In Pakistan, Djinns are more popular than science and scientists
Programmes
on djinns galore on YouTube and TV channels in Pakistan
Main
Points
1.
Horror show producers visit haunted houses and ask djinns to appear
2.
Fake scenes are created to create suspense among viewers.
By S.Arshad, New Age Islam
17 July 2021
Djinns -- the invisible creatures possessing human attributes assume a special place
in any Islamic society. They are mentioned in the Quran and Hadith and in the
traditions of companions of the prophet pbuh. Their mention evokes awe and fear
among Muslims. Therefore, stories of confrontation between djinns and human
beings are very popular among Muslims. Books on djinns have always been popular
among Muslims.
Since
Pakistan is a Islamic country, djinns have assumed a considerable space on
media platforms as well. In an age where youtube likes and views and TV ratings
are linked to monetary benefits, djinns are exploited by youtubers and TV
channels in Pakistan for attracting larger viewership for monetary gains.TV
channels have horror shows based on djinns and youtubers present programmes on
houses haunted by djinns or ghosts.
Some of the programmes on djinns are Woh Kya Hai on Express News TV channel and Raaz Ki Baat and the programme on MK TV Post. The producers of these horror shows visit haunted houses and record paranormal activities which create sensation among the viewers. These programmes are very popular among the viewers and the views reach in lakhs. The success of these programmes has encouraged others to launch similar programmes on djinns.
Interestingly,
there are some producers who not only go to haunted houses to record paranormal
activities there but claim to "clear" the place of djinns with the
help of their in-house "aamils". For example, Mux9TV producer Jam
Shaukat has an Aamil in his team. This Amil named Ashique Hussain accompanies
Jam Shaukat on every visit to haunted places and clears the place with his
knowledge of amaliyat ( knowledge of warding of evil forces).During the
process, they witness and record paranormal activities and most of the times
they are terrified or even physically harmed by the unseen forces. These scenes
create sensations among the viewers.
MK TV
Post is one such programme which has an Amil in its team. The aamil tries to
clear the place or house with the help of his knowledge while the other members
of the team are attacked and some times possesed by djinns and their is an
altercation between the djinn and the amil.
The
fact is that the producers create fake scenes to create suspense and thrill
among the viewers. For example, when the aamil is reciting verses of the Quran
and asks djinns to appear in any form, flames of fire are seen in another room.
The viewers are made to believe that the djinns are showing their ire in form
of the flame. Sometimes stones are thrown towards the team members from behind
the camera to make the viewers believe that djinns were throwing stones.
In one
of the episodes of Woh Kya Hai on Express News, a female djinn appears on the
celing of a building an walks closer to the team member asking the members
" Aao qarib aao, tumhe dar lagta hai.( Come closer. Are you afraid?)
Freightened, the team members splash sea water on her and the female djinn
escapes after throwing an axe towards them. ( The team leader says that djinns
are afraid of sea water and so she fled. She had brought an axe to hit them).
Any one can make out that it was a drama scripted by the producers.
On the
other hand, programmes on science and technology on Pakistani TV channels and
youtube are few and these programmes attract very few viewers. For example, one
episode of the programme Sience and Tech on Express News attracted only 250
viewers in four months. In that episode the anchor said that during the 60s,
workshops and seminars on Quantum Physics were routinely held in different
cities of Pakistan but gradually the interest in science in Pakistan receded.
Another programme on science on youtube attracted 1.4 thousand viewers in one
year. This shows that programmes on fake confrontation between djinns and human
beings are more popular in Pakistan than science programmes.
In
Pakistan, religion has always dominated Muslim psyche and due to the common
misconception that science is against religion, Muslims of Pakistan did not
give much importance to science. In 1979, Dr Mohammaf Abdus Slam won the Nobel
Prize in science for his Electroweak Unification Theory because of the science
culture in Pakistan during the 60s. But during the rule of Gen. Ziaul Haque,
religion pushed science backwards and religious extremism assumed centrestage.
In later years, various extremist organisations like Taliban Pakistan, LeT,
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-Sahaba etc emerged in Pakistan that discouraged modern
education and even attacked and destroyed educational institutions.
The
media could have played a great role in promoting scientific temperament in
Pakistan but unfortunately it promoted superstitions and unscientific trends in
the Muslim society. Instead of visiting haunted houses, people like Jam Shaukat
and Sajjad Saleem could have visited small towns and villages discovering young
scientists and promoting science among Pakistanis.
Djinns
are creatures of God and live in the same world with human beings. They have
their own families, their own schools and markets. They have their own society.
Since they live with human beings, clash of interests and confrontation is
natural. But the clash and confrontation is rare because both try to avoid a
confrontation and when it happens, it creates stories. Generally, the invisible
creatures do not want to disturb human beings but when people like Jam Shaukat
and Sajjad Saleem go to a house inhabited by djinns and say, "Kya aap
saamne Aa sakte hain?" they show some reaction and try to harm them to
make them leave their place. It is a very unscientific approach on part of
these youtubers and TV channel producers to intrude in their privacy and
disturb their peace.
*************
S. Arshad is a columnist with NewAgeIslam.com.
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