Journal Press India®
DELHI BUSINESS REVIEW
Ethics and Women’s Rights in Contemporary: Pakistani Media Tradition al Development? Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, Shari’a
Author Details
( * ) denotes Corresponding author
1.
* David Ambrose Doss, Fulbright Program Alumuns (2010-11), Deaprtment of Religious Studies, Universitat Erfurt, Germany (ddoss@fulbrightmail.org)
Pakistan has been undergoing a religious, social, and media revolution. This paper will examine a unique voice within this phenomenon – Islamic theologian and public intellectual Javed Ghamidi – and will shed light on his ideology and his distinctive utilization of both popular electronic media and innovative Qur’an-based research in influencing public opinion on various facets of socio-religious shari‘a ethics in Pakistani women’s rights issues.
Design/Methodology/Approach – A narration and analysis of relevant aspects of Pakistan’s religious, social, and media situation will lay the background for exploring Ghamidi’s analytical/intellectual strategy, his ideology/beliefs, and his strategies of implementing electronic media. His views regarding the shari‘a ethics of women’s issues (e.g. rape laws, head covering, and gender roles) will develop these points of discussion. Analogies between his and others’ current socio-religious ethics movements, native and foreign, will lead toward the paper’s conclusion on the nature, purpose, and possibilities of Ghamidi’s work.
Findings – Analysis of primary and secondary sources suggests that Ghamidi’s work combines rejections and/or acceptances of: the state, fundamentalism, Orientalism, Occidentalism, modernization, and modernity/post-modernity. These combinations suggest possibilities and pitfalls for a culturally unique adaptation and modernization of Islamic shari‘a ethics.
Research Limitations/Implications – The study bases itself mainly on English sources – not only Ghamidi’s own original or translated words but also secondary sources of popular media (e.g. news and journal articles and interviews) and academic materials (e.g. scholarly articles on Ghamidi and books on topics relevant to Pakistani social and religious ethics).
Practical Implications – Results of this research should provide valuable information on Ghamidi and help examine dilemmas between inner, Islamic discourses and outer, Western academic treatments regarding his scholarly and public work and subjects directly relevant to it.
Originality/Value – There is a dearth of scholarly secondary sources on this important public figure (especially in English). This paper is most likely among the first to examine contemporary Pakistan’s media revolution exclusively with an eye towards Ghamidi, or to focus on his role in women’s issues in Pakistan’s shari‘a ethics developments.
Keywords
Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, Religion and the Media, Islam, Shari’a Ethics, Pakistan.
- Ahmad, M. (2010, February), “Media-Based Preachers and the Creation of New Muslim Publics in Pakistan”, Who Speaks for Islam? Muslim Grassroots Leaders and Popular Preachers in South Asia, NBR Special Report, No. 22, pp.1-18, Retrieved August 11, 2011, from http://www.nbr.org/publications/element.aspx?id=421.
- “Al-Mawrid, Institute of Islamic Sciences” (2011), Rennaissance. Retrieved August 14, 2011, from http://www.renaissance.com.pk/intro.html.
- “Al-Mawrid will forgive Hassan’s attackers” (2006, August 28), Daily Times, p. 7. Retrieved August 14, 2011, from http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006/08/28/story_28-8-2006_pg7_33.
- Amjad, Moiz (2000, May 26), ”Punishment of Rajam (i.e. Stoning to Death in Case of Adultery)”, Message posted to http:/ /www.understanding-islam.com/.
- Aziz, S. (2011), “Making a Sovereign State: Javed Ghamidi and ‘Enlightened Moderation’”, Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 45, No. 3, pp.597–629, Cambrige: Cambridge University Press.
- “Dr. Farooq: An Academic Silenced by the Taliban” (2010, October 7), Message posted to: http://blogs.channel4.com.
- Faruki, K.A. (1983), “The Islamic Resurgence: Prospects and Implications”, In Esposito, J.L.(Ed.), Voices of Resurgent Islam, pp.277-291, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- “Fitna of Javed Ahmad Ghamidi” (2006, June 25), Message posted to http://www.sunniforum.com.
- Foucault, M. (1984), Nietzsche, Genealogy, History in P. Rabinow (Ed.) The Foucault Reader, New York: Pantheon
- “Ghamidi” (2011), Geo Television Network, Retrieved August 12, 2011, from http://www.geo.tv/geonews/program.asp?pid=530.
