Live conversion during Ramazan show stirs anger
Sunil accompanied by religious clerics during Ramazan show. — YouTube video grab
KARACHI: A Pakistani Hindu’s conversion to Islam live on television during a prime-time Ramazan chat show has sparked criticism on behalf of religious minorities in the country.
In just five minutes, the 20-year-old introduced as Sunil officially changed his religion under a cleric’s guidance.
A packed studio audience congratulated him and shouted out suggestions for his new Muslim name before he was renamed Mohammad Abdullah — the consensus choice.
Abdullah insisted on Friday that he had been a willing convert.
“I have accepted Islam by my own will and my family has no objection,” he told AFP by telephone from the Ansar Burney Welfare Trust, where a staff member said he has worked as their office boy for the last six years.
But Pakistan has been criticised by rights groups for showing an increased lack of tolerance towards religious minorities, who complain of discrimination, and critics blasted the show, broadcast by private channel ARY on Wednesday.
“The joy with which the conversion was greeted and the congratulations that followed sent a clear signal that other religions don’t enjoy the same status in Pakistan as Islam does,” wrote Dawn, Pakistan’s oldest newspaper, on Friday.
“In a country where minorities are already treated as second-class citizens in many ways, this served to marginalise them even further,” it said.
It was a second recent controversy for chat show host Maya Khan, who was this year sacked by a rival channel after chasing couples in a public park, accusing them of behaving immorally.
Ramesh Kumar, a leader of the Pakistan Hindu Council, told AFP that Wednesday’s programme would encourage intolerance.
“We are already intimidated. The government gives little heed to the kidnapping of Hindus and forced faith conversion of our girls. Please don’t do things that make us more alienated,” he told AFP.
Talat Hussain, who hosts a political show on private television channel DawnNews, also warned against turning religion into mass entertainment.
“Think about how Muslims would feel when Buddhists in Burma show similarly a Muslim being converted in a live TV show,” he told AFP.
According to Government of Pakistan’s figures, Hindus make up 2.5 per cent of the country’s population of around 180 million.
There is a TV preacher in India called Dr Zakir Naik who does these kind of Hindu to Muslim conversions regularly. I have no problem with that since any Hindu converting to Islam in India is likely doing it out of conviction and unlikely because he is feeling pressurized to do so. But in Pakistan, with minority-majority roles reversed, I feel celebrating the conversion of a minority religion (hindu) to the majority religion (islam) is unseemly since it can be due to implicit majority pressure. I would feel the same way if there was a big televised tamasha of a minority Muslim converting to majority Hinduism in India.
in madurai india a 21 year old muslim girl married a hindu boy and got converted to Hinduism. now girls parents , relatives. muslim organizations are threatening boy and girl to kill them, why they not saying congratulations to newly married couple. does any hindu outfit or family member threatened this boy or mullah to kill. how muslims are behaving that they wil go against law and forcefully want to threat and kill majority religion boy and that girl. they want secular india if boy was muslim and girl hindu. and forcefully stop when opposite.
A Muslim man cannot marry a Hindu girl, prohibited in the Qur'an. Equally: A Muslim girl's marriage to a non-believer is void at inception.
So Pakistan is turning more like the USA, where if a Muslim leaves his belief to become Christian, some take joy and publicize it in media to show that Islam is somehow not good. Everyday many Christians become Muslim and that news never make it to the same media, I wonder why?
So, I guess Pakistanis are no different than Americans then.
I am happy how the general Pakistani population responded to it. It shows that sooner or later these Mullah's and Maya Khan's will be thrown out of Pakistani society. Dawn as always did very good job by highlighting the issue. Feed back from the Pakistani people show that this country still have lots of moderate thinking people. And don't forget Pakistan is land where Guru Nanak and other sufi's spread the message of equality.
Hypocrisy at its worst!
When, for God's sake, we would learn to live and let others live the way they choose for themselves. The mullah brigade has no business in minding the faith of anyone. Instead, they would do entire world a favor by putting all their efforts, time and energy in condemning and resisting the deeds of their community fellows who are busy in mass killing of innocent people in the name of jihad.
I believe the writer of the article is intolerant towards the freedom of speech, freedom of choice and freedom of religion. This type of things are happening in the west without any issue. The writer has done no research on how a non-muslim should be encouraged to revert to Islam. The article shows lack of knowledge of the writer.
Absolutely. Very well said. The article is in conflict with its own argument and bereft of foundation and fact.
