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.
Since this thread is heating up i would like to say again…ALCOHOL people ALCOHOL!!!!
LOL!
No seriously you guys need to chill. stop sharpening your teeth on innocent people.(Moin may not be the one but others participating in this thread are innocent :)).
Also why blame Allah for your ignorance. Allah dedicated a full surah of His book to women. An-nisa–>women, Women–>An nisa….anyone!!! (actually two include sura mariam as well)
And before you start getting all jumpy i would make a sincere suggestion that attempt to read the whole surah in full context in the Quran.
i quote just one verse,
And isnt this all personal choice to sterotype others the way one feels. who is anyone to tell anyone else to think differently when it comes to stereotyping. I can choose to like Moin for his cricket and at the same time dislike him for his personal indecency. Why would anyone want to enforce his/her own view on me?
On the same pattern what if he is punished by law and serves his term and comes out of the jail would you still hate him for somethig for which he has been punished. or suddenly in some way start liking him again.
What is the purpose of punishment if not to absolve the perperator of his ‘sin’ and then make him good to go the rest of his life. Until the day he commits another act worth criticising.
When do we say justice has been served? when is it the end of misery for a criminal? Is it all good when he has been punished or is it all good when ‘we’ forgive him in our mind? or is it that ‘we’ never let go even tough we believe that justice has been done?
Salamalikum,
Baber, the point wasn’t if women should be presented as weak or not. The point was why is this done? Why didn’t it happen that men are usually portrayed as weak? Because people saw and learned from their experiences and that’s what they presented. And, it goes back to my basic point that Allah made a distinction between man and women, both physically and emotionally. On the flip side, why aren’t men presented as beauty and women are usually equated with beauty? The reason is that in this case Allah provided women with more beauty than men in general.[quote post=”529″]Just tell me one thing that man can do and women can’t.[/quote]
It’s not about what they can do or not do; it’s about how well one can do things. I mean, as just one more example, take any army in the world and you will see that, I would guess, over 90% or even close to 100% frontline soldiers are all men–even in the West. Why? It’s simple, generally men will be able to do a better job. That’s why I had said earlier that there are billions of such example. You can’t deny what Allah has put in human fitraat/nature. It’s what it’s![quote post=”529″]you sound like a good man.[/quote]
I appreciate your gesture but please don’t bestow any such words on me here because it’s neither the place nor I am waiting for someone’s approval here.
:-) :-) :-)
i thought daily show is most funny show but i am glad to find this blog site
Thank you Ibrahim, you sound like a good man.
Women being weak and portrayed weak are two different things. I can argue that women are not weak. I am opposed to the view of presenting women as weak, because thats like encouraging men to prey on them. Just tell me one thing that man can do and women can’t.
Well catwomen kicks ass.
Salamalikum,
[quote post=”529″]Please do not think that you know what Islam is, what it says, especially about a controversial topic such as this verse which has generated scholarship upon scholarship from people more learned than you. It is quite presumptuous of you to claim your view is the only correct view of Islam.[/quote]
Of course, Allah have mercy on me, I don’t believe I am superior than others or others ar lesser Muslims. It is sad that you think as such. Anyway, I might not know all the rules in Islam but everyone knows the basic principle and that’s complete submission to Quran and Sunnah. And, the reason I’m saying it’s not my view is that in my first comment I quoted the verse and a couple of ahadeeth, and that doesn’t make it “my view”. The evidence is clear. You’re saying scholarship upon scholarship has been produced on this issue. Then, give me a differing traditional view. Today’s modernist interpretation of Quran is not scholarship. Again, it’s not my view–pick up any traditional scholarly work, a tafseer of Quran or otherwise and you’ll see this.
[quote post=”529″]Well then under what circumstances is she weak and when can we (Men) beat her. I know you mean we man have the permission to do that. I am not biased or sarcastic, I’m just trying to get what you mean. when you say she is week , please enlighten me. I will appreciate it. [/quote]
Aren’t women generally weaker than men physically? East or West, what’s more common: that people think men are more emotional or women? It’s women. I mean I’m sure in Hollywood movies as well men are the big, strong, shinning heroes saving their women in distress. So, how did that concept develop? Only because it is generally seen that women are physically and emotionally weak and nazuk. Now, you get it when I say weak, what I mean? Read the verse and pick up some tafseer to understand the permission.
I can’t say more on this. I said all I could. If I’m wrong, then Allah have mercy on me and forgive me and give hidayat to me, and same for others. But, don’t forget the underlying point though: as a Muslim we should completely follow Quran and Sunnah without picking and choosing, which obviously includes believing in what is written in Quran. But, what most of us do? We take what we like and make excuses for things we don’t such as using illogical logic, unwarranted interpretations, using the concept of “it’s your view”, etc. Allah knows best.