Yes, let’s be Liberal – to the Point of Nudity on Public Roads.

I remember, at school, I was once asked to prepare a speech on ‘Enlightened Moderation’. At that point in time, the term was newly ‘imported’ from the West, as informed to me by a grand-uncle. He had asked me to stay away from it for behind the unperceivable veil of a term as innocent as ‘Moderation’ lay a whole new ideology that attempted to change the perceptions, ideas, beliefs and actions of the upcoming generations of Pakistan.

Almost a decade later, the term no more sounds strange to me. I have read, heard and seen quite a lot on the media about the seemingly never-ending debate about ‘Extremism’ versus ‘Moderation’, ‘Liberalism’ versus ‘Conservatism’ and ‘Freedom-of-Expression’ versus ‘Oppression’. These terms have been dwelt upon by minds disproportionately than far more important ideas have been such as justice, morality and economic progress has, specifically talking about Pakistan. Now, the result today can be clearly seen.

The generation I belong to has mentally defined these terms for itself (after being inspired by certain ideological campaigns by certain people within and outside the Pakistani border), the definition being that

“ ‘Moderation’, ‘Freedom-of-Expression’ and ‘Liberalism’ are ideas that collectively seek to borrow and adapt (actually the worst of the and rarely a few good) social and cultural values of the West and to strengthen a few degraded traditions from within our own culture. ”

This, I think is the ‘Net Effect’ of the term an adolescent heard years ago,  a term that grew into a whole belief in the fact that whatever a person feels like doing and however, he has all the right to do it and should be encouraged to go ahead with it even if it is as shameful as…

photo by the author

… posting a larger-than-life-sized-billboard degrading a woman! . . .

  

Today, in Pakistan that was ‘created in the name of Islam’, a fast-food franchise’s billboard ad uses not only the picture of a model who seemingly is wearing nothing to sell something as irrelevant and mundane as cheese-sticks but also captions it as ‘Kya Cheese Hai’.  It translates into English [Kya = What, Cheese = Thing, Hai = is] as ‘What a Thing!’… Speaking about the connotation of the phrase, it is so derogatory and disrespectful for a woman in Pakistani culture that the least a woman would do would be to slap a man who would pass such a remark on her, if she has the strength to.

This example very well illustrates the definition I mentioned above of ‘Liberalism’, and the terms of its like, for what was done in Pakistan by this franchise seems clearly inspired by one of the worst practices of the West –capitalising on feminine beauty. Here have a look…

I have censored the picture because I believe that I don't have to
post nude photos of my fellow sisters in order to prove my freedom of expression.

Right in the middle of the road a 40 feet high billboard ad features a naked woman again, to sell something as mundane as trainers!– and the only concerns the Western media shows about it is that it might cause road accidents!!!

At this point when the society fails to call bad as bad as it is, and the few voices that rise are lost in the continuous noise being made in the name of ‘Freedom-of-Expression’, I wonder if I make any sense at all to anyone out there.

Picture courtesy : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1300827/Naked-Kelly-Brook-posters-blasted-deadly-distraction-drivers.html

Oh Please! Don’t Give Me Pepsi when I ask you for Coke!

I was no older than seven when it happened but I remember it pretty clearly still. I and my family were shopping in this open-air bazaar in Sharjah and though it was night-time, the air was hot and humid like it always is. So, naturally we felt thirsty at some point in time and thought of having cold drinks. Walking along the pavement, we almost ran towards the first chiller we spotted and started exchanging coins for cans. Once my dad quenched his thirst he said something like… Pepsi is just too sweet, wish Cocacola’s chiller was somewhere near.

Thirteen years later, in Pakistan…

I had to get a drink with my doughnuts and munchkins and asked the Dunkin’ Donuts man for a Fanta and he gave me a Miranda! And I was almost about to return it back to him but then I told myself not to be that … well, choosy.

But actually it was not about being choosy. It is about getting what you want and what you ask for! May be the difference isn’t perceivable in the non-disposable bottle version of these drinks we get in Pakistan commonly but Pepsi and Coke ARE poles apart and so are the other apparently similar drinks from these two companies such as Sprite and 7up.

Pakistan, is probably one of the very few places in the world where Pepsi rules in general. When people here want a ‘black’ drink they are very less likely to ask for Coke. And even they do, they are as unlikely to get it because of the push marketing/supply strategy that both Coke and Pepsi use today.

