Ramadan Fashion Galore

With the advent of the sacred month of Ramadan the TV channels have come up with a plethora of religious programmes, especially for the Iftar and Sehr shows. The stage setting and the decor is rather lavish and extravagant seemingly carried out in a spirit of outdoing one another. More than that it is amazing to see the male anchors dressed in very expensive designers’ kurta pyjamas and gold threaded khusas and the female anchors fully bedecked with jewellery in the most colourful bridal dresses and a profuse use of lipstick, mascara and rouge for the overdone makeup. Believe it or not the costumes and the garments worn once are not repeated and the audience are presented with a new outfit every day! 

Is it not over indulgence in extravagance and that too of an extreme order – a dress a day and that too highly expensive ? Is such ostentation not  forbidden in Islam especially during the month of Ramadan?  What kind of message these anchor persons are giving to their viewers? Why can’t they – male and female anchors - present themselves as normal beings dressed in a reasonably proper manner which apart from preaching austerity will also give the viewers a chance to look at them as to how do they really look without the makeup!!   

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)