Love Pakistan. Here's why.

Micheal Crain had always been a big critic. That was primarily why he was a reporter by profession. He worked for BBC news, and his favorite pieces to run were always related to the troubles of Pakistan. He didn’t have anything personal against Pakistan; he was just a staunch believer in the all the reports of Pakistan being a country overrun by terrorists and corrupt officials, and he hated them for blaming all their troubles on America. Thus the extra dose of criticism from his side when covering a report on Pakistan.

Which was why he was none too pleased when he was told by his chief editor to make a trip to Pakistan and make a documentary on how life there is for the people.

“Are you crazy? You want me to go to that hellhole and DIE?!”

But his chief had been adamant, and Michael had reluctantly agreed. The only positive aspect in this ‘ridiculous charade’, as Michael liked to call it, was that his chief had not laid any imposition on him regarding the nature of the documentary.

A few days later, Michael found himself emerging from the Allama Iqbal International Airport, and out onto the sun-drenched streets of Lahore. The air was humid and sticky, the glare of the sun unbearably bright and piercing, and rivulets of sweat were running down his entire body. It was something he didn’t immediately register at first, for the sight of Lahore was too much for him to grasp at first. People in the hundreds were thronging about in the streets, amongst scores of cars, rickshaws and motorcycles; it was all a seething mass that Michael didn’t exactly relish getting caught up in. Footpaths cracked and the roads broken at places, and overflowing gutters were a common sight. And the noise! Angry drivers honking their horns impatiently, the indiscernible babble of people mingled with their shouting and laughing, street peddlers shouting out to people, the annoying drone of the rickshaws, and the even more annoying buzz of flies around his head… The entire place struck him as one of utter confusion. His loathing for this country deepened.

However, only two days later, he witnessed an event that forced him to feel otherwise. He had been sitting in a café with a cold beverage in his hand, staring out to the street, which an old woman was crossing, a bundle of cloths under her arm. Even as he watched, she swayed, and held up a hand to her head. She seemed to be growing dizzy by the heat. And then she crumpled to the sidewalk. For a few heartbeats she lay there, and then a young boy approached her lifeless form, and prodded her gently. When she did not stir, he started shouting in alarm. Immediately several people nearby rushed to them. They lifted the woman, and carried her to the café where Michael was sitting. All work around him ceased as she was laid on a table, and the staff gathered around as she was slowly revived, and fed a cup of cool water. The fact that the people chose to care for a poor old woman who nobody knew out on the street touched him in a strange way. After watching this event unfold before him, he started feeling his hate for this country (and Lahore in particular) ebbing away, giving way to something he had never felt for this country before: admiration, and respect. And before he knew it, he was head-over-heels in love with the place which had been the focal point of his criticism for many years.

Lahore was a dirty, crude and rough place on the surface, to say the least. The roads were too narrow at times and there seemed to more people on them than cars, so driving here was a nightmare. It was too congested, and gave him a feeling of oppression. Traffic jams seemed to crop up every other minute, and no authority to dissolve them. The buildings were old and cracked. Most places were devoid of even the most basic technological facilities. Yet it was under the veil of this coarse surface that Michael found the true beauty of this place. Lahore was home to a whole CULTURE. It had been 65 years to Pakistan’s independence, yet the traditions, rituals and art here all bore witness to the history of hundreds of years ago. It was most evident in the architectural designs of most buildings, the bazaars, the small, dirty streets, the tongas, the food, the dresses, the furniture; it was everywhere, down to the smallest detail. And yet, Lahore was a very modern place too, with huge shopping malls, cinemas, sports stadiums, the airport and the housing society nearby and whatnot. It struck him as a contradiction. Lahore was a conflagration of new and old, modern and historical, village and city, and he had never quite seen a place like this.

