A R C H I V E S
Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| This disturbing digital age |
|---|
| abdul_aziz |
| 08/01/05 at 11:53:10 |
| [slm] This is about the recent (disturbing) spate of scandals involving camera-equipped mobile phones and similar digital devices. Having left office early today, I stopped by at the local CD parlour to pick up a movie to watch at home with my family. As I stood there, flipping through the pages of the album of movie listings, there came in a group of 2 or 3 college guys, in the age group (I’d say,) of 18 to 25. I was overwhelmed by the warm welcome the store owner gave them on this cold rainy evening. I thought they too would want to have a look at the album, so I moved a bit aside leaving room for atleast one of them to poke his head in and look at the flipping pages. But I was in for a surprise when the youngest of them asked the shopkeeper to play something he referred to as ‘home-made’. It was then that I happened to look up at the small television screen situated overhead that had started playing a hazy film which looked more like an amateur home video. Within a few seconds I figured out that the hazy images moving around on the dark screen were actually a couple in a ‘compromising act’, with a small pet animal running in the background, and they had been caught on candid cam. Almost immediately the group blurted out a commonly known, 3-lettered acronym, for a public school mms scandal that had rocked India some months ago. Mixed emotions of shock, embarrassment and a feeling of having committed a sin by seeing two unclothed bodies for those couple of seconds, swept through my mind... I didn’t know how to react, and the best I could manage to do was to tell the shopkeeper that I had some other work to do and would come back later (which I knew, I would never). I hurried back home, through the rain, praying to Allah (SAWT) to forgive me for those few seconds when I had looked at those images... Now as I sit down to think about the increase in such kind of incidents and the MMS scandals taking place all over the place, I can’t fathom how people seem to find such (sadistic) pleasures in interfering in, exposing, and making a business out of other people’s personal lives. Doesn’t it go a long way to show how incredibly perverted some people might get? Not that I’m advocating that the couple who were involved in the act were innocent or something, and that what they did was correct. I strongly condemn such boys and girls, who for the sake of their (apparently) uncontrollable desires for the opposite sex, or to get that feeling of being modern and ‘cool’, tend to give in to the temptations of Satan, and end up committing any such unspeakable acts of intimacy which are deemed as ‘Haraam’ in Islam. They are totally wrong, and I strongly express my disapproval of their actions. But that’s a different story now… The point that I’m trying to highlight here, is that whoever captured the images or clips, used a camera-equipped mobile phone, or a similar easy-to-carry-and-conceal photographing device. Its all so easy for them to use these pieces of equipment to satisfy their depraved minds. There are so many sites on the net that are giving out free content such as this and much more than the mind can imagine to all wanting to take them. Where is the right to privacy of an individual? A girl can’t take a bath in her own bathroom without a fear that someone might have installed a candid lens in the closed window up above her head. A person can’t change clothes in a readymade clothes store (or at a tailor’s for that matter), without apprehension that there might be something behind those mirrors or that someone might be poking the camera through the keyhole to record his/her actions. A girl bends down to pick up a pen, and what do you know, the next minute, posters of her behind are all over the internet. And for the ‘not covered’ (as I call them) ladies, there are perverts all over the place looking for a chance to capture any exposed part of hers on their cell phones or digicams and send it over for the world to watch. ‘Sex sells’ they say eh? The digital age, has ushered in a new (unwanted and unwarranted) revolution of perverted individuals who’re being led (astray) by Satan and his allies straight into the gates of hell. But on their way, they are spoiling many innocent lives and slandering many people who have no clue they are being watched or recorded. And also in line with these pervs are jilted-lovers and pissed-off friends (please excuse my language), who use their ‘resources’ to get back at their counterparts. Think of all those people who are being (or have been) wronged, someday an acquaintance of theirs tells them that pictures or clips of them are available on some pornographic sites on the net, or (worse,) in the local sleaze joint. Think of the amount of pain and trauma they would go through… Well, I think from all this, we have many lessons to learn and truths to realize. The first of all being that the rule of keeping men and women apart, (according to Islam) is very important and must be followed by us all. This, I believe would help people avoid committing such shameful acts and hence reduce such mortifying incidents. Second, I believe that the Islamic dress code (for both men and women) should be embraced by all. How many times have we heard of ‘covered’ Muslim girls being led astray or getting captured on lens in compromising positions? The Islamic dress code protects one from being looked at with a bad gaze and awful thoughts. Also, one must be watchful of every move and cautious at every step, for there is no knowing where these menaces-to-society might be lurking around. Keep your eyes and ears open, and be well-informed and aware of your surroundings. Brothers and sisters, if you come across these incidents or see people involved in perpetrating such stuff, please try to ask them not to do so. It is not right in the least bit, even if you know that the people filmed/photographed are wrong in their acts. A ‘Momin’ should oppose injustice and evil at all times. One should try to stop a wrong-doer (with force, if necessary) from the act of wrong doing. If that isn’t possible, or the adversaries are too strong and would cause harm if one tries to force them, then one should try to tell them to stop their transgressions and get back on the right path. If that can’t be done either, one should atleast curse the offenders in one’s heart and ask Allah (SAWT) to punish them for their bad deeds, and ask HIM for forgiveness for one’s not being able to stop them. That is the least one could do to vote against the evil that takes place. My dear brothers and sisters keep your prayers regular and do not drop down to the level of ‘taht’ ever. No matter how big the temptation is. In the end, it’s no use feeling sorry for yourself and crying tears over it. Indulge in ’Dhikr’ and keep a control over your ‘Nafs’. It is said, that one who conquers his ‘Nafs’, is the biggest conqueror, and one of the important forms of ‘Jihad’ is against one’s own ‘Nafs’. I would end this post with a prayer to Allah (SAWT) to keep all our brothers and sisters safe from prying eyes, and that all of us are always miles away from the temptations of Satan. —Ameen [wlm] |
| Re: This disturbing digital age |
|---|
| jannah |
| 08/01/05 at 14:00:39 |
| slm, not sure how to reply to the above...never heard of this being a problem except for those kids at some fancy boarding school in india but just wanted to say that if people followed islamic morals inwardly [i]and[/i] outwardly then it would be a big help to society in preventing and minimizing depravity. both are needed. secondly, a huge component that needs to be there is the teaching of respect for women. any society that doesn't have respect for women, ie thinks of them as second class, baby makers or biryani makers or thinks certain women are of a "different class" and thus allowable to be disrespected will have these problems. and i think it would help alot if parents understood that kids need to get married earlier.. there are too many temptations out there |
| Re: This disturbing digital age |
|---|
| Nadeem |
| 08/02/05 at 18:49:38 |
| [slm] You're right, people are abusing technology like mad. There's a craze over here called "happy slapping". Like in your description the phones here (in England) can record video clips too. The craze started when someone slapped another, and then filmed their reaction. Soon, it became more common for people to run up to strangers and slap them in the face, whilst their friend recorded it on their phone. There was case where a man from Manchester went out drinking and in his inebriated state fell asleep at a bus stop. Two 18 year old boys set fire to him "for a laugh" and then filmed the incident on their phone. The boys were heard laughing on the video about how funny it was. The man was left permanently scarred and with serious psyhcological problems as a result of this. Last month, a 14 year old school girl was ambushed by three boys who went to her school. Two of them raped her, while the third filmed it on his video phone. They were found out because they sent the MMS to their friends, and before long most of the school had seen it. Society is going down the toilet. :( |
Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board |