Quick, what do you find offensive in this pic?
That’s a nice picture of a father and son playing chess. Both are smiling. Both seem to enjoy themselves here.
But many people did. And worst is they can lecture morality to a public figure just because he happens to be their coreligionist.
Source – Hindustan Times and Indian Express
What do you find offensive in this pic?
A mother and father celebrating their daughter’s second birthday. And they are looking happy.
Oh, I get it. Celebrating birthday is unislamic. And how dare the wife not wear a veil? Our enthusiastic faithful did their duty well:-
Source: India.com
The first time Mohammad Shami was trolled was when he had posted this picture of himself and his wife together. Hmm, it means that Mrs Shami has committed the crime of not appearing in a veil twice. How horrible.
No wonder, the good, god fearing, custodians of deen were flabbergasted.
Mohammad Kaif and Irfan Pathan are fortunately public icons. So is Irfan Pathan (who was trolled for the crime of posting his wife without a burkha with , horrors, nailpaint). These people are celebrities, and away from the harm which comes from moral policing and fanaticism.
But what about common people, who somehow , manage to ‘offend? They face much worse consequences. Two latest examples:-
In 2014, Benazir Suraiyya, a PETA activist was campaigning in Bhopal for a bloodless Bakri Eid. Within no time, she faced mob fury (which included women, calling for her head), and was saved only by the intervention of police. Please remember that she had not made any derogatory remark on any holy figure and is a Muslim herself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGTspvuLoTA
In 2010, a professor teaching Malayalam language had his hand chopped off because he had included an excerpt in his question paper which was interpreted to be about Prophet Mohammad in a derogatory manner.
Prof Joseph’s hand was able to be reattached, but his college fired him for “hurting religious sentiments” and his wife later killed herself, not being able to withstand the torture her husband faced. On the other hand, MF Hussain painted all Hindu goddesses nude and continued till his life’s end as a great painter. If this is what secular values mean, we need to throw them in the nearest gutter.
Now, chess being prohibited in Islam is attributed to this quote supposedly from Sahih Muslim:
“Buraida reported on the authority of his father that Allaah’s Prophet
(sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: He who played chess is like one who
dyed his hand with the flesh and blood of swine.”
“O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and Al-Ansaab [stone altars set up for sacrifices to idols etc], and Al-Azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaytaan’s (Satan’s) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful.
Shaytaan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allaah and from As-Salaah (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain?”
[al-Maa’idah 5:90-91]
It is therefore still debatable, if chess itself was banned in Islam or gambling in the name of games like dice or chess is.
The closest that can be ascertained is that chess pieces are representation of animal and human figures, and therefore, not favourable to Islamic thought. But then, there have been numerous chess players of repute from Islamic countries (which in turn, also organize numerous chess tournaments).
The question here is not about what is haram and what is halal in Islam. This is about selective outrage. And hypocrisy. And shamelessness about having some kind of moral superiority of dictating how another man’s wife must dress or what a man should bring up his children like and what’s offensive and what’s not. We never see these custodians of Islam calling for the head of Shahrukh Khan or Salman Khan for their birthday celebrations (Is it that they consider these two Khans somewhat of a royalty beyond their reach and Shami, Irfan and Kaif easy targets because they come from middle and working class? Nor screaming how the excesses of the Royal families of the Gulf states are unislamic as well. Or how they are hand in glove with “Shaitan” America.
We never see these custodians of Islam getting livid on how Muslim terrorists are killing and blowing themselves up in Allah’s name. We never see such anger on honour killings. Or cross border terrorism aimed at India. Or when pilgrims are gunned down in Amarnath. Or when Yazidi women are made sex slaves. Or when rape victims are stoned for not proving their innocence by producing three male witnesses. Or on beheadings or mutilations. Or on pedophilia.
Is a woman appearing without a veil more offensive than gunning down unarmed people? Is a birthday celebration more blasphemous than the sexual abuse of minor girls? Is wearing nail paint more offensive than throwing acid on a woman’s face who turned you down for marriage?
Get a life. And some psychiatric treatment.