Life & Style

Junaid Jamshed's sexist remark causes outrage on social media

The singer-turned-televangelist's controversial remarks sent Twitter users in a frenzy

Entertainment Desk July 21, 2015

the ex singer 039 s misogynist beliefs and interpretations of the holy book sent twitter users in a frenzy photo bbc

The ex-singer's misogynist beliefs and interpretations of the Holy Book, sent Twitter users in a frenzy. PHOTO: BBC

Junaid Jamshed is not new to controversy, this time he has people fuming on social media over his sexist remark on a TV show, declaring that "Allah dislikes that any woman should be named [in the Quran]."

Read: Junaid Jamshed and the ‘maternal instinct’

The singer-turned-televangelist's seemingly misogynist beliefs and interpretations of the Holy Quran sent Twitter users in a frenzy as they expressed their outrage on the micro-blogging site.

One of them being the Academy and Emmy Award winning filmmaker, Sharmeen Obaid who deemed Junaid a hyprocite:
https://twitter.com/sharmeenochinoy/status/623207297020399618

Another questioned the religious scholar who guided the pop star towards Islam:
https://twitter.com/Fooofipooofi/status/623410179577528325

Others were baffled by his comments:
https://twitter.com/ChaiNotCoffee/status/623351328979312640

JJ got a disease. Foot-in-mouth disease. #JunaidJamshed #misogyny #Pakistan
— Umal Ikram Nasir (@umalnasir) July 21, 2015

One took out his anger by poking fun at him:

he also looks like #JunaidJamshed in Military uniform 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/HxNpbqJYbF
— Rex ریکس 🎗️ ✡️ 🇮🇱 (@klashankroft) July 21, 2015

And some even decided to give him a reality check:

#Junaidjamshed If there were no women you wouldn't have been in this world! Your beard is getting too much to handle for yourself!
— alina iftikhar (@Alinaiftikhar) July 21, 2015

https://twitter.com/ChaiNotCoffee/status/622975928679952384
https://twitter.com/sharmeenochinoy/status/623207847090765824

#BoycottJJ for this nincompoop #JunaidJamshed doesn't even realise that Jannah lies underneath mother's feet. #Women pic.twitter.com/9IXx7LnsQu
— Marvi Sirmed (@marvisirmed) July 17, 2015

One was hopeful for him, wishing God would guide him (the sooner the better!):
https://twitter.com/SRP_Kashmiri/status/623162577619517444

Others were not so kind:
https://twitter.com/Hafsa_Khawaja/status/622059372911288320
https://twitter.com/ChachiChatters/status/622648695830351872

With so much misogyny openly exhibited by Junaid Jamshed, women should have boycotted his designer clothings long ago. Never too late though
— M. Sadiq Swati (@SwatiSadiq) July 20, 2015

Earns millions from a clothing brand for women. Thinks women are inferior to men in everyway. #JunaidJamshed. Hypocrisy at its peak.
— Ramsha Kohati (@RamshaKohati) July 20, 2015

So Junaid Jamshed says god didn't put women's name in the Qur'an because he doesn't like women. JJ says this as he launches a new lawn sale.
— Nauman An (@nauman__an) July 17, 2015

https://twitter.com/sharmeenochinoy/status/623207297020399618

This statement by #JunaidJamshed calls for complete boycotting his fashion brand #JJ by all women. Enough is enough pic.twitter.com/YInoQRVpio
— Marvi Sirmed (@marvisirmed) July 17, 2015

There were even questions posed towards the justice system!

Bloody #JunaidJamshed can return to TV after fleeing the country over #Blasphemy and #ShaistaLodhi can't ! Why?@MehrTarar @mughalbha
— Reema Abbasi (@ReemaAbbasi) July 19, 2015

Happens when we have double standards of perspective to see people #Morons #ReligiousDorks #JunaidJamshed #TariqJamil pic.twitter.com/Rdasrja8uf
— Saad Zaidi (@syedsaadzaidi) July 11, 2015

Hamza Ali Abbasi, who never misses an opportunity to comment on current affairs, took to Facebook to express himself.

