right to facial hair, whether they are grown for stylistic elegance or religious expression.
@YLH: I would consider you and your statments credible if you make statments having some weights. Statments like
-Pakistani team muslim members force non-muslim members to become muslim.
– A captain takes a God’s name or practise a religion therefore non-muslims except Islam
SUch silly statments don’t make you credible on a forum like this where most of people are above 20.
no person can force any other person to accept islam/christianity/etc etc. Yousuf was never peressured as some loonies propagated and I believe on this more while I have “LISTENED” yousuf himself in audio/video tapes that how he accepted Islam. If islam was accepted by force then liberals like you and others here could have become “mullah/muslims” long time back or even in last two weeks but see you are still following your own religion. Kindly do think twice before propagating such silliness on public forums. You re not earning points rather loosing credibility in the eyes of outsiders[non-Pakistani visitors].
[quote post=”377″]I’d like to see Sarwan preaching Hinduism… (though the analogous situation would be Brian Lara preaching the gospel)…[/quote]
That’s called preaching if you are unable to comprehend. the way he was discussing dewali was actually telling the “positives” of dewali, a festivals. You should realize that tableegh is not dependant on temples,churches or masjids. If i ask some forum member to offer namaz then it’s also tableegh.
Anyway WINDIES dont possess pakistani liberal hence there would be no hypocrisy over there.
[quote post=”377″]South African Team was pretty religiously christian during the late 1990s… but they never forced Kallis for example to conform to their religiousity.[/quote]
Comeup with proof, dont make immature statments. Indian’s Harbajan singh even attended a tableeghi session but he didnt become muslim, same goes with Kineria. Yousuf was captain when he was not a muslim but people like would comeup that they gave captaincy as “bribe” to Yusuf sot ht he accept islam. I can expect any statment from you guys.
[quote post=”377″]Pakistan a tolerant and plural country[/quote]
you would have read my quote about hypocrisy. Please you dont look good to preach about tolerence. Pls! First bring tolerance in yourself then preach to others.
Bilal,
You raised a question in your comment:
[quote ]
“What do women think of men with beards? Any commentators on it from the female side?”
[/quote]
I called four friends who happen to be women of Pakistan origin and asked them the same question. Here are the responses along with a little bit about them:
1. A banker in New York in her 30s, not religious. She recalled an actor who she said looked good with beard in a movie. Other than that she said they don’t look good.
2. A physician in Pennsylvania in her late 30s, semi religious. She said “beard is not in”.
3. A housewife in New York in her 50s, religious. She said except the goatee or what is also called “French beard” all the rest look “unimpressive”.
4. A businesswoman in Michigan in her 30s and “paband-e-somo-salat”, originally from Lahore, said, “mujhay zehr lagtay hain.”
Make of it what you will.
Bilal, the three people in the pictures are the ones mentioned in the post: W.G. Grace, Saeed Anwar, and Bishen Singh Bedi. All three great cricketers.
Maybe its just me, but can some help me recognize everyone in the photos above?
Beards are fascinating, especially when not only viewed in the contrext of religion. What do women think of men with beards? Any commentators on it from the female side?
I remember a certain chowkidar in our mohalla who probbaly had a beard longer than the famed Sir Syed Ali beard. When he rode the bicycle, his beard would split and fly backwards, making it an interesting sight. However, he could, demonstrably, lift weights tied to his beard. According to him it waa the oil he put in the roots every night.
Not having anything better to do, it being a rainy Saturday in New York, I started thinking about beards:
In the context of Pakistan, one observes three or four types of beards:
1. Tribal beards: These are usually short, covering the cheeks and the neck and are always accompanied by mustache, sometime waxed and pointed and sometimes trimmed. All Bloch wear such beards just as they wear their distinctive looking white or black turban. Incidentally, the Gulf Arabs also wear more or less similar beards. Their mustache, however, is never waxed and pointed. (I have never seen an Arab twirling his mustache.)
2. Designer beards: are worn by some people for the effect just as they wear designer clothes. And, like all other designer things, these beards come in different shapes, forms and lengths. And like any other fashion they come and go. People associated with arts or artistic professions generally seem to wear what is called a “French beardâ€