Ask a shopkeeper, a supermarket sales person or someone sitting across the counter in a renowned franchise such as KFC and he/she will tell you about how they can keep chillers of either Pepsi or Coke at a time and not both. And I think that is PLAIN dumbness. Well, I don’t mean that literally because of course I know these companies secure their sales by driving out their main competitor from the point of sale but does that lead to brand loyal customers in the end?

I think not.

It’s not true for me at least. I might be having Pepsi for about ten years now, not having a choice that is but that hasn’t really toned down my desire to have Coke each time I purchase a drink. And though I know the poor salesperson is not to be blamed but every time he gives me something other than what I had asked for, I feel like screaming in his ears, “Oh Please! Don’t Give Me Pepsi when I ask you for Coke!”

P.S. : I have enabled the option for commenting anonymously, so for those friends who go through a lot of trouble while posting a comment, you can use this :)

Islam and Marketing

Since I have a presentation tomorrow for which I haven't even chosen an article, research work to be done for API, more than 20 marketing articles to be discovered and analysed and tens of chapters to be read before the end of this month, it is natural that I do anything but what I am supposed to do.

So here goes an article which I had written in BBA II for the Iqra Society. Hope you like it!

''In this rapidly industrializing world, where science never ceases to create new wonders, where the fashion and film industries flourish and where markets introduce hundreds of new commodities, services and even brands to consumers each year, hence prosper, it is a pity that the general ethical, moral and religious standards move quite in the opposite direction. Of course, it would be unjust to blame only one factor for this deterioration of humanity because one evil gives birth to the other and hence, creates a whole web or rather cycle of anti-social elements. These factors definitely vary in their intensities and so do their magnitudes. And these elements are so deeply entwined that it becomes a complex task to distinguish the merits and demerits of one from the other’s. Furthermore, the chore becomes even more challenging when an attempt is made towards improving these moral conditions by classifying phenomena into ‘wrong’ or ‘right’. In such an event when logic fails to define these relative issues and where consensus is desired, Islam, in my opinion serves as the rope that ties humanity together.

As Muslims, we must seek and are in fact accountable to improve the conditions of whatever areas of life we dwell in. Today, we are business students and tomorrow will bring us a lot of opportunities to prove ourselves one way or the other. Apparently, we usually do study about application of ethics in the corporate world but the theories get lost somewhere in the struggle to stand out amongst one’s peers and to impress one’s superiors. In such events it is only the fear of Allah and the Hereafter that guides one to the right way. For many ‘marketing’ may be the key-word. Yes, I see marketing as a pillar today which supports businesses unconditionally and goes to any length to promote the product at hand no matter what. Hence, it is the duty of the individuals behind shaping the marketing industry. Islam can and should be used as the sole guide for it is in my opinion ‘extremely moderate’ (perplexed???)

There are many modes of marketing, several of which, fortunately, have still not found their way into our country. However, the ones those exist are misleading enough and need to done something about. Below, I have tried to put how many aspects of advertisements and other marketing techniques go against Islam, hence, are socially, morally and ethically wrong, even if we fail to recognize them as so.

INCOMPLETE FACTS 

And cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is). 

(Verse 42, Chapter 2(Surah Al-Baqara)) 

Normally salespersons blow the positive points of the product at hand out  of proportion. Apart from the exaggeration, advertisers deliberately leave out the undesirable features. The verse above asks to strike balance among all the facets of the subject telling all the facts in the right proportion. Hence, it would also inform consumers about the adverse effects of the product and save many users from health problems and other hassles.

HYPOCRISY 

Advertising agencies are created to advertise and only advertise. Had they had any ethical values, curses such as cigarettes, drinks, etc would never be portrayed in such a positive manner which lures our youth into trying them and into even further evils. However, the brainchild behind a successful ad himself knows the harms and avoids it. The models too, who apparently make huge claims about products do not themselves believe in it. Hence, their claims are nothing but out right lies.

Most loathsome is it in the sight of God that you say what you do not do! 

(verse 3, Surah 61( Surah Saff))

Allah hates hypocrisy. Naturally, if we stick to the right path, we won’t even have the need of using these sinful tricks.

