Tasnim Nowshin Fariha:
Being a die-hard cricket fan, I felt proud of Tanzim Hasan Sakib while watching the Bangladesh vs India’s Asia Cup match on September 15th. I clapped on every delivery bowled by him in the magical spell of seven overs. But, is it possible to admire the talent of a sportsman irrespective of his human character? How easy is it to appreciate junior Sakib’s bowling skills despite the fact that he is a misogynist? Tanzim Sakib has reportedly apologized to Bangladesh cricket board (BCB) for his regressive posts against women on social media. Later, the cricket board has clarified why the tiger bowler is not a misogynist.
But why should we be convinced so easily by their vague explanations? Why should we forgive Sakib, when he apologized to only BCB and god knows for what reasons? BCB officials might have pressurized him to stage an apology to safeguard the board’s reputation. A mere “sorry” is not enough to testify his sense of repentance or motivation for self-transformation. Sakib might have apologized only to secure his career, public image, and the future brand deals. Deep down, he might still be as misogynist as he ever was. Google says that junior Sakib was a good student who obtained board scholarships. When an educated cricketer nurtures such misogynist thoughts, how can BCB ensure that his mindset has changed overnight? How practical is it to believe that a super-misogynist 20 years old man has suddenly become gender-sensitive?
Source: https://www.saradin.news/news/170280
My biggest concern is, how will Sakib bear the flag of a country like Bangladesh where women have been playing key roles in socio-economic development? How justified is it to let him represent us [women] at international level? The country has been successfully led by two female leaders for three decades now. Since 1990s, the blood and sweat of female garments workers and remittance fighters have been the main fuel of economic growth. Women have been playing leading roles in teaching, health sector, and civil services. They have made path breaking contributions in scientific research, peace-keeping missions, and entrepreneurship. Women cricketers and footballers have gifted us international trophies that men could not do. If we eliminate all women from public sphere, it would not take long before the country goes back to its “basket case” scenario.
Cricket could have never come this far in Bangladesh without the country’s overall socio-economic development. But, could men alone have achieved a 400 billion-dollar GDP without women’s support? If not, then who would have paid the king size salaries of male cricketers? Despite winning Asia Cup, our female cricketers are severely underpaid compared to their male counterparts. Still, Tanzim Sakib is complaining about women stealing men’s jobs. Then what about the fact that women are paid less than men in all economic sectors of Bangladesh?
He probably needs to look at the example of Afghanistan. Talibans have already shut Afghan women out of society. Girls over sixth grade can no longer go to school, and women are barred from most public-sector jobs. Banning women from work is triggering their overall economic fallout. In the milieu of a collapsing economy, what is the future of cricket in Afghanistan? On the contrary, look at Bangladesh. Look at the moral and financial support our prime minister [a woman] provides to the men’s cricket team. Should she be locked inside home too? It is worth mentioning that, despite been active in politics for four decades, our prime-minster has always been a wonderful mother who raised her children really well.
Now, what does Islam say about playing commercial sports? In the eyes of Islam, playing and earning through sports is not haram, as long as there is no use of unfair means or illegal transaction of money. Look at the current nature of cricket. In this neo-liberal capitalist world, how halal is the money earned from cricket or any other sports? With growing commercialization of international cricket, franchisee leagues, gambling, betting, spot fixing, advertisement and brand deals, how sure is Tanzim Sakib that every penny he has earned so far is halal in Islamic terms? By participating in commercial sports, is he not deviating from our prophet’s teachings on fair means of income and a simple life? Besides, the preferred clothing for Muslim men is usually a loose robe covering the body from the neck all the way to the ankles. Then, why does he play cricket wearing a tight-fitting jersey in a stadium full of audience [including women]? Is he not aware how sexually sports channel can represent male cricketers for extra-profit? During cricket matches, the camera men often highlight the backs of fielders to attract more audience. Then, how come his playing cricket is halal in the eyes of Islam, while women pursuing jobs becomes haram? Before giving advice to women, I think Tanzim Sakib should evaluate his own lifestyle first.
Our great prophet married a widowed businesswoman back in sixth century, and here we are still dealing with men like Tanzim Sakib in 21st century. So, what is the way forward for us? First of all, both men and women from all ages need to change their mindsets. But what is more important is to learn about Islam from authentic sources. The so called flag-bearers of Islamic Jihad needs to go back to history books and learn about the true virtues of Islam. During the darkest times of history, Islam emerged as a source of hope, tranquillity, equality, and justice for human kind. It is high time, we must stop misrepresenting Islam to create divide, discrimination, or inequality.
About the writer:
Tasnim Nowshin Fariha has obtained both her BSS (Bachelor of Social Science) and MSS (Master of Social Science) degrees from the Department of Women and Gender Studies, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. She takes immense interest in research, writing, and feminist knowledge production. Her areas of research interest encompass women’s empowerment, disaster and vulnerability, gender and development, & gender based violence. She aspires to introduce transformative changes in the male-dominated knowledge production system of Bangladesh by unmuting the voices of excluded/marginalized groups.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author.