The recent animated movie, KPop Demon Hunters, has gained popularity among Malaysians thanks to its colourful visuals and catchy songs. So much so that many Malaysian kids have gotten quite hooked on it.
With that in mind, one Malaysian father is now sharing why he decided to disallow his child, who is studying in a private Islamic school, from having anything to do with the cartoon.
Taking to the Angel Pakai Gucci Facebook page, he explained how he had gotten into an argument with other parents in his child’s school WhatsApp group on whether to allow children to watch the animated movie.
He wrote, “Last night, I argued in my child’s school WhatsApp group. The reason? My child was caught downloading a KPop Demon Hunter poster onto my iPad. When I questioned my child, they said that their classmate had introduced the show to them.”
“When I voiced out my concern in the WhatsApp group, I assumed for sure that the majority (even if not all of them) of parents would support me. How surprised I was when a couple of mothers questioned me, asking, “What is not okay? Because no matter what the story is about, to me, we need to apply what’s good and what’s bad.”
He then listed out, in the WhatsApp group, why he thinks KPop Demon Hunters is unsuitable for kids. Here are his reasons:
- K-Pop culture itself (songs that are not beneficial)
- Clothing that is flashy and immodest
- Demon hunter? What morals are we trying to instil in our children?
A mum didn’t back down
After hearing his reasons, one of the mums in the group further shared her disagreement, saying that as parents, it is their job to teach their children right from wrong when their kids are exposed to different things.
“She said, we as parents have to show what is right and what is wrong. We should be smart in taking care of our own children. And she added, if I say that the songs in KPop Demon Hunters are not beneficial, then all stories and songs are not beneficial,”
“I thought about whether to respond or not. Based on my instinct, I felt too lazy to prolong the argument. But, this was also an opportunity for me to preach and convey what I have kept in my heart,” he explained.
He then sent a long message to the group about parenting in Islam. Here is his message:
“My apologies, ma’am. Maybe our parenting methods are different, and I respect that. It’s just that in Islam, there is a universal method always used, which is that prevention is better than cure. Exposing our children to immoral things when their perception of Halal and Haram, what is right and what is wrong, is still not established, I don’t think that’s smart,”
“This is not to say that (the kids) have not matured yet, but whether or not they have discernment has yet to be determined. And to say that all longs and stories are not beneficial, that’s not right either. We have many alternatives that are far better and righteous,” he wrote, adding that he did not wish to continue the argument and that he only wanted to urge parents to monitor their kids more closely.
He explained that he wanted to go into the ‘we should be smart in taking care of our own children‘ part, as, in Islam, it is encouraged to “mind other people’s business, especially if their business is getting dirty in front of our eyes”. Though he ultimately chose not to, considering the long message he had already sent.
He also shared that another dad also sent a long message to the group in support of him.
“Alhamdulillah, the mum did not respond. I felt thankful that she didn’t respond, not because it’s a sign that I won, but it’s a smart decision not to prolong the debate.”
Parents! Monitor your kids closely
He ended his post by urging parents to be more mindful of their kids, especially if their kids have smartphones and other gadgets.
“Don’t wait until your children are already trapped, and only then do we sob. Don’t wait until your children have crossed the line, and only then do we pick up the cane and beat them. Things can be prevented, and for sure, it starts at home!”
What do you think about this? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
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