Blogger Najm Al-Din reflects on the recent “Coldplaygate” scandal and highlights the western media’s obsession with prurient sensationalism and public shaming, whereas Islam would prioritise privacy, family preservation and ethical accountability.
Over the past few weeks, the internet has been awash with memes satirising a chief executive of a U.S. tech company who was caught on a big screen embracing a female co-worker at a Coldplay concert, before abruptly hiding from the camera.
Both Andy Byron – CEO of the software firm Astronomer – and Kristin Cabot, the company’s head of human resources reeled in shock when their intimate cuddle was beamed on the screen, fuelling rumours of an affair which was confirmed once it emerged that both were already married with children.
Ever since the clip went viral, reenactments of the ‘kiss cam’ incident have flooded social media and content creators are having a field day with the meme, with many online parodies featuring celebrities and politicians canoodling with each other.
Amidst such scrutiny, Byron tendered his resignation and Cabot was placed on leave.
While videos caricaturing the infamous event continue unabated, the online reaction to the incident is a damning indictment of a culture that is addicted to scandal, controversy and human suffering.
Scandal
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Scandals, especially of a salacious nature, are precisely the content which many western journalists deem worthy of filling the column inches.
Not only do they elicit strong emotional reactions and capture public interest, the intrigue surrounding them leads to sensationalised coverage and higher levels of readership.
In addition to serving as a powerful tool for storytelling, its shock value is exploited to pique our curiosity, drive audience engagement and boost advertising revenue and ratings for online publications.
In a competitive media landscape, this market logic is central to the operation of modern journalism as soap-operaish dramas tap into the attention economy, thus explaining the frenzied focus on sex scandals.
Therefore, it’s hardly surprising that the student who filmed the incident at the Coldplay concert and uploaded the video on TikTok is being advised on how to build her brand and monetise her visibility.
Journalistic unscrupulousness aside, the past few decades have exposed a consistent pattern and feedback loop where western audiences lap up highly publicised affairs and amplify the media’s schadenfreude.
From the Clinton-Lewinsky saga which led to impeachment proceedings against the President to Tiger Woods’ philandering escapades resulting in a significant public fallout, the public’s barely contained glee at their fall from grace is symptomatic of the dysfunctional relationship with morality and sexuality in western liberal societies.
In this highly toxic public-media ecosystem, both journalists and consumers are only interested in cranking up the drama dial by serving narrow voyeuristic pleasures which are part and parcel of today’s Reality TV obsessed culture.
Social impact
As millions revel in what is arguably the meme of the summer, the real life repercussions of “Coldplaygate” on the betrayed partners and children of Byron and Cabot seem little but an afterthought.
The impact of extramarital relationships extends way beyond the individuals involved, often destroying the very fabric of the family unit which is the cornerstone of any stable society.
Far from being a private matter between consenting adults, the social and emotional ramifications of adultery inflict deep and often irreversible wounds on the family.
In addition to shattering trust which is essential to any functioning relationship, it can lead to a profound sense of inadequacy and loss of self-esteem for the betrayed spouse.
Meanwhile, the children often suffer from heightened levels of anxiety, emotional instability and psychological trauma which causes them to develop insecurities and a cynical attitude towards love, romance and relationships in adulthood.
At a time when the children who are hurting from Coldplaygate are in desperate need of healing, they are having to endure the embarrassment of their parents being turned into a meme-fest and will likely carry the legacy of shame for years to come, simply because the online world can be an unforgiving place for those who shared no part in the wrongdoing.
Islam
It is disheartening to witness some Muslims also circulating Coldplay memes, without reflecting on the Islamic ruling of such conduct.
So under Islamic law, how would Coldplaygate be managed differently?
Firstly, the Islamic legal injunction which discourages Muslims from idle chatter and harmful gossip should suffice to caution against the muckraking which is commonplace in western journalism.
Although the Shariah acknowledges the benefits of reporting on public misdemeanours so long as it fosters accountability and deters those in positions of power from violating Islamic principles and abusing their status, there’s a fine line between journalism which serves the public interest and that which exploits human emotions for tabloid fodder.
In many instances, reporting on high-profile scandals such as the Harvey Weinstein case or abuse of minors in the Catholic Church can reinforce the positive role of the press as a public watchdog, committed to justice and transparency.
However, this should not be conflated with making a spectacle of ordinary members of the public, which often blurs the boundaries between public scrutiny and individual privacy, with tangible and lasting consequences on the well-being of the wider family.
By sharing the Coldplay memes, we are incentivising the media to prioritise sensationalism and profit over other values like ethical reporting and respecting privacy.
Therefore, Islamic law would deem the Coldplay incident a personal family matter to be arbitrated by the courts and certainly not a significant cultural moment which licenses public shaming.
But Shariah law does not stop at merely exhorting Muslims to be mindful of their language when discussing public scandals.
One of the Maqasid al-Shariah (objectives of Islamic law) is the preservation of lineage (nasl) which Islamic law seeks to protect at all costs. This is achieved by promoting the virtues of loyalty and faithfulness through the sacred institution of marriage, and discouraging illegitimate relationships which are perceived to threaten the social order and destabilise the family structure.
Considering this traditional legal classification which places a huge importance on the preservation of lineage, it is unthinkable that extramarital relations can be treated with light-hearted comedy under an Islamic ruling system, which prioritises the stability, cohesiveness and well-being of the family unit over any appetite to satirise a corporate scandal.
Instead of fixating on the juicy details of a publicised scandal, Coldplaygate is an invitation to command good and forbid evil, by contrasting the moral bankruptcy of western civilisation which seeks any opportunity to exploit human suffering with a more principled vision of family and marriage, attached to strong moral anchors based on divine law and order.
As the cost of our engagement always falls on the victims, let this be a moment for dawah and introspection and not a cheap laugh at another’s expense.