He was deeply disappointed by Junaid's remarks:

Read: An open letter to Junaid Jamshed

Junaid Jamshed was soon forced to respond. Here's his clarification:

COMMENTS (44)

Atheist_Pakisani | 9 years ago | Reply Women is not equal to men in Islam. You must be fool to think otherwise.

Mohammad Rizwan | 9 years ago | Reply don't criticize Junaid Jamshed. please ask matter from any mufti. people should not criticize any person without verification of Islamic matters.

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

RichKid | 9 years ago | Reply It getting harder by the day for J.J. to hide his hatred for womenkind. It's not what he's quoting or who he's quoting. His main target of preaching is only Women. Also. In his clarification speech above, he could not resist his urge to claim himself as Janati Man by loosing his pop singing and making lot more money from Meat, Fasion design, TV channels & Ads. Also, One don't need much knowledge of Islam if he only preaches the Revival of Standard Tribal Customs for women. Watch out Women! You'll be mere Goat in his Tribe!

Irfan Zone | 9 years ago | Reply JJ .... Oh dear this is what happens when you reverse engineer a religion and try to become an expert by merely donning its attire, wearing your piety on your sleeve and lecturing the planet before getting a handle on its teachings first.

Mohammed | 9 years ago | Reply I agree with you @Dr Khan. This media like to blow out of proportion who misintepret things.I disagree with ET.He follows the advice of his elders.

Ayesha | 9 years ago | Reply The fugitive Singer cum Dancer turned Mullah is back with new conteversy! JJ should be banned from media talk shows. He is more of a nuaisance and should go back to UK or Norway and open a Halal meat shop. Pedegree matters!

Tim | 9 years ago | Reply We jump to confusions too soon esp when its a religious figure involved. I believe JJ's remark has nothing to do with STATURE of women. It is just about mentioning of their names; it is a part of cultural and religious traditions of certain sections of our society where women's names are not taken out of reverance and to maintain their dignity under a veil of secrecy. It is sad to note that had these remarks come from someone like Mathira or Shah Rukh Khan, all these commenters would be writing essays justifying them.

Shariq | 9 years ago | Reply How mature is the mindset of ET's editors when this article is published under gossip, by Entertainment Desk and with hash-tag Sexist.

Dr Khan | 9 years ago | Reply @RAK: Don't try to make judgement based on very limited knowledge.I saw JJ in the program and there was nothing in it against women.What he said that Allah has so much respect for women that none of the ladies are mentioned in the holy book by their first name except Hazrat Maryam.Her name was mentioned in relation with Hazrat Essa elaaslam because he had no father.Why make big issue out of it.Our so called liberals have not accepted JJ leaving his glamorous life as a singer and taking preaching of Islam as his mission of life.

ProveMeWrong! | 9 years ago | Reply I bet J.J. is a women hater. His Islam revolves around belittling women kind. He is an ignorant narrow-minded hypocrite, no doubt about that. Only innocent women fall for him. We have another famous hypocrite who is also cashing women appreciation. Getting famous through pleasing women is the only talent of some of the men. Smart women never fall for him.

Huma Jawed | 9 years ago | Reply He maybe wrong or right … Allah knows best However, Lets get our actions right and increase our Quranic knowledge, instead of being the 1st one to attack Him …. who I am pretty sure must have given more Islamic knowledge to the Pakistani crowd than us …. Lets increase our Islamic knowledge in such a way that we are also able to pull all kinds of crowds and especially the youth to Islam We shouldn’t be the 1st ones to condemn someone who struggled to gain so much knowledge to be on the road towards Jannah and is helping us to get there too Lets look and judge ourselves of how good of a Muslim are we before we start using social media to make others look bad

nomI | 9 years ago | Reply @ hope Dear lady, Why is your husband allowing you to comment in front of men? This is not good. Does this not constitute respect of a woman? Now please do not comment in front of strangers again.

nomI | 9 years ago | Reply Since most Pakistanis agree with him, why not let it go.

