Despite not having any basis in our religion or culture, these practices are gaining traction in our society
RAWALPINDI: In this era of globalisation, we come across different civilisations, cultures, religions and languages. As good as it is to learn about different people around the world, one should not forget the norms of his/her own religion and society. In this case, media plays a critical role in drawing a clear line between the norms in our society, and the norms followed by others.
This letter has been prompted by a few things which I have noticed in various Pakistani TV dramas and their representation of Pakistani Muslim traditions. Depictions such as the culture of wearing white clothes at funeral ceremonies; lighting candles at a vigil which is held in remembrance of a deceased; and carrying out a minute’s silence to express solidarity in case of a tragedy are ideas that are being commonly adopted by our media industry and even accepted by our society. Despite not having any basis in our religion or culture, these practices are gaining traction in our society.
I request all stakeholders to shield our young generation from such effects of globalisation by guiding and teaching them true Islamic-Pakistani values, and the reason behind adopting such values, in contrast with those of other countries and religions.
Muhammad Ahsan
Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2019.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
