Daily Times

Gone are the days when Ramzan used to be celebrated by the people of Pakistan along with the state run PTV. The transmissions at sehri and iftar were filled with recitations from the Holy Quran and experts gave solutions to various problems as per the Islamic approach. This was accompanied by praises for Allah and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and qawaalis. In the last decade, with the evolution of the electronic media, all that has changed and now we are experiencing media frenzy in Ramzan, where the transmissions dedicated to sehri and iftar stretch to hours without any end. All the traditional programming has been replaced by overexcited hosts and equally hyper shows.The strategy to gain ratings and acquire sponsorships has overcome the concept of what was simply to notify the viewers the timings for fasting. It is not only the media that has contributed to the commercialisation of Ramzan but also the corporate sector, especially through providing products and services to end-users, thereby utilising this month to gain a larger market share.

The Ramzan transmissions have been transformed into game shows and fanfare while acquiring a controversial repute. Hosts are busy giving away gifts, prizes and babies to studio audiences, sponsored by corporate entities. The giveaways range from designer clothes, mobile phones, cars, to abandoned or orphaned human babies. Now, the shows more often call upon celebrities such as entertainment and political figures, philanthropists and sponsors to attend as guests. The role of subject experts or scholars is there but now to some sense limited.The hosts have now taken their place as experts on religion. Even media figures with certain notoriety to their pasts have joined this bandwagon to clear their names. These hosts have become household names, are extremely popular, and some have a cult-based following. Quoting a foreign news source, a Ramzan anchorperson can be “…described as a religious scholar, TV megastar and even a sex symbol.” The patterns of most of these programmes replicate each other, as they mostly have media celebrities as hosts, who invite renowned guests, also including religious scholars and subject experts. The audience is constantly engaged through various activities, which also include distribution of prizes on answering religion-based questions.

These shows have also become controversial as people consider them to be promoting brand-based religion, where iftar is incomplete without a specific cooking oil or juice and your favourite pastime in Ramzan is supposed to be a suitable mobile package. People who are in need of assistance are invited to these programmes and the aid given to them is openly advertised. The anchorperson seems to be following the format of a modern day Tariq Aziz Show, rather than conducting a religious programme. This is due to the ever increasing corporate influence, which is cashing in on the religious sentiments of the people to sell their products and services. Well, at least they are not exploiting these sentiments to promote violence. Another reason for these shows being controversial is the religious information being disseminated, which sometimes proves to be incorrect or only promotes the concept of a specific school of thought. There have been instances where anchorpersons have transcended their limits and have carried out irresponsible actions, such as ridiculing guests on live television. This has led to considerable criticism on the nature of programming being telecast. Recently, the social media has been filled with such criticism and contains content highlighting such instances.

The growing outreach of the electronic media has prompted some corporate entities to utilise it to full capacity, while they no longer have to submit to the monopoly of one channel.The corporate sector, besides sponsoring such programmes, has also jumped into this trend. Recently, a telecom company introduced a mechanism that keeps track of your good deeds through Twitter. I wonder if they are looking towards acquiring an outsourced contract from upstairs. Similarly, others are offering deals on Umrah and Hajj on the purchase of their products. One positive aspect that seems to arise from all this is that corporate and commercial entities carry out philanthropic activities to improve their standing. The viewers are also encouraged through these programmes to give charity and zakat. The atmosphere of Ramzan within our culture has entirely changed, as it now also represents fanfare and celebration along with religious responsibility.

The question that is now presented to us is whether all this religious evangelism and renaissance within the backdrop of corporatisation is a positive or negative development. The answer is simple: it is for the consumers to decide. Whatever the consumers decide, it is through the power of the remote control that they will convey this to the media and the corporate sector. The viewership of these programmes results in promotion or discouragement of such trends. Surprisingly, the controversial programmes seem to have better ratings. If the consumers decide to discontinue this trend, then all they have to do is to change the channel.

The writer is a development consultant. She tweets at @GulminaBilal and can be reached at coordinator@individualland.com