Leon | 9 years ago | Reply Most ppl on social media are being ridiculous on the issue. Demonstearing all or some of bias, shallow thinking, complexes and foremost ignorance. Just waiting and ready to pick on any opportunity of maligning the man.

Bilal | 9 years ago | Reply Why media don't publicize rubbish statements of so called desi liberals

Mahira | 9 years ago | Reply Yikes! And JJ strikes the wrong chord again!!! He definitely needs to watch his words before talking on religious issues. Even if he didn't intent on saying what was perceived by the public, (which he does clarify later), he still needs to be VERY cautious.

Pukar | 9 years ago | Reply Why these mullahs are so obsessed with women? Can't they talk and think about anything else?

Muhammad Tanveer | 9 years ago | Reply @I am a Khan: Does Mr Abbasi has that knowledge and understanding of saying that JJ was wrong. Questioning an statement is OK for clarifications as Abassi said but at the same time come up with authentic sources to challenge the accuracy/ inappropriateness of any such statement. Moreover, this is extremely important to see WHO is talking and his personal example. Abbasi seemingly (bcoz we don't know his personal character except on TV) may not qualify to pass any judgment.

Tweety | 9 years ago | Reply We are champions of creating issues out of nothing, and i don't know why women gets so insecure so quickly. Their respect and level is so clearly defined in Islam that no one can deny it. If Allah has not called women with their actual names in the holy book then there must be some reason for it, junaid has defined it as respect of women. You can do your own research and come up with a better logic. Sharmeen obaid can m sure better comment on filmography, but junaid will definitely have better religious understanding for which he has completely changed his life.

bash gul | 9 years ago | Reply JJ should back to his pop singing. He is like those ignorant mullahs, who without any formal education in a madressa start preaching. He should spend at least 5 years in a seminary then follow some Islamic scholars.By wearing a long beard does not mean he is an Islamic scholar.

noshdoc | 9 years ago | Reply Although I m neither a fan or a follower of jj's teaching but his clarification is honest what he meant has been distorted and presented in a wrong sense, plz don't make religion into something difficult to comprehend and follow.

Abdul Jinnah | 9 years ago | Reply What a messed up culture we've created - stupidity, misogyny, hate and oppression especially in the name of religion is not only tolerated but celebrated. If only we can go back in time and restart this failed experiment called Pakistan. I continue to be ashamed of being a Pakistani given with all the stupid relgiousity - I look forward to the day when religion and State separate like most functional and progressive States.

abhi | 9 years ago | Reply But isn't what he said true?

Naeem Javid | 9 years ago | Reply JJ's explanation clarifies everything. A popular a thief crimes once but the owner does it a hundred times.

Anon | 9 years ago | Reply He is a misogynist of the highest caliber hiding behind religion

anti-Leftist | 9 years ago | Reply We love Junaid. Junaid please ignore this minority of extremist leftist controversial women who are criticizing you. These radical leftist women only live on twitter and do not represent the majority of the women in our society.

sabi | 9 years ago | Reply This man is obviously a pure thug.He has no knowldge of religion except he has memorised few things like a parrot.He is cashing religion by virtue of his fame.Shame on him.

Uzair | 9 years ago | Reply I feel compelled to reply to Hope's comment: So you are saying that forgetting a person, not talking about a human being is respecting them? Only among beasts who can only talk in negative and disrespectful ways. Among civilized humans talk can be both normal and positive.

Hope | 9 years ago | Reply he means to say that Allah wants honor for women.. he does not want their names mentioned to all the world.. women are considered sacred in islam nd they are protected in all the way.. my husband does not like naming me to his friends and colleagues, and I feel so happi.. u ppl don't know wht is respect for women cux u never got it.. get Jamshed's point may be he didn't care to give explanation to stupid minds of ppl nd that's his mistake..

