Pakistani actress Veena Malik fights Mullah’s accusations

It is a clash of cultures: the modern world versus the traditional world. Considering the amount of press being given to the blasphemy laws, it would seem there is a huge issue within Pakistan as to how to rectify the growing gulf between these two views. Can a traditional lifestyle with its beliefs and customs be maintained when faced with the ever-growing prevalence of modern, western influences? One could ask the question whether that traditional lifestyle should be maintained at all. Should it be changed? Should it be modernized? Certainly the liberal elements of the Pakistani community feel that those changes should be implemented and those changes should include an overhaul of the blasphemy laws as representative of a traditional view of the world which is no longer in touch with reality.

Pakistani actress Veena Malik participated on the “Big Boss” show, an Indian version of the American show Big Brother. A televised interview n January 21, 2011, between the actress and Pakistani religious scholar Mufti Abdul Qavi became rather heated as Qavi accused Malik of immoral behaviour.

MEMRITVVideos – Mar 7, 2011

Pakistani Actress Defies Mullah Accusing Her of Immoral Behavior on an Indian Reality TV Show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMnAmRa4NYw

From Malik’s own web site

Following are excerpts from an interview with Pakistani actress Veena Malik, who participated on the “Big Boss” show – the Indian version of the “Big Brother” show. The interview aired on Express News TV on January 21, 2011.

Interviewer: “There is an allegation against you, made by a segment of Pakistani society, that you brought dishonor upon Pakistani culture by going to India. Your dresses and your actions, as well as your interactions with people there, did not represent the ideological foundations of Pakistan, its culture, or its people.” […]

Veena Malik: “Look, these allegations are baseless, because according to the format of the ‘Big Boss’ show, celebrities – not only from Pakistan, but from all over the world, including Hollywood – participate in this show. It is not a cultural variety show, which promotes a certain culture, or a religious show, where one is allowed to promote one’s religion. […]

Pakistani religious scholar Mufti Abdul Qavi: “If she does not have pangs of conscience because of what she did, then I would tell her to awaken her conscience. No one in Pakistan can look at her pictures in the presence of their daughters. I don’t think that her son will like to look at his mother’s picture in the future, in her presence or in the presence of his father or brother.” […]

Veena Malik: “If you want to do something for the glory of Islam, you have plenty of opportunities. What are the politicians doing? Bribery, robbery, theft, and killing in the name of Islam. There are many things to talk about. Why Veena Malik? […]

“There are many other things for you to deal with. There are Islamic clerics who rape the children they teach in their mosques, and so much more. […]

“Mufti Sahab, there are many things in your community that need to be rectified, so please correct them. Veena Malik and the entertainment industry are much further down on the list.”

Mufti Abdul Qavi: “Respected Veena Malik Sahiba, I told you earlier that you are my sister, and there is no need to get so emotional. Every person plays a role.”

Veena Malik: “If there are immoral people in the show business, there may also be immoral people among the clerics… Mufti Sahab, I remember when you once called a woman ‘shameless.’ If you are indeed spreading the Islam of the Prophet, peace be upon him, then you should know that the Prophet would stand up out of respect whenever a woman walked in. He never called them ‘shameless.’

“You should begin by reforming your own home, and only then ask me to do the same. I am a Muslim, and I have done many good deeds. You have to listen to me to learn about them. […]

“I gave love to everyone, just to show that these people do not represent Pakistanis… Those people whose passports turn out to be Pakistani, when a terror attack takes place… There are also Pakistanis like us, who enjoy entertainment, fun, and love.” […]

Final Word

Whew! Is this a hot debate or what? Obviously emotions run fairly deep on both sides of the divide. Who’s right? Who’s wrong? In the long run, which view of the world is going to prevail?

References

Wikipedia: Veena Malik

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veena_Malik

Veena Malik (born February 26 1980 as Zahida Malik) is a Pakistani actress, model and comedienne.

official web site: Veena Malik

Google Search: “Veena Malik”

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=%22veena+malik%22&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=

Google News Search: “Veena Malik” mullah

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&safe=off&tbs=nws%3A1&q=%22veena+malik%22+mullah&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=

Wikipedia: Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East_Media_Research_Institute

The Middle East Media Research Institute, or MEMRI for short, is a Middle Eastern press monitoring organization. Its headquarters is located in Washington, DC, with branch offices in Jerusalem, Berlin, London, Rome, Shanghai, Baghdad, and Tokyo. MEMRI was co-founded in 1998 by Yigal Carmon, a former colonel in the Israeli military intelligence, former acting head and adviser on Arab affairs to the Israeli government, former head of the Israeli Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria Area (West Bank), former Counterterrorism adviser to prime ministers Yitzhak Shamir and Yitzhak Rabin, former delegate to the Israeli peace negotiations with Syria in Madrid and Washington and another Israeli Meyrav Wurmser. It provides a free source of English language translations of material published in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Pashto, and Turkish and publishes its analyses and in-depth reports on its website – although it also offers specialized content for a fee.

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