Dr Aamir Liaquat was the newscaster on Geo Television’s very first news bulletin, after the liberalization of the electronic media in the Musharraf era.
Sporting a middle-class nerdy look, he instantly appealed to audiences. Alim Online, shot him to fame, with Pakistanis at home and abroad. He was also seen cooking Nihari on live television, and reviving the popular game show Neelam Ghar, during Ramadan.
Dr Aamir Liaquat possessed tremendous energy when he anchored shows with a live audience for hours on end. He became extremely popular as a self-taught Islamic scholar, who was eloquent and gentlemanly. Fame is a slippery slope and a double-edged sword. With fame come fake friends and real enemies. The immensely talented Dr Aamir Liaquat became a victim of his success. He made a few irresponsible statements on television, which damaged his image. He shot himself in both feet when he made a personal attack on the late Junaid Jamshed. Oblivious of the necessity of impression management, Dr Aamir Liaquat was an open book. His marital troubles, his courtship and subsequent marriage to a much younger celebrity ruined his image. The final nail in the coffin was him divorcing his first wife in a very controversial manner. His female fans turned into haters in one fell swoop.
In South Korea – which is culturally similar to Pakistan – all actors have managers who handle their public relations. The manager skillfully engages in impression management for the actor. Dr Aamir Liaquat Poured his heart out to his fans, expecting them to empathize. He dug his own grave by making his private life very public.
Overtly religious Pakistani women on Facebook declared the revenge porn video as Divine wrath.
By the time he married Dania Shah, he had become a hated figure. Had the third marriage been kept private, he could lay low and bide his time. However, he lacked wise counsel, so he continued to showcase his marital life with his teenage third wife on social media. He thus became public enemy number one.
Pakistan is a sexist and misogynistic society. Marriage is the only way women can gain respect and safety. An average Pakistani woman’s life purpose is to marry and her greatest fear is divorce. The man who divorces his wife, angers all women as he threatens them to the core. Such a man is vilified, even if his marriage is toxic due to a bad wife. This is the price Pakistani men pay for their misogyny.
Aamir Liaquat had not done anything illegal or sinful. His marriages and divorce were religiously and legally valid acts. His personal attack on Junaid Jamshed was a low blow, but every human makes mistakes. We cannot – in good conscience – define a man by his one low act.
Pakistan is a country where people wear Islam on their sleeves. Yet the nation stooped low and showed satanic traits when it came to bullying Aamir Liaquat on social media.
Dania Malik recorded a disrobed video of her husband Aamir Liaquat inside their bedroom and released it on social media. This was a shameless act in retaliation for him releasing an audio clip, which showed her willingly engaging in the oldest profession in the world.
Allah has designated spouses as each other’s garments (Quran 2:187). A garment is worn to conceal one’s body. Dania Malik’s revenge porn was the ultimate betrayal. Revenge porn is when a former intimate partner publicly releases disrobed and/or sexual images as revenge for any real or perceived slight.
Prophet Muhammad said for men and it applies equally to women: “The most wicked among the people in the eye of Allah on the Day of judgment is the men who goes to his wife and she comes to him, and then he divulges her secret.” (Sahih Muslim 1437). Pakistanis did not condemn Dania and many gleefully shared the video, even uploading it on their own Youtube channels to attract viewers. The revenge porn video violated Youtube Terms of Service, apart from violating Allah’s commandments, yet our Muslim brethren were oblivious of any worldly or Divine punishment.
“BEHOLD, God enjoins justice, and the doing of good, and generosity towards [one’s] fellow-men; and He forbids all that is shameful and all that runs counter to reason, as well as envy; [and] He exhorts you [repeatedly] so that you might bear [all this] in mind” (Quran 16:90).
Seeing a disrobed Dr Aamir Liaquat indulging in substance abuse, delighted everyone who hated him. Overtly religious Pakistani women on Facebook declared the revenge porn video as Divine wrath. Their hatred – spurred by their insecurities – made them lose their humanity. These women were proclaiming that what befell Aamir Liaquat was well deserved when Allah SWT clearly commands the Muslims to be just even to those whom they hate.
“O believers! Stand firm for Allah and bear true testimony. Do not let the hatred of a people lead you to injustice. Be just! That is closer to righteousness. And be mindful of Allah. Surely Allah is All-Aware of what you do.” (Quran 5:8)
These Quran-thumping women condoning revenge porn did not even stop when news of Dr Aamir Liaquat’s passing surfaced. They continued to lash out at him with their vile tongues in solidarity with his divorced first wife. Caught up in this transient world, these women are oblivious of Allah SWT who is not just Merciful but also Wrathful.
“Indeed, those who love to see indecency spread among the believers will suffer a painful punishment in this life and the Hereafter. Allah knows and you do not know.” (Quran 24:19)
Allah SWT has postponed His Judgment for each human, till the Day of Judgment. His Mercy exceeds His wrath (Sahih Bukhari 3194) so the door of repentance remains open to each human, till the hour of his or her death approaches (Quran 4:18). Pakistani Quran thumpers twist the religion to suit their worldly goals. They cancelled Dr Aamir Liaquat in an ultra cruel way.
Pakistani memers, Youtubers and Facebook commenters failed humanity and betrayed their faith when they supported revenge porn against Dr Aamir Liaquat.
“The hypocrites, both men and women. are all of a kind: they enjoin the doing of what is wrong and forbid the doing of what is right and withhold their hands [from doing good].” (Quran 9:67)
The writer is an independent researcher, author and columnist. She can be reached at [email protected]