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.
Dear Akif whenever I read your comments I am reminded a quote and I try my best to follow it.
Never argue with a fool, he will lower you to his level and then beat you with experience.
BTW, people who like Wasim Akram (I do) need not be worried about him doing something like this….if you’ve seen his wife, you’ll know what I mean.
“Wife-beating is a serious social sin”
It’s also a religious sin. I find it so pathetic that Pakistanis constantly have useless, b.s. discussions with each other about religion without even consulting the Quran. Maybe some of you should read it for yourself instead of believing the word on the street. Now, it’s not really that big of a wonder how the Hudood stayed in place for such a long time.
[quote comment=”28970″]
“I mean come on, its 2007, you cannot beat your wife, you cannot beat anyone if you so choose. ”
[/quote]
Sharmeen, that’s an extremely weak argument; wife-beating was wrong since the beginning of mankind and will remain so till the end…please consult your religion.
[quote post=”529″]One of you thinks wife-beating is on par with having an affair[/quote]
Dr, do you have any proof that I am defending Moin Khan or its just are feeling bored or lonely and willing to change the thread to something else?let me know and I will deal you accordingly.
Do people even read the story before commenting!
[quote comment=”28968″] cue is being taken from gora press which is in the business of insinuating muslims are savages.[/quote]
What GORA PRESS are you talking about? Jang? Nawai Waqt, Dawn, News? The outside press has not even reported on it … yet. I hope they do. What is wrong is wrong. Beating your wife is savagery, Muslim or not.
[quote comment=”28968″]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. [/quote]
The man (Moin Khan) has HIMSELF accepted that he beat her up. He IS guilty. The only Muslims who look bad (rightly) by insinuation are those who keep quiet or, as some are, defend him for beating his wife. This bit about the gora press is just our own insecurities.
[quote comment=”28968″]i am also pleased to see that karachi police was able to respond promptly to the complaints of moin khan’s wife.[/quote]
No, they have not. They took him only into protective custody for the much smaller crime of drinking. And then they set him free. The real test will be if exemplary punishment is given for the crime of violence against women and an example is set so that all others who do so are put on notice and abused wives all over know that they have recourse.
Wife-beating happens in many societies including in gora ones. What is wrong is getting defensive about it as if our ghairat is threatened. That only makes the wife-beaters stronger.