Adil Najam
Back in July, ATP had posted a picture of former world squash champion Jansher Khan being hauled away in a police van on charges of trespass and violent attack on a woman. Now, Moin Khan, former cricket captain and wicketkeeper, has joined Jansher in the Hall of Disgrace for beating his wife.
Shame on you, both of you. You may once have been stars. You are stars no more. And, Moin, even if you have been freed on bail, that does not absolve you in our eyes for maltreating your wife. No Sir. This is not a private matter between man and wife. This is a matter of national disgrace. But my anger at this incident is making me run ahead of the story.
So, first the news as reported in the Daily Times (17 January, 2006):
KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Moin Khan was arrested by the Darakhshan police late Monday night after his wife Tasleem alias Shama Seher made a phone call to Madadgar 15, complaining that he had beaten her.
According to Town Police Officer (TPO) ASP Azad Khan, the police received a phone call from Seher after midnight. A police team visiting the house found Seher standing outside and Moin Khan screaming at her from within. After a struggle, Moin Khan was taken in preventive detention under Section 151 of the CrPC, the TPO said. The couple was taken to the Darakhshan police station from where Moin was taken to JPMC for a medical examination. Seher was also taken to JPMC for a medical examination later on.
“If injuries are reported by the doctors examining her or a blood test confirms that he was intoxicated, the law will take its course,” said the TPO. Darakhshan SHO Inspector Zia Rizvi told Daily Times that this was a domestic matter, “but we brought it on to the court record”. Moin was produced in a local court and was granted bail. Seher told Daily Times that Moin had been disturbed for three days. “This isn’t something new, its been like this for a while,” she added. “He accused me of being involved with his friends. I asked why he was beating me and he told me that he hated the look of my face. He said, “Tum apnay gireban me jhanko, apni shakal dekho, apna character dekho” … There’s no special reason. Things were normal but I don’t know what had happened as recently he started to get harsh after drinking. I think that Moin still thinks of himself as a young star, Seher, a showbiz person herself, said. “Cricketers have the same life … (Another Karachi cricketers) wife recently separated and got custody of the children. Complaints remain as (many) cricketers treat their wives like this. Woh apnay beewiyon ke sath is tarha ka rawaiya rakhtay hain … Is tarha kay rawaiye mein kon sath reh sakta he? The problem with (some) cricketers is that they are getting better options outside the house. Unhain ghar ki murghi daal barabar lagti he.”
Both Moin Khan and the police seem to say that this is a ‘personal’ or ‘domestic’ matter. No, it really is not. It is a social matter. A national matter.
This case catches our attention because the man is a former cricket star and the wife a former TV personality. But the story here is repeated every day and goes unnoticed and unreported. His intoxication obviously made matters worse, but the malady here is deeper than alcoholism. It is the way women are treated. The Jansher case was one example, but there have been many others that we have raised here on ATP. Wife-beating is a serious social sin and the sinners here are not only those who do so, it is also those who condone it in the name of tradition or because it is a ‘personal matter’, and it is also those of see it happening and choose to remain quiet.
Ibrahim, I don’t know if I should laugh or cry at your comments. I guess first I should stop being so “audaciousâ€
“Yet, you believe in an Islam that believes women are inherently weaker, stupider, not fit for leadership. This contradiction dumbfounds me, though I suspect its very very common among Musim men.”
Men who happen to be Muslim rather than Muslim men is a better way of putting it. Collective guilt is a bad thing…please dont include us all in that group.
Rightaous Ibhrahim I am shocked at your comparisions, there are so many women who you left out, may be just your ignorance. Margaret Thatcher(leader), Indra K. Nooyi(ceo), Condi(politician)just to name a few there are many painters,poets, socialist and ofcourse writers.
Behind and before every successfull man there is a women, and if the women is week then there is no sucessfull man i guess.
Women are not week and when you are defending GODS logic then why not ask you since we don’t know that we are ever gonna meet GOD (suppose i am atheist) then?
Why no rabbi,pope…we are not comparing islam with other religions or US. The point is why your think women weeker then men? Why is the mantle of leadership given to men? And ofcourse Benazir(Pinky) was not less competent then Nawaz(sher).
Woman represents different qualities of a being-
she is beautiful,is vulnerable,is emotional,is sensitive, is bold, is selfless, is tender and loving,is wild, is witty and is everything.
Men???
Oh boy! I sound like a libber. ;)
[quote post=”529″]Akif,it is because your learning process was stopped after eight, this is why you didn’t learn many things in life. Were you homeschooled after eight or what?[/quote]
Adnan, you hurt my feelings ! You are mean !
Anyway, on second thought, perhaps Moin was following the very path prescribed in the verses that have bee quoted by others. He suspected his wife of cheating, he obviously admonished her verbally before, they were not getting along so it’s possible they were not sharing beds; well then, what’s really left for a God-fearing man to do who has exhausted all other means of bringing his wife back to obedience…..but to beat her back to her senses. That was the natural next step using the process of elimination.
Also, for people who think that the system worked in this situation, my opinion is this had everything to do with the fact that the couple lived in “Defence Housing Authority.”
If Moin lived in another area, albiet as well off as DHA, the police would not respond that swiftly.
Ibrahim, as a married Muslim woman, I am speechless at your comments. You say you respect the women in your life, and I have no reason to believe otherwise since I do not know you. Yet, you believe in an Islam that believes women are inherently weaker, stupider, not fit for leadership. This contradiction dumbfounds me, though I suspect its very very common among Musim men.
Did you know that the word “daraba” in that verse is also interpreted to mean “separate” rather than “beat”? Allah’s word is perfect, but man’s interpretation is not.