https://arab.news/8q26h
- Jameel says he did not mean to target ‘any specific men, women, persons or gender’
- During prime minister’s telethon last week, he implied women’s behavior and clothes contributed to coronavirus outbreak
ISLAMABAD: A popular Pakistani preacher who last week suggested that the coronavirus pandemic was caused by “immodest” female clothing, apologized for his comment on Tuesday.
“Recently I made some comments that I wish to clarify. My aim was to point out that WE are all to blame for our current state,” Maulana Tariq Jameel said in a Twitter post, adding that he did not mean to target “any specific men, women, persons or gender.”
He explained his goal was to remind everyone on their spiritual side rather than their desires, and that he did not mean to hurt anyone. “I am the first to admit as I have taught over the years, that there is no excuse for making any hurtful comments about anyone or making anyone feel uncomfortable. For which I sincerely apologize to anyone who may been inadvertently hurt,” he wrote.
In a televised fundraiser organized by Prime Minister Imran Khan for coronavirus response on April 23, Jameel said humanity had been punished in the past for breaking religious norms and values, and implied that Pakistani Muslim women’s behavior and clothes were a contributing factor to the pandemic.
“Who has demolished modesty in my country? Who is making the nation’s daughters dance? Who is shortening their dresses? Who should be held responsible?” Jameel said during the telethon, spurring an immediate backlash and attracting ridicule from activists and politicians.
Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari tweeted it was “simply absurd” for anyone to suggest the COVID-19 pandemic was a result of women wearing short sleeves. “This simply reflects either ignorance abt pandemics or a misogynist mindset. Absolutely unacceptable,” she wrote.
The cleric was further blasted by social media users for ignoring his own group’s role in spreading the virus. He is a senior leader of the Tablighi Jamaat missionary group which has been blamed for aggravating the outbreak in Pakistan by holding a gathering with 100,000 participants in March, after the virus had already been detected in the country.
Jameel is one of Pakistan’s leading preachers. His sermons are widely broadcast on state-run and private TV stations, while his YouTube channel has 3.5 million subscribers.