Mominah Zahid |
In a series of inappropriate and borderline absurd tweets, Fasih Ahmad, the editor of Newsweek Pakistan, has outraged the entire nation. The sad truth of the matter is that this is not the first time that his tweets have been completely bizarre, inappropriate and downright offensive. The fact that he is the editor of a well-established publication in Pakistan, as well as a major contributor of Lahore Literary Festival, seem to be insignificant positions of power for Fasih Ahmad who absolutely has no respect for them.
As a public figure and the editor of a publication that covers serious social and political issues, it is not only shocking or offensive that a man that purports to not only be a segment of the educated elite but a keen representative of it should be unacceptable to the public. Another harrowing reality that exists within this alter twitter ego that Fasih Ahmad has created is that his display picture consists of an abstract animation of Donald Trump. Judging by the crude and obscene tweets that he has publicly shared with his 13 million followers, it is not farfetched to presume that the most infamous bigot of the 21st century is an ideal role model for this man.
If there was any molecule of saving grace that could have allowed the public to give him the benefit of the doubt and presume that his account was hacked, he clarified to the best of his abilities by tweeting that “His account has not been hacked. Relax.”
One of his tweets insults a prominent actress addressing her as a “vulgar whore” because his gym instructor was preoccupied with training her as opposed to catering to him.
Actress Meera hogged my gym instructor today. Vulgar whore. Meera as well.
— fasih (@therealfasih) February 28, 2012
In another series of absurd tweets, he has carelessly used heart break emoticons while sharing traumatizing stories of prominent female personalities who were sexually abused.
— fasih (@therealfasih) January 16, 2018
As if this irresponsible behavior was enough to derail his public persona for an indefinite period of time, he had the audacity to make a crass, ruthless and insensitive remark about sexual child sex abuse flippantly stating that child sex abuse cannot be eliminated and leads to great art which according to him is one advantageous outcome of sexual exploitation.
https://twitter.com/therealfasih/status/955788565371392006
https://twitter.com/therealfasih/status/955783806790795264
Read more: UK blames protestors as Trump cancels London trip
Tweets in themselves are not materially harmful as there is only so many consequences a few letters can yield in actual reality but that is not the point. The point here is that the public at large is responsible for allowing arrogant bigots like Fasih Ahmad to not only participate in the literary and intellectual circles of public life, but we have systematically allowed men like him to be representative of our collective intellectual life which in itself raises the question; Are we, the general public, as absurd and ridiculous as the trump tweeter of Pakistan for not only accepting men like him in positions of immense power but choosing to put them there in the first place?
udging by the crude and obscene tweets that he has publicly shared with his 13 million followers, it is not farfetched to presume that the most infamous bigot of the 21st century is an ideal role model for this man.
It can be said without an atom of doubt that if Fasih Ahmad was the editor of a national news magazine in any other part of the world not only would he be scrutinized but he would be eliminated from the sphere of journalism on the basis of these insensitive, offensive and ridiculous tweets. These tweets do not reflect his character at large but they are most definitely representative of a mindset that runs rampant in Pakistan.
Read more: Trump scrambles for cover as ‘shithole’ slur fuels outrage
This is the mindset of complete arrogance and ignorance on the part of the elite that do not have the moral integrity or responsibility to be heading publications that not only deliver the news to the public but shape their entire worldview. Men like Fasih Ahmad do not deserve to be a part of news publications yet alone head a publication like Newsweek. If there was any molecule of saving grace that could have allowed the public to give him the benefit of the doubt and presume that his account was hacked, he clarified to the best of his abilities by tweeting that “His account has not been hacked. Relax.”
https://twitter.com/therealfasih/status/955860476998639617