Geo | 9 years ago | Reply It's not just what he said..it's his body language and demeanor..and the tone in which he said that...he is absolutely despicable and pathetic.

Ch. Allah Daad | 9 years ago | Reply These fraudsters with their sweet talk grow a crop and in final stage terrorists are the ones who harvest that crop.

Mohammad | 9 years ago | Reply in Pakistan, seems like everyone is free for everyone... Mullahs bash liberals while liberal bash Mullahas.. seems like no one has a business to do and living on foreign funding!

sehr.siddiqui | 9 years ago | Reply Entertainers becoming preachers, Preachers becoming entertainers and taliban implementing Islam. This ramzan we had enough of of mockery of Islam 0n TV channels. May Allah have mercy on this last religion in Pakistan.

Kaleem | 9 years ago | Reply His explanation is precise and to the point.

Munib | 9 years ago | Reply JJ is great. Without knowing the base and reasons, some people attack Islam. After clarification if one still behaving as such will prove itself unreasonable.

Az | 9 years ago | Reply I heard his statement and understand where is was coming from. But the doctrine he is selling is not correct. Allah has given he example of a Moomin with two woman, Hazrat Maryam and Hazrat Asiya. So he should shut up and produce qualities of these two great women.

Parvez | 9 years ago | Reply Enemies of Islam should go on holiday ....... JJ is doing a great job for them.

Mrs Juicy Gossips | 9 years ago | Reply Sounds like he composed that number for the ISIS top of the pops hit parade..

I am a Khan | 9 years ago | Reply I completely agree with Hamza Ali Abbasi's post. JJ should not be saying such things of which he has no knowledge nor any authentic religious source.

RAK | 9 years ago | Reply Does JJ ever thought of his mother without home he couldn't have existed. Hypocrisy at its peak as always.

Irfan Akram | 9 years ago | Reply J.J should leave Tableeghi Jamat fanatics who think only themselves Momin leaving others & don't want people to question them. J.J is advised to sit with real ulema & avoid to comments on religious matters as it is the 2nd time.

Abdullah | 9 years ago | Reply Junaid Jamsheed's statement is right. He meant to said as of PARDAH for females. We make scandal of anyone. ET please don't divert people.The females whos tweets are shown are controvertial. One gets filmfare award on showing that every girl in Pakistan is treated with Acid. The other one is always against Pakistan.

Ali S | 9 years ago | Reply I kind of feel sorry for him - he can't help that his deep-seated, irrepressible zeal for misogyny inevitably bubbles to the surface and leads him to say things that are just plain wrong from any Islamic perspective, especially when it concerns revered female religious figures. Then he has to fend off potential blasphemy accusations by making apologies and justifications on social media. Even the likes of Tableeghi Jamat and Maulana Tariq Jameel have now given up on him in case they have to face the accusation of defending a blasphemer when the tables are turned.

Saleem | 9 years ago | Reply If the man is true to his belief then why doe he idulge himslef, rather thrive, doing business with women?

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ

Entertainment

Storm Reid confirms exit from HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ ahead of season 3

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi reportedly move to UK after Trump election win

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi reportedly relocate to England, citing Donald Trump’s election as a key factor.
Cristiano Ronaldo and MrBeast team up for groundbreaking YouTube collaboration

Cristiano Ronaldo confirms a YouTube video with MrBeast, set to premiere November 21, promising to break the internet.
Anne Hathaway to star in Colleen Hoover’s ‘Verity’ film adaptation

Anne Hathaway will lead Colleen Hoover’s ‘Verity’ adaptation, directed by Michael Showalter with Nick Antosca writing.
Fortnite Crew introduces Music and LEGO Pass benefits from December 1, 2024

Fortnite Crew adds Music and LEGO Pass benefits for subscribers starting December 1, offering more value for players.