The Use of Television

during visits to Muslim countries. I inquired about the viewership of Islamic television programs and found that only a small number of people watched them. In many homes, when an Islamic program appears on the screen, family members switch off the television, saying, “Turn it off; this is a government program.” Almost all Muslims of the Indian subcontinent hold deep affection for Iqbal. Yet, strangely, Iqbal’s poetry has remained for them largely a song to recite, rather than a source of practical guidance for life. For example, Urdu poet Mohammad Iqbal said: Aaeen-e-nau se darna, tarz-e-kuhan par arna Manzil yahi kathin hai qaumon ki zindagi mein Fear the new order, cling to the old way—this difficult path alone defines the life of nations. Yet the condition of Muslims—especially of the religious class—is that they react emotionally to every new development. They show a negative response to almost every new thing. Television is one such example. Among the religious class, television is often regarded as being as evil as Satan. The correct approach in this matter is to distinguish between television itself and its misuse. Television is a manifestation of divine power. It operates through natural laws created by God. The principle on which