Media is Poisoning the Minds
12 May, 2005
By Jawaid Mehmood
In the time of Shah, Iran was known as the Tiger of Asia. The reason was that there was a tiger on Irans National Flag. In return for Oil, Americans made Iran the most powerful country of Asia. In accordance with his western masters and for the love of imitating them, shah of Iran crossed even those frontiers that were sacred. Tehran was the center of this vulgarity.
Vacationers from Europe and America use to come to Iran, and since the majority of Iranis were not enlightened and still treasured their Islamic values, they use to hate this Modernity in Tehran. They were scared that if this problem is not nipped in the bud, then eventually it will reach their homes and will ruin their next generation. That was the motivation behind the Iranian revolution. The fear of so-called modernity ruining their next generation is what shaped that movement, which eventually turned in to a storm and th at storm finally resulted in the demise of Shah of Iran. Its been 26 years since the Islamic revolution of Iran, and not a day has past by where America and its western allies havent tried to topple this democratically elected set-up.
In Pakistan, an average meal for a day cost about a 100 Rs. Monthly Cable bill is 100 Rs as well. A great number of people dont even pay that monthly fee; because they have an illegal cable hook-up. Question that comes to mind is that in this age of outrageous inflation, how is that Cable is so dirt-cheap? In 2002 Ariel Sharon declared it in a speech that we have attained our goals and our enemies are addicted to the culture of song and dance, our task will be much easier now. The reality in America is that the monthly cable bill is around 100 dollars. For an average family its almost impossible to afford 100 dollars for this luxury. Its also surprising that in Pakistan you can watch adult movies for no extra charge at all, where as in America the cost is between 4-13 dollars per movie. In todays environment Americans are afraid of terrorists that they might use Dirty Bombs. However in Pak istan, Media is playing a much hazardous role than any bomb. The extensive amount of vulgarity among the youth, the westernization without any limits, and gulf between the youth and the Islam will result in a great travesty for Pakistan. Post 9/11, Americans have drawn closer to religion. President Bush is also a regular churchgoer himself. The current administration has taken a harder stance on media. FCC the authority in American that regulates the media recently changed its chairman to one Mr. Kevin Martin. In his very short tenure, he has already fined those media outlets that have crossed the American standards of decency.
Fox TV was penalized 183000 dollars for showing partial nudity. One radio station was fined 75500 Dollars for using obscene language on air. CBS had to pay 558000 Dollars because of Janet Jacksons frontal nudity on live TV. Because of Howard Stern the radio station had to pay 495000 dollars in fine. Kron TV was also fined 27500 by FCC. This proves the fact that freedom of media doesnt mean that everything goes. America has a very good check & balance system in place. In this country kids belonging to the elite have to go to jails if the break the law. President Bushs daughter and her cousin who is the daughter of the governor of Florida also had to be reprimanded for breaking the law. Congress is contemplating new legislation against cable operators so these deviances can be ably punished. Time Magazine did a survey on this recent FCC regulation. 66% showed there discontent with the vi olence in the media, 55% were unhappy because of the foul language used on air. 50% were critical of the extensive nudity in the media, 45% were against the open drug and alcohol consumption, whereas 53% of Americans in that poll urged FCC to pass more stringent regulations. One American mother said that I am very worried about my 6-year-old daughter; we have to go back to the media of 1950s where family values were the focal point. One American woman expressed her views by saying that its like media is throwing trash in the playground, how is it possible that kids can be safeguarded from this filth? Successful nations are reforming their media outlets so they can be brought back within the moral circle, whereas the Islamic nations are moving in a totally opposite direction.
I was visiting Pakistan last month, and was troubled to see that one section of our society is blindly following the ills of the west. However it was heartening to witness that young people are taking more interest in their religion. Especially young girls have taken to hijab in large scores, which is very reassuring. The conflict between the Good & the evil is as old as the world itself, eventually Good is always the victor.
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