HARAM PRODUCTS/ SERVICES

We saw earlier that the advertising industry is blind and does not care about its methods. Furthermore it does not even care about the nature of product it sells. In fact, even in a Muslim country like Pakistan, we do see advertisements of contemporary banks, on our television sets, in spite of the fact that Riba (usury) has been declared a major sin.

“That they took riba (usury), through they were forbidden and that they devoured men’s substance wrongfully – We have prepared for those among men who reject faith a grievous punishment.” 

(Verse 161, Chapter 4(Surah Ni’sa))

In fact, foreign channels, which we frequently watch, also advertise drinks, haraam edibles and other forbidden things.Repeated exposure to such advertisements can if not make us use these products, at least lessen our resistance towards them, ultimately carrying us away from Islam which asks to condemn the wrong according to our capacities.

VIOLATION OF HIJAB

One of the worst features of marketing today is violation of the limits prescribed by the Quran and Sunnah regarding Hijab. Today, we hardly find a billboard, a tv ad or poster without an attractive woman. The westerners, in the name of art, culture and ‘liberalism’ make their mothers and daughters’ beauties public to be view and ‘enjoyed’. And hijab is not just limited to the extent we cover our bodies up to. According to the our Prophet (PBUH) it has six basic conditions :

1. The extent should be covered (from naval to the knee, for man and the whole body except the face, hands and feet, for women)

2. The attire should not resemble that of some opposite religion.

3. The attire should not resemble that of the opposite gender.

4. The clothes should not be close-fitting and reveal the figure.

5. The cloth should not be translucent.

6. A Muslim’s robes should not reflect worldly honour.

However, almost all of these conditions are violated in advertisements and go unnoticed because we have incorporated them in our lives and become habitual. In fact, the advertising/ modeling industry has recently affected our minds so much that many men today have started adopting feminine characteristics in their attires in the name of ‘metro sexuality’.

Furthermore, it must be noted that hijab is not just restricted to clothes. A Muslim is required to display decency is his body language, while interacting with the opposite gender and even in solitude. However, today we see transverse waves coming from the ad industry.

EXTRAVAGANCE

Marketing obviously has modes other than television ads as well. Today corporations look out for prominent social events like seminars, conferences and even graduation ceremonies or corporate dinners and if approached in a convincing way grant huge sums of money as sponsors. The aid is primarily given so that the sponsors may get a chance to advertise themselves and share the credit for the success of the event. It must be noted that these events though do have a sensible vision but are so much draped by unnecessary worldly pomp and show that it becomes unpleasant in the sight of Allah.  The speakers or chief guests if coming from off station areas are kept at 5-star hotel rooms with costs more than what is required. The interior of the venue is so decorated that violates all the rules of simplicity and humility taught to us by Islam. Definitely, the marketing sector is not to be completely blamed here. As, previously mentioned, this corruption is more like a cycle than any thing else.

MUSIC

The prophet said, "From among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks and the use of musical instruments, as lawful. And there will be some people who will stay near the side of a mountain and in the evening their shepherd will come to them with their sheep and ask them for something, but they will say to him, 'Return to us tomorrow.' Allah will destroy them during the night and will let the mountain fall on them, and He will transform the rest of them into monkeys and pigs and they will remain so till the Day of Resurrection."

No. 5226 (The Book of Drinks), Sahih AlBukhari

Most may think that an advertisement without music will be lifeless but it is not so. Today, we can easily capture natural sounds and with sound editing softwares, (without manipulating the original piece) enhance its pleasant features. For instance, Peace TV, a 24-hour Islamic channel, owned by the IRF (Islamic Research Foundation) uses sounds of waves, birds, water, etc to make their presentations attractive. It also extracts portions from Nasheeds.

 SYSTEMATIC CORRUPTION 

We usually see that negative elements have more permittivity than positive ones. Hence, one wrong act supports the other which may be even worse. Social sectors, specially the ones that deal directly with masses of people, just as the marketing industry have very spontaneous and long lasting effects on people.

However, as Muslims it is all up to us how we set our priorities.

“O my people! This life of the present is nothing but (temporary) enjoyment: it is the Hereafter that is the Home that will last.” 

(verse 39, Chapter 40, Surah Mu’minun)

 May Allah bless with guidance all those who seek it. Ameen.''