MUSIC AND ITS EFFECTS [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

this "Newsweek" commentator, Joseph Morgenstern, adds: "If the effect of
Television violence on children has been finally demonstrated, it’s not un reasonable
to assume that ultra-violence in the movie has some effect on adults."

The
real danger of films shown on Television lies in the philosophy of life or value system
that they propagate very subtly in many cases. This underlying more system does not get
edited out for television, as do most of the sex scenes and profanity.

And
one cannot switch off the set as soon as some thing objectionable appears, because often
the viewer does not even realise the subtle moral implication of the film. Even an
intelligent and educated person can easily be effected by such films.

On
U.S.A. T.V., a film "Easy Rider" was show which made heroes of two young men who
"earned their freedom to take a crosscountry motorcycle tour by smuggling heroin into
the United States from Mexico. NO criticism of their offense, nor even of their own
indulgence in drugs was implied in the film. In fact, smoking marijuana was portrayed as
perfectly normal and very agreeable, and even the use of hard drugs left no ill-effects.
When these points were discussed with a group of College freshmen-all of them from highly
religious homes of them admitted that the film had left them confused about using drugs.
"It (the film) made it look so nice, "one said, (Eternity-October, 1971, pp.
29).

In
some films the main characters are portrayed as sweet, gentle, loving and admirable young
people, in spite of the fact that they are in bed with partners whose names they do not
know. Even a person with firmly grounded sexual morals and little temptation to change
them begins to sympathize with these gentle youngsters and to feel that, after all, such
behaviour is not particularly damaging.

When
children are exposed to such films, it gradually changes their attitude and undoes what
the poor Mulla or Maulana has been trying to instill in them.

Almost
every evening he sees ngomas, dances, kissing, dating, violence, scenes of night clubs;
and eventually he accepts all these things as normal and starts considering all those who
oppose these things as "abnormal".

It
might be argued that not much violence or immoral films are shown on local Television. It
should, however, be borne in mind that poison, however small the dose, seeps in and does
damage.

Furthermore,
it should not be forgotten that the standard of morality of those who control showing of
television programmes is different from ours. Things which in their eyes are
"innocent" are most objectionable from our point of view. Drinking, dating,
dancing, kissing, etcetera, may be "innocent" to them but we would not like our
children to accept these ideas and follow them.

Even
with much noise being made by those in authority about guarding the morality of the
public, quite Often extremely objectionable films, even from their own point of view, are
shown on television. Once such a highly objectionable film was shown on Nairobi television
about which "East African Standard" had to write as follows:-

"The
Nana’ controversy is just dying out the film having now been "deported" to
Mombasa. But another Nana’ in the name of Celestina’ appeared on V.O.K.
television last Wednesday, as the Midweek movie.

Part
of this otherwise excellent drama depicts Celestina’s husband indulging in massage
treatment to a charming and highly romantic young girl.

The
exercise develops into proper romance when Celestina’s husband starts undressing the
girl, and she obliges. The bedroom scene continues until: Enter Celestina, looking
furious.

Having
suspected what was taking place, she picks up a knife and drives it into her
husband’s heart. I would not mind seeing this film, and particularly the sex scene,
in a cinema, as it would be my individual decision to see it by paying for it.

What
V.O.K. has done is to bring right in our homes such a film with highly romantic scenes.
What are we expected to do in our houses with children around ? Just look at such scenes
and laugh them off ? One wonders what sort of society we are trying to build."

(EAST AFRICAN STANDARD — 15.5.72)

The
"Perry Mason" and "Falk" series films which are often shown on our
television are American films showing violence, immorality, etc, which is likely to have
an effect, specially on children. Some of these films propagate "ends justify the
means" slogan.

In
a film called "Evening Rider" shown on Cost television, a teenager was shown
married to a man her father’s age and being tempted by the husband’s own son of
the same age. (East African Standard, 19th April, 1983). It left one with the impression
that adultery, for such a teenager was justified.

"Grab
Game" was shown on Nairobi television which showed a person looking for a job
attacking the manager of the firm and the manager tells him in fear to "come next
Thursday" (East African Standard, 12.3.73) it was nothing but propagation of
"Might is right".

That
such films have an effect on even adults car be judged from the reviews of these
programmes from accredited journalists who are not only intelligent but highly educated.

A
reviewer of Television of East African Standard once wrote, "I have in mind the fact
that a procrastinating father finds himself sharing a girl friend with his own son. One
may turn round and blame the poor girl for having extended both hands, but what about
difficult time when the father, and I bet he was doing it without the knowledge of his
perhaps halfway starving family, offers assistance, including paying overseas academic
fees and all that goes with it. ?

(EAST AFRICAN STANDARD 26.3.73)

It
can be seen that instead of revolting against the immorality of the girl, viewers are made
to sympathize with her and condone her actions.

The
censor Boards controlling showing of programmes on television change, and we may see a
time when the Board is more lax and permissive. We may then see highly objectionable films
being shown on our television which have brought chaos in the United States of America.

It
will then be difficult to tell our children to stop viewing TV when we have introduced it
to them and made them its addict.

However
strict we may be at home in trying to control what programme our children should see, but
once they are addicted to it they will see even the highly objectionable programmes as and
when they get an opportunity. We shall be held responsible before God for introducing
televisions to them and weakening their moral fibre. God says in Quran, "O ye who
believe, save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones."
(66.7)

Let
us not expose our children to immoral behaviour and turn them into fuel of fire.

(All
quotations in this article unless stated or otherwise, have been taken from "ETERNITY
" October, 1971 and July, 1972 Issues.

E
N D

LIST OF THE BOOKS REFERRED TO:

1.
Translation of the Holy Qur’an, by M.V. Mir Ahmad Ali

2.
Ghina Ki Hurmat, by Seyyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi

3.
Falsafa-e-tahrime-E-Musiqui; published by ‘Dar Rah-e-Haqq’, Qum

4.
Intisharate-e-Yazdahgana; published by Anjuman-e-Tablighat-e-lslami, Tehran

5.
How your Nervous System Works; by J.D. Ratcliff; Reader’s Digest — Book of Human
Body

6.
Foundation of Biology, by William D.Mc Elory & Carl P. Swanson and others;
Prentice-Hall Inc., U.S.A.

7. The Bridal Bed, by Joseph Braddock; Corgi Books, U.S.A.