Ramazan and TV Shows

Nearly all our tv channels, and by the grace of Allah there is no dearth of them ,  are telecasting Ramazan special shows such as “Rooh e Ramazan”, “Raunaq e Ramazan”, “Shan e Ramazan”, “Rehmat e Ramazan”, “Ishq e Ramazan”, “Pak Ramazan”, et al.  All claim to be highly “rooh parwar”, but to me some of them are competing for the mad rating rat race amongst themselves by turning their programmes which should have been otherwise solemn and sober into  – and pardon my saying so – some sort of a circus. The comperes  are seen running, jumping, cycling , even motor-biking, shouting and mimicking around  offering huge prizes to the participants who look  miserably yearning and reaching out for them. Some of the Ulema and Mashaikh bedecked with a new designer’s dress for each day are seen discussing some layman level religious query a! nd pontifically announcing their verdicts most of the time at variance with each other.  They always preach unity of Ummah and the greatness of Islam, but  I have yet to see them on ANY ONE of these Ramazan shows praying together behind one Imam after breaking their fast.  What Unity of Ummah they are preaching when they cannot even pray together?!!

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)

P.S.  I know none of the dailies will dare publish my this letter as most of them have their much higher stakes in such tv programmes.