Has the channel where Maya Kahn hosts the show sacked her yet? If not then people need to vote with their remotes and BOYCOTT THAT CHANNEL, not just her show. Once the ratings take a hit and advertisements plummet, we will see what those bigots– Maya and everyone at her tv channel who condoned that despicable show– have to say.
;/
In the name of Islam we are murdering our own– this fool does not realize he now has become part of most violent majoriy
let hindu priests start converting muslims into hindus in Hindustan. Let us see how the music goes within India and Pakistan…of course by willing muslims not perpetrated by force.
Who wrote this article by the way?
There are hundreds of Muslim girls in India forced to marry Hindu men due to Social and Economical inequality. Why the critics of this broadcast forget targeting of Muslim societies by other religions: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bosnia, Chechnia, Palestine, Kashmir, Indian Gujrat, Burmese Rohingyas, Libya, Lebanon and Syria ?
"Muslim girls in India forced to marry Hindu men…"
It is called rape. A Muslim girl cannot marry a Hindu.
Next up, live coverage of defacing kalma from Ahmadi mosques followed by special edition of “who wants to kill an ahmadi?”
Uncalled for provocative staterment. Shame.
I hope Sunil doesn't change his mind later to convert back to Hinduism.
Is this only form of entertainment left for media and people, watching innocent people suffering and more suffering? Posting pictures of slaughtering by Talibans and now this. Where is the society heading. Reiligion is hijacked by paranoid, mentally sick people. Individuals have to change.
Very few muslims would pass the tolerance test.
I am not defending the Mullah or Maya Khan but let me say that come out of the fear that something will happen in Pakistan related to religion issues. Islam is the fastest spreading religion in the world and that can't be accepted by non-muslims. Please don't be afraid of the consequences Allah is on our side.
There is no issue of religious discrimination.Minorities are enjoying their rights in Pakistan.in this modern era and world of information we cant hide any thing from anyone. people are in touch with every one through social media.I have watched many shows on american t.v.converting Muslims into christianity..Nothing bad in it.If someone wants to convert a hindu or muslim it is his or her own will no one can stop him her forcefully.We should not be hardliner in this regard.be moderate
If this issue was not put forth, no one would have really have any objections or opinion towards it. The point I'm trying to make is that it is a VERY biased article and by the looks of it 90% of you actually consider it neutral and are easily convinced. That is quite unfortunate. There is a joy when a person converts to Islam. No one does it to humiliate the other religion but as a joy and happiness to see a brother or sister come into the fold of Islam. Secondly the joy expressed also helps encourage the new muslim and gives him a sense of relief and support. Thus in NO WAY is this an offense to the other culture. But if it is biased against Islam ofcourse you will see it as an "offense to minorities and discrimination." Furthermore you have the whole western media blaming Islam and making Islam seem as an extremist and terrorizing religion yet you people have no concern whatsoever towards it and you consider that as a freedom of speech and a fair observation. How ignorant can you be?
If this issue was not put forth, no one would have really have any objections or opinion towards it. The point I'm trying to make is that it is a VERY biased article and by the looks of it 90% of you actually consider it neutral and are easily convinced. That is quite unfortunate. There is a joy when a person converts to Islam. No one does it to humiliate the other religion but as a joy and happiness to see a brother or sister come into the fold of Islam. Secondly the joy expressed also helps encourage the new muslim and gives him a sense of relief and support. Thus in NO WAY is this an offense to the other culture. But if it is biased against Islam ofcourse you will see it as an "offense to minorities and discrimination." Furthermore you have the whole western media blaming Islam and making Islam seem as an extremist and terrorizing religion yet you people have no concern whatsoever towards it and you consider that as a freedom of speech and a fair observation. How ignorant can you be?
Secondly there is no problem with televising Islam, as it is a source of teaching other citizens about the religion. Why do you think Prophet Muhammad PBUH preached Islam in public infront of the crowd? isn't that similar to Islam being televised? Islam's message being given out to the mass media?
Also answer this, do you think people should not convert to Islam?
Because I can write an article biased towards my opinions and say that this article posted tries to discredit and discourage new muslims or individuals who wish to accept Islam. Because according to the article a person converting Islam is indirectly offending the minority religions and thus Islam should no longer accept any converts because it loves other religions and doesn't want to upset them -.-
And don't you ever see those TV shows where american christian priests are "creating miracles" and healing people?
Don't you ever think that Maybe thats trying to state that God power and miracle is only present in the religion of Christianity and thus all other religions may it be Islam, Judaism, Hinduism etc are all just bs? So you know what why don't you consider that as a similar dilemma?