- Ghamidi, J.A. (2011), “Etiquette of Sexual Intimacy”, (S. Saleem, Transl.) Renaissance, Retrieved August 21 2011, from http://www.renaissance.com.pk/JulIslaw2y3.html.
- Ghamidi, J.A. (2011), “Morals and Morality: The Religion of Islam”, (S. Saleem, Transl.), Renaissance, Retrieved August 7, 2011 from http://www.monthly-renaissance.com/issue/content.aspx?id=949.
- Ghamidi, J.A. (2011), “Principles of Understanding the Hadith”, (S. Saleem, Transl.) Renaissance, Retrieved August 15, 2011, from http://www.renaissance.com.pk/JulHadi2y6.htm.
- Ghamidi, J.A. (2009), “The Fundamentals of Understanding Islam”, Rennaissance. Retrieved August 12, 2011, from http:/ /www.javedahmadghamidi.com/index.php/renaissance/view/fundamentals-of-understanding-islam.
- Ghamidi, J.A. (2005), “The Political Shari’ah of Islam”, (S. Salim, Transl.), Lahore: Al-Mawrid, Retrieved August 19, 2011 from http://www.renaissance.com.pk/The%20Political%20Shari’ah%20of%20Islam.pdf.
- Ghamidi, J.A. (2004), “The Penal Shari’ah of Islam”, (S. Salim, Transl.), Lahore: Al-Mawrid, Retrieved from http://www.renaissance.com.pk/The%20Penal%20Shari’ah%20of%20Islam.pdf.
- Glassé, C. and Smith, H. (2003), “The New Encyclopedia of Islam: A Revised Edition of the Concise Encyclopedia of Islam”, Walnut Creek: Rowman/Altamira.
- Hasan, S.S. (2006, November 15), “Strong Feelings Over Pakistan Rape Laws”, BBS News, Retrieved August 23, 2011, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6152520.stm.
- Hassan, R. (2009), “Islamic Modernist and Reformist Discourse in South Asia”, In Hunter, S. (Ed.), Reformist Voices of Islam: Mediating Islam and Modernity, pp.159-186, New York: Sharpe.
- Hashmi, T.M. (2011, June 23), “Punishment of Rajam and the Qur’an”, Message posted to http://www.al-mawrid.org/. Homepage (2011), “Council of Islamic Ideology: Government of Pakistan”, Retrieved August 23, 2011, from http://www.cii.gov.pk/.
- “How Many Shia Are There in The World?” (2011), Islamic Web. Retrieved August 25, 2011, from http://islamicweb.com/beliefs/cults/shia_population.htm. http://www.facebook.com/JavedGhamidi and a few dozen other, smaller groups http://www.twitter.com/JavedGhamidi. http://www.youtube.com/user/javedghamidi.
- http://www.al-mawrid.org/pages/audio_video.php.
- Ibn Ishaq (2011), Sirat Rasulullah, (A. Guillaume, Transl), Retrieved August 24, 2011, from http://answering-islam.org/ Index/A/adultery.html.
- Iftikhar, A. (2004), “Jihad and the Establishment of Islamic Global Order: A Comparative Study of the Worldviews and Interpretative Approaches of Abu al-A‘la Mawdudi and Javed Ahmad Ghamidi” (Master Thesis), Available from the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University.
- International Crisis Group (2005, March 2), “Understanding Islamism”, Middle East/North Africa Report, Vol. 37, Retrieved 20 August 16, from http://merln.ndu.edu/archive/icg/Islamism2Mar05.pdf.
- Islahi, A.A. (2011), “Difference Between Hadith and Sunnah”, (S. A. Rauf, Transl.), Renaissance. Retrieved August 13, 2011, from http://www.renaissance.com.pk/jafelif986.html.
- “Islamic Scholar Attacks Pakistan’s Blasphemy Laws” (2011, January 1), The Guardian, Retrieved August 18, 2011, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/20/islam-ghamidi-pakistan-blasphemy-laws.
- Khan, S. (2006, August 25), “Attempted Murder of Ghamidi’s Magazine Editor: Cops Say Street Crime, Others Disagree”, Daily Times, p.1, Retrieved August 9, 2011, from http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C08%5C25%5Cstory_25-8-2006_pg1_3.
Abstract Views: 2
PDF Views: 1197
Related Articles
Critical Capability Concerns of School Entrepreneurs in Pakistan
Prof. Syed Zaheer Abbas Kazmi, Mr. Muhammad Bilal Khan