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.
Why does it not surprise me that there are people on this forum who actually think it is ok for a man to beat a woman…
“While I totally agree that a man shouldn’t beat or abuse his wife unless she has gone against the rules of shariah (and that too after warnings).”
What a sad state of affairs. Sad but not shocking, since most Pakistani women suffer some sort of domestic abuse. Any kind of abuse is wrong and i dont buy into this crap about men having the right to beat women because its sanctioned by Islam.
Its very convinient for men to use this argument. “Well Islam says we can beat our wives if they dont listen…” I mean come on, its 2007, you cannot beat your wife, you cannot beat anyone if you so choose. Take the matter to a family court, speak to the woman, do not lift your hand to strike her, you have no right.
I have no respect for men like Moin Khan, they are weak characters who think it manly to raise their hands on their wives. It may be a private matter but the minute his wife picked up the phone and called 15, and the minute the case was brought to a judge, it became a matter of public discourse.
there are two issues here.
first is the overall treatment of women who in traditional societies like pak are seen as weak. in such societies, the weak always get abused be it husband abusing his wife or rich begum abusing poor naukarani or wadera abusing haris or lafangas abusing and harrasing women in public places like bazars or public transport. the only way to deal with this problem is through danda. individual behaviour cannot be changed without deterrence. the good thing that will come out from moin khan incidence is that victims of domestic abuse should become a bit more aware that they have recourse – that they can pick up the phone and call for help when the situation gets to much to bear. i am also pleased to see that karachi police was able to respond promptly to the complaints of moin khan’s wife. one day inshallah every citizen of pakistan will have the same recourse regardless of his or her status in society.
the other interesting aspect about the incidence is that moin khan is being declared guilty without a fair trial. here cue is being taken from gora press which is in the business of insinuating muslims are savages. in reporting on such incidences muslim man is always presumed to be guilty and insinuations are then made about behaviour of group based upon the actions of few individuals. abetting goras in this game are the local human right groups and ngo’s. people who run these groups know that their agenda has few takers in pak and therefore the must rely on goras for subsistence. i wont be surprised to see this story being given a lot of play in gora newspapers.
Thanks for clarifying this. For those who think this is jumping the gun and trial by media. Moin is actually acccepting he is a wife-beater. He is just saying its his private business. But the real thing is that so many people seem to agree that it is. That there are som conditions in which it is OK to beat your wife. THAT IS THE REAL PROBLEM.
Ahsan, very funny !
To all the Moin defenders, here’s his official statement upon posting bail,
“I just want everyone to allow us the privacy to deal with the situation. My actions were emotional and should not have happened,” he said.
A few days ago I stumbbled upon some videos on youtube regarding wife beating in Islam. Just search on “wife beating” and you will come across videos of some interesting debates on Arab channels (with english subtitles) about when and exactly how to beat your wife.