On recommendation of Prime minister Imran Khan Pakistan Television has started airing popular Turkish drama series “Resurrection of Ertugrul” dubbed into National language Urdu as Ertugrul Ghazi. The drama has gone viral in Pakistan since then. It has garnered millions of views With millions of subscribers.
Turkish drama which is dubbed as Ertugrul Ghazi has mixed reviews from Pakistani celebrities. There are those who are celebrating it and then there are those who have some genuine concerns.
Whereas Waar actor Shaan Shahid who opined about Shahrukh Khan’s voice in The Lion King seems unhappy with the airing of Turkish drama Dirilis: Ertugrul on National Television. He thinks that one should try to find their own history and heroes.
Now, Pakistani activist, Mohammad Jibran Nasir has taken to Twitter on this matter. He has stated that there are many beautiful cultures in Pakistan but still, people face an identity crisis which is also seen in our diasporas. He added that people mimicked Arabs tracing their roots to Bin Qasim. And now they ‘re trying to be Turks.
Jibran Nasir Engages in Twitter Debate
Turkish Drama Ertugrul Ghazi depicts the life of Ertugrul Ghazi, who was the father of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire.
It seems that no-one seemed to fathom what Jibran Nasir was saying. Therefore, they started criticizing him while comparing the impacts of Ertugrul with other TV Shows like Money Heist and Game of Thrones. Problem is that Money Heist and GOT both don’t make an attempt to preach Islam which is said to form the basis of the identity of Pakistanis.
This user thinks that Jibran Nasir was seeing things from the western point of view. Pakistanis never followed Arabs and Ottoman Empire was a big thing in 19th century.
Jibran Nasir is famous for his liberal standing on many important social issues. He is also a staunch supporter of reverberating movement like Aurat March. This user again didn’t know in which socio-political context Jibran was speaking and instead of coming up with valid argument she again used it as an opportunity to slam slogans like Mera Jism Meri Marzi..
Is This Drama A Way to Revive Islamic Caliphate?
Turkish Drama Ertugrul Ghazi is not just a Turkish TV series. It is an instrument in teaching Turkish history, Islamic history and Islamic culture. It is a source of revival and understanding of the Islamic caliphate system. Well, the question is how do you use dramas (whose actors don’t seem to have anything to do with in Islam in real life) to revive the Khilafat?
Well, it was Jibran Nasir’s argument that watching Turkish drama can make someone Turkish which irked many. This user suggested Jibran Nasir to not watch Indian item songs as it will be a great risk for him.
Some questioned Jibran why it was not problematic for liberals when the same PTV used to air western movies.
He received much criticisim on his thoughts and said Series like Money Heist should also be banned. Our banks are in danger
They also brought Jibran Nasir’s dance video on Indian song, ‘Dilbar Dilbar’ with his fiancee, Mansha Pasha, and pointed out if this was how embracing his own culture looked like.
Other Turkish dramas including Mera Sultan, Ishq-E-Memnu, Ek Haseena Ek Deewana, and Kosem Sultan also become hugely popular in Pakistan.
Is Jibran’s Point Entirely Useless?
Well, not really. In Pakistan, people are actually facing identity crisis since they have been taught a flawed history for a particular purpose (something that states in every country do to manipulate the minds of their people). Making dramas and then airing the stories of Khilafat movement in a time when the Muslim world is distinctively bipolar and race between the power-seekers is eminent, does need consideration. It is up to the people on what do they want to watch and what point of view they do have about anything aired on media. But there is a need to be worried about when heads of the states start recommending dramas.
Pakistan is indeed rich in different cultures due to its millennia-old civilizations like those of Indus Valley civilization etc. Despite this, its people still have looked towards an Arab invader as a hero for the county is an Islamic republic. Now they are looking towards a Turkish as a hero because he was a flawless Islamic conqueror (It is to be noted that school curriculum in Pakistan teaches more about Arab invaders than Ottoman rule except that of Khilafat Movement in Pakistan studies book).
If the people of a country are taught about and made to watch the stories of heroes from the Arab world and Turk tribes in the name of Islam then are not they going to end up face an identity crisis on whom they should actually relate to or follow, since only religion as a binding force has proven insufficient. Something which is evident from the conflicts between the states of major Islamic states.
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