Dating and Morality in Pakistan in Wake of TV Host Maya Khan’s Firing

By ⋅ January 30, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment
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Maya Khan (Photo: Samaa TV)

Maya Khan (Photo: Samaa TV)

A TV show is also making headlines in Pakistan.

The show’s anchor was fired for producing a program in which she raided a public park in Karachi, hounding young dating couples and questioning their morality.

Asra Nomani teaches journalism at Georgetown University.

And she’s the author of Standing Alone in Mecca: An American Woman’s Struggle for the Soul of Islam.


Discussion

5 comments for “Dating and Morality in Pakistan in Wake of TV Host Maya Khan’s Firing”

  • Anonymous

    In Kingston, Ontario, Canada, the Shafia family (father, mother and son) have just been convicted of first degree murder of their three daughters and the father’s first wife by drowning and disposing of the bodies in a car pushed into a canal. The victims had enraged the murderers by having boyfriends. Your story about the TV host ambushing young men and women laughed and made light of the “aunties” scolding and embarrassing the young people. Considering that innocent women have been murdered in freedom-loving Canada by parents with a “twisted, sick sense of honour” for dating, it is entirely inappropriate to mock teens in Pakistan, perhaps putting them in danger. 

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Asra-Nomani/534060170 Asra Nomani

      Dear Sad_in_Canada: I feel your sadness and also feel as you do. Though it may seem as if we are laughing at this TV show in Pakistan. Trust me, I see the deadly seriousness of the topic. I’ll have a story on TheDailyBeast.com tomorrow if you could look for it in which I connect the killings in Canada to the vigil-aunties in Pakistan. The girls’ mother killed them, just as these aunties are trying to police young girls. To me, it’s part of a dangerous trend of women as enforcers to women. By the way, I don’t approve of the program in Pakistan. If we didn’t laugh, though, we’d only cry.

      • Anonymous

        I appreciate you clarifying your approach to this story, Asra, and your new article is insightful. As much as I wish I could step back and ‘laugh’, the Shafia trial in my hometown of Kingston is still too close and too fresh to let me do that. This is all new to me and at this point, I can only react with sorrow.

      • http://profile.yahoo.com/TBHJA23X3VNBJDXKLSWCXVIGUE Mazeof

        What you want is To implement the so called liberalism(the destroyed & damaged family system).Sorry  We dont want your destroyed system the so called liberalism? Take it with you.Why dont you look at rapes of innocent women & 5 to 7 years old girls??
        She was a truth speaker thats her only fault you N.g.o puppet!!!!

  • Noel Adorno

    What-the-fatwa.  Vigil-aunties.  Ghetto Hijab.  NPR/PRI really needs to invite Asra to commentate on more Pakistani issues.  I was born in Afghanistan, lived in multiple Muslim countries, and now work with many Muslims — but never heard some of the terms that made this such a colorful and memorable interview.  Asra really does bring a contemporary perspective to the world. Without videos I can so picture those Vigil-Aunties interrogating couples in the park.  Love it!