Eid al-Fitr, a religio-cultural Holiday

Eid al-Fitr, a religio-cultural holiday celebrated all around the world in the Muslim community and in Pakistan; it marks an end to the month of Ramzan. But the issues I am going to cover are far from enjoying a holiday rather something different.

First thing when I go out on the EID day is children playing in the streets. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Yeah, but there’s something a bit twisted about it. Every child is playing with a gun, from toy versions of AK-47 to handgun models, loaded with toy shells. This is what I would refer to as the gun culture. This gun culture is bound to mold the psychological make-up of a child from youth to adult.

I have always wondered why these kids wouldn’t go for playing with something else. There are cars, planes, etc.  Conclusion is, it’s a social construct, generation to generation it has succeeded, without any intervention it will remain and will continue to flourish. So much potential wasted within the youth of our country in such activities. It is the parent’s job to convince their child that the gun is not an appropriate toy, and they should play with something more constructive more positive… but parents either don’t have time to help their children grow positive or just don’t see anything wrong with it. Peer pressures from friends bring them into the gun culture, and when everyone is using… it becomes a norm accepted in society. Consequences for such actions can be seen in the distant future, with children being brainwashed into using real weapons for evil motives and having violence on the increase in Pakistan.

Another issue is what is popularly referred to be the “Eidi”. People give each other huge loads of money from hundreds to thousands of rupees. The youth is excited to get the money and hoard it, but as you know one grows up, they should start to understand that money going from one rich person to another is not changing anything for the poor and the homeless who are far from enjoying the holidays barely clutch to survive. This money that is exchanged should be given one way to the needy and the homeless to enjoy this day a bit more than they thought they could. That smile on their faces is priceless to say the least. For past Eids I have done my part of providing these people with Eidi whom I come across during the day after all we are all human and are equally deserving of happiness, comfort and love.

Eid has an amazing feeling of oneness, happiness, love and affection between people. It provides tolerance and understanding. Let’s just hope people learn to share the happiness with the needy and homeless with lesser resources then us and make this day comfortable and memorable for them. And let’s hope faulty reinforcements are worked and voiced against, removing the gun culture, and advocating peace instead of violence, I have stepped towards a better loving Pakistan, and so should every other citizen.

Warm wishes of EID to everyone alike!

Media Harassment for Ratings Concerning Prostitution

TV Media thrives on scandals, conspiracy stories, shaming, and etc. Most TV Media channels will do anything to gain ratings, and by anything, it means anything! There are certain shows that air onto TV by the Pakistani media I absolutely loath and hate. The ones that are the target of this piece are the shows where the media starts taking the role of the police and perform illegal attacks on prostitution dens to boost ratings.

Prostitution is a business; it’s also a lifestyle choice for many. But not everyone in the act is doing it for the same reasons, some are forced, some are not. The Media bullies these helpless victims in the name of moral policing. Both genders are involved in prostitution but in a patriarchal society as ours the females are held responsible. I classify prostitution happening due to four reasons.

Reason #1: Individuals interested in sex.

Sex has a certain allure to it, it provides a deep sense of pleasure. Certain individuals really like what sex feels like, and are drawn towards it. Then comes the temptation of money, if you can earn with it, then they go for it. Male and females both can be interested in sex, thus generally the female makes money, and the male gives money.

Reason #2: Sex Addicts.

Addiction is an illness for anything, drugs, alcohol, or internet, etc. Sex addiction is also a real thing, and individuals suffering from it crave for it, like any other drug. Such individuals require therapy to help them control their urges and keep them under control.  Again this can affect both the male gender and the female gender.

Reason #3: Last choice for women to earn some livelihood.

For some women prostitution provides them livelihood for them and their families, children. If one thinks about it, what have we done to open choices to them so they don’t have to end up on this last one? It must be unthinkably hard for a woman to make a decision to sell her body, but to feed and clothe her children she does.

Reason #4: Forced into prostitution by someone.

Some women are forced into prostitution, by their families, or their husbands, or other individuals. If Law was strong enough to give her justice, she would have tried to reach out, but in our society, where do poor citizens get justice from?

The media has assumed a horrendous position in the situation of harassing, bullying all these individuals on TV media. Instead of trying to help them overcome their problems that have caused them to take up prostitution, they are insulted, guilt framed, harassed just so the media can improve its ratings. They have no other agenda, if they did, they would be helping these women escape prostitution instead of teaching them moral lessons and lessons on religion. They should reach out to these women off-screen and give them choices.

They should pursue the lawmakers, the government to reduce inflation, to provide for the poor, to reduce unemployment, make job opening for women so the women have choices, to earn the legal way. So the children don’t have to starve and live on the streets, and be safe from diseases. The media should take the role of pressuring the government to bring better reforms to curb prostitution.

People are already aware of prostitution, it happens all around us at places; they are not doing any awareness outreach by parading these women on TV. It’s simple and pure harassment. The female anchors who mock these women don’t know their lives, or what they have to endure. When people are against the wall, they have to make tough choices, no one wants to starve, or see their children starve, a life is as important to everyone as to me.

Today I raise a voice against such violations of ethics, tomorrow someone else will too. I hope the chain does not stop and this ruining people’s lives for rating is put a stop too.

I am Agha – Humans of Pakistan

Requesting people to at-least watch this video compromising 7 minutes of your time.

There are people out there living a life you can never imagine, some survive, some die out, never to be given attention. If we as humans cannot dare to help someone we can, then why should we call ourselves humans at all? Animals care for others in need more then us at times. Would you just pray, feel sorry for them and move on, yeah you could do that, but maybe you can go out today, and see a kid like this somewhere and you could give one of them or some of them something to eat, or drink, or money. But don’t just sit there hoping that someone is going to help them, be HUMAN! Simple acts of kindness go a long way, a smile is worth more then any prayer, or thoughts.