What is more lethal: Terrorism or Fashionism?

By  Muhammad Daim Fazil

Undoubtedly terror rule in the realm of the country, for decades, has been posing socio-economic and physiological effects. Chaos manufactured by terrorism is highly destructive for effected families and the sufferers have no alternate to hang around. Additionally, we can incorporate the agitation and fear factor in the category of damages done by terrorism. However, in this entire given scenario, and lessons learnt from the past, the government and law enforcement agencies have somehow been able to tolerate the consequences of terrorism and now on a course to root out terrorism and its remnants by exploiting all obtainable means. The peace would be achieved, for sure, through dialogue, via military operation or by surgical strikes at militant’s hideouts. But the more lethal menace for Pakistani (somewhat Islamic) society in contemporary times is probably the so called ‘modernism’ of the mass. Fashion panorama has made inroads in the middle class and in the average minded people of the country on the name of transforming society into fusion of moderation.   Just like the ‘pioneers’ of terrorism justify their assaults by arguing that all this exercise is to enforce Sharia in Pakistan, supporters of ‘fashionism’ rationalize their stride in uttering that fashion industry has opened cross boundary and transnational trade, provided business to indigenous populace, a flurry of TV commercials which consequently doubled the livelihood of affiliated people and revamped the fading artistic activities in the country.

Few innocent philosophies arise when we mull over the hasty ingress of fashion in our lives. Had that not introduced, the future would have been diffused, Pakistanis would have been unable to breathe, incompetent of handling business and ineffective to sprint the economic apparatus, and above all the youngsters would not be titled as a ‘good citizens’ unless they would not taste the luxury of walking on the ramp.

It is bizarre to see almost nude girls walking on the ramp in a country where Islam is the religion and culture is bestowed with sophisticated traditions. How many among us are penchant to wear clothes with half naked glimpse and tattered looks while going to public? Even if you count the elite (liberal) class, the figure will not surpass than 10 percent. But the modernized media along with liberal school of thought’s projections are very much higher.

The phenomena is not merely confined to fashion shows, rather we can now observe beauty parlors and body shops in small towns too. Beards are no more symbol of following Sunnah rather it is now a style meter for male while hair cut, which is strictly illicit in Islam for females, is now taken as an ordinary exercise.

This is surely a miscue for our society not merely because it is profoundly embedded with Islamic norms but is culturally enriched in safeguarding the respect of human being, especially of females. Prototypes of modernism disguised in female stuff are not appropriate in the environment where we all are living. Terrorism left lots of Pakistanis boxed in but the leaning of fashion has penetrated in every house via cable and TV. Minds are transforming. Terrorism is lethal for few areas, districts or cities but fashionaism is affecting every nook and corner. Fashion onslaught debilitated cultural values and the morality rate has sharply declined. It is time to decide what is more poisonous for us; terrorism, which disrupted the peace cycle, or fashionism, which infiltrated in the minds and society and has generational implications.