Adil Najam
An Islamabad-based reader alerted me to the news about Shagufta’s tragic death at the hands of her father and brothers; but really at the hands of societal ignorance and superstition. This is a story of ‘jahalat’ in its truest, deepest, most shameful, and most repulsive form.
Why was Shugafta axed to death – and later burnt – by her family? (Her father, three brothers, and her younger sister were all differently involved.) because they all believed that she was possessed by demons!
And why would they think so? The story has layer over layer of complications and meaning about what is wrong, not just here but in too many places: supposed ‘spiritual mentors’ (pirs) instigating hatred, regressive beliefs and customs, the pressures of a postponed marriage, possibly incest, and more.
There is so much that is sad here, so much that should be analyzed, so much that needs to be put right. But, for now, let me leave that to you and just reproduce the news item from Dawn (December 10, 2006):
Shagufta, alias Surrayya, the ill-fated girl killed by her father and brothers in a Harappa village on Wednesday was normal. This was learnt during a visit to the village on Saturday.
Surrayya, 22, was axed to death by her father Jamal Arain, brothers Ashraf and Sharif after being instigated by her younger sister Razia in their house at 1-10L village on Wednesday. Jamal, a vendor, has now three sons – Ashraf, Sharif and Aslam – and a daughter, Razia. All family members, including the arrested Jamal and his two sons, seemed to be insane. They repeatedly claimed that Surrayya was possessed by demons that wanted to kill all the family members.
They said Razia had found a ring outside a seminary where she learnt the Quran. They said she took the ring as of gold and placed it on fire to test the metal. They said there was a burst and demons started coming to their house. They said demons possessed Surrayya, who was leading a normal life just a week ago and was considered to be the most responsible member of the family by the villagers.
Jamal told Dawn that the demons inside Surrayya tried to kill him and his family members. He said he had no choice but to kill her. Her brother Sharif claimed that his spiritual mentor Sain Khoi Wala addressed him through Razia and told him that there were demons inside Surrayya and advised him to kill them. “I and other family members helped the father in killing the demons and not Surrayya. We did it to save our family,” he said.
When asked, the villagers said that Jamal and his family members were a little unsocial but they never observed any abnormality in them in the past. They said Surrayya was a sensible girl and she used to do household chores like any other normal girl. They, however, said Jamal and his family members were superstitious to the core and they believed in black magic as well.
A few days ago, they said, they observed some abnormal practices in Jamal’s house. Qari Zahid, who teaches the Quran to Razia, told Dawn that Sharif asked him two days before the murder of Surrayya to recite the Quran in his house along with two dozen people. He said he did so. He said Sharif told him later that his sister Razia informed him that Allah had selected him (Sharif) as (Haji) and now all people should call him as Haji Sharif. Razia had also informed Sharif that Surrayya was possessed by demons, Zahid said.
On Wednesday night, he said Jamal’s neighbours took him to his (Jamal’s) house and he heard noise inside. “We found the door of the house locked from inside. Some people climbed the wall of the house and saw Sharif and Ashraf manhandling their sister.”
“We saved her and called out police. Harrappa police officials snubbed male members and warned them. Locals and policemen left at around 1:30am.” On Thursday morning, Zahid said the locals saw smoke billowing from the house and Jamal sitting outside. They called out police who found the charred body of Surrayya inside the house. Qari Zahid said the conduct of Razia after the incident was strange. He said she was his student and had never acted the way she was behaving.
The reporters also saw her holding bricks into her hands. She reportedly killed two goats with the bricks on Saturday. Jamal’s wife Naseem Akhtar, alias Laddu, said Surrayya’s Nikkah had taken place six months ago. She said the family wanted to hold a joint wedding ceremony of Surrayya and Sharif, who was engaged. His in-laws reportedly broke the engagement. It was learnt that the delay in her marriage upset Surrayya and she burnt her dowry in protest. Her father and brothers got mad at her and cursed her.
Sharif said their (the family’s) spiritual mentor Sain Khoi Wala, who lives in Chichawatni, told them that Surrayya had been unlucky for them and they started hating her for this reason. Meanwhile, Jamal, Sharif and Arshad were sent to the Sahiwal Central Jail on a 14-day judicial remand.
The paintaing at the top of the post is a famous oil canvas by Sadequain.
@zamanov
I dint deny in any manner that these are not practised, but YES, they need to be suppressed, which seemingly you do not agree to.
I also did not deny the existence of the constitution, in-fact I feel that we only accept the constitution if it suits us, otherwise reject it. This is a problem of the educated people of Pakistan.
But I don’t know which constitution you are talking about, maybe the American. As in ours, nothing can be implemented contrary to the Quran and Sunnah (if laws are not respected/enforced, that’s another matter, but a detailed law structure is there)! This being another matter, but if even the Act of India 1935 is implemented fairly in its purity, the society would be a paradise, but this “educated eliteâ€
I am surprised that educated peoples have believe in kala jado tawez and other type of act by pious.I am surprised that if anyone found thieft in his house he never blame to jinn,Jin created with Fire how it is possible that jinn controlled over man or women and ride on him.can a man and a woman can bear jinn weight.There are many famous personality fomoused with the myth of controll over supernatuaral power had died and no one can save them .Allah knows about that a tinny drop of water can break fast how He does not know that His beloved creator in trouble who has powered to disturb his earth.Most powerful jinn and power is satan and we all know that Satan cant do any thing but whisper in your ear and you act as per his desire leave all ways of satan he scared you with his follow and you scared and do all which not ordered by Allah but the desire of Satan ,Kala Jado,dum tawez all the shape of these,there is no proff of any success of jado and remedies of jadu in whole life of Holy Prophet And His Campanion.
Being a muslim we should believe only on Allah and beilieve that never can happened without His permission.This is for our belief that no one can do any thing either he is pir Amil or any one.There is no power in kala jadu tawez and any dum.Second for honour of women if any one found to disgrace her should be prisioned,killed and any maximum action can be taken against him at every cost however he/they are week or powerful personality,No compromise and No favour to him.
Islam believes in Jadoo, Evil Eye and Jinns. There are specific instructions by the Holy Prophet on how to get rid of the affects of Evil Eye and Jadoo. For Godssake, he himself was afflicted by it and it took for someone else to perform certain religious rites to cure him of it. Given all that, how can people say that Jadoo is not part of our customs, religion etc. It makes no difference what type of remedies are used to cure Jadoo, whether it’s a few prayers or slicing off the head of a black chicken. It’s the mindset that really matters, not the method.
@Shah
I hate to break the bad news to you but practices such as jadoo tona, taweez, palmistry are practiced widely in the holy land of Pakistan no matter what you or I may feel about it! It is naive to say that all of this should be banned because in essence it will be a violation of the constitution (yes we do have one) to deny someone their right to practice their custom/practice/habit (whatever you want to call it).
If magically (pun intended) jadoo or palmistry or any other superstitious practice was banned in Pakistan, please do advise us how you would enforce it in every household in the country? Would the police go about knocking on everyone’s door to put an X on the kala jadoo households or jail people innocently reading palms to have some fun?
As I said before, you may not like something I practice, but constitutionally and morally you cannot deny me the practice of my ‘custom’ unless there is proof of harm to another human being!