Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 2013-04-25

The Independent Communication Authority has given Top TV the green light to broadcast adult entertainment channels. Top TV will now be able to air the 3 channels but only during a so called watershed period between 8pm at night and 5am in the morning.

The decision follows fierce opposition from some quarters as well as an extensive public consultation process which Icasa undertook prior to granting the application by On Digital Media (ODM).

In a statement Icasa said, “The authority upholds the view that there is no law of general application prohibiting the production and distribution of adult content in the republic. Only the production and distribution of child pornography is expressly prohibited by law."

Icasa found most of the representations made were based on moral grounds rather than research to demonstrate claims that pornography and gender-based violence were linked. "It is the authority's view that indeed there is no basis or law for the rejection of Top TV's application,” the authority said.

ICASA’S Paseka Maleka says there are several other security measures in place to protect children and all objections were taken into account. “All the security measures including the double pin code as outlined in the application should be in place to safeguard children's rights."

Radio Islam’s Mufti Zubair Bhayat says that it’s absolutely crystal clear that pornography is prohibited in Islam and it’s an extremely immoral act. “There are many ayats of the Quraan, many hadiths of Rasool SAW that prohibit the viewing of the opposite sex, let alone in nudity and then indulging cohabitation.”

Mufti Bhayat reiterated that the depths of degradation and immorality will have an adverse effect on a person’s deed and actions; his/her morality, modesty, faith and beliefs. “It’s also going to distort the image of women in the eyes of men in that they will be viewed as sex objects, objects of abuse, objects of desire, the respect for women will diminish,” added Mufti Bhayat.

Mufti Bhayat emphasizes that blatant wrongs of pornography is not only an Islamic issue, but it’s a morality issue.  “And any sane minded person from any religious background will realize that it is extremely detrimental for society, the values of society. It actually promotes a lot of vice and evil in society,” said Mufti Bhayat.