But it was not just Lahore that held him entranced; it was the whole of Pakistan. There was Karachi; a city apparently controlled by terrorists and plagued with target killing, kidnapping, robbery, rape and so. Yet it was also the city of lights, the most modern city of Pakistan, and a more alive place Michael was yet to come across. It was a concrete jungle, but the presence of the sea nearby gave him a feeling of openness and freedom. There were the northern areas of Pakistan, which was an entirely different world altogether. The breath-taking beauty of range upon range of huge, sprawling mountains, lush greenery, gushing waterfalls, streams of crystal-clear water originating from the top of snow-capped mountains and winding down the entire length of the mountain, fast-flowing rivers winding through the mountains, sometimes blue, sometimes green and sometimes milky-white, crashing upon boulders with a thunderous sound and spraying up foam, the fields of every fruit and vegetable imaginable; it all held him spell-bound. The deserts of Pakistan held a different beauty altogether; there was nothing but dry deep sand, high dunes that rolled away under a low, brooding sky. There was no sign of any living thing for miles, and he had never felt so alone before. And then there was the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad. It’s very existence was a contradiction to the image of Pakistan that had formed in his mind over the last couple of days, for here was a city that reminded him most of back home; a planned, modern city where people were caught up in their work and seldom had time for one another. Yet it had the Pakistani touch, for Islamabad was not a concrete jungle; here was modernism intermingled with natural beauty; a city set against the backdrop of the Margalla Hills. Putting it all together, Michael felt like he had seen the beauty of the entire world in that one week, and yet it was all here in one small country.

The thing about Pakistan that truly won him over though, was its people. Pakistan was not just another country; it was a conjunction of versatile cultures, each with its own customs and historical backgrounds. But the people chose not to associate themselves as Punjabis, Sindhis, Balochis or Pathans, but as Pakistanis. And their warmth and care astounded him. If anyone was in trouble, a whole contingent of people would rush to help him/her. One’s pain was all’s grief; one’s joy was all’s elation. Despite their busy schedules, they always seem to find time to spend with their families and friends, something he had hardly ever chanced upon back home. It made him realize that the Pakistanis were not just a nation; they were truly a brotherhood. They were groups of people who hardly had anything in common, but they chose to put their uniting factor before that: love for their country.

It was something that puzzled him greatly. Despite all the wonderful things he had discovered about Pakistan, he could see that this was a greatly troubled place. Suicide bombings, loadshedding, depletion of natural resources, no sense of security, corruption, absence of justice; all were dragging this country deeper and deeper into the depths of illiteracy and ignorance. So why this mindless patriotism? Why choose to live a difficult life in this country? Why not seek a life abroad, if possible?

He knew he would forever remember the chills that had run down his spine when a youngster, no more than fifteen, had answered this question for him:

“Pakistan to love hai. Hamara jeena, marna, sab is kay liay hai. Ye zindagi to sirf do, chaar din ka khail hai. Agar ye bhi hum apnay mulk kay liay qurban nahi kar saktay to hum kis qisam k mulki hain?”

Pakistan is love. Our life, death is all for it. This life is a play of just two to four days. If we can’t sacrifice even that for our country, what sort of nationals are we?

You might feel that I went overboard with optimism at places, and chose to ignore our tribulations completely. But in these harsh times, we often end up needing a reason to justify our love for Pakistan. At times, we need to let go of our harsh criticism, forget our troubles and focus on what is positive. This article was penned down with this very intent.

Happy Independence Day. Long live Pakistan.

Does Non-Patriotism equal Betrayal?

Pakistan has been seeing more than its fair share of problems in recent years. Be it suicide bombings, loadshedding, depletion of natural resources, no sense of security, corruption, the classic example of ‘justice delayed, justice denied’ or as such, life in Pakistan is no longer what it used to be. Every year, there comes a point where the people of Pakistan say to themselves, “It can’t get any worse than this”. But it does. The awful living conditions in Pakistan do not maintain a semblance of stagnancy, but rather one of continued degradation. In such circumstances, many a people living in Pakistan feel unpatriotic, and aspire to leave this country and seek a life abroad. Out of them some try, and few succeed. The question of essence is: can these people be blamed for feeling this way?

I have spent my 18 years of life in Pakistan, and one thing that I have come to know about this nation is that we are a hot-headed people. Regardless of the fact that many people might say otherwise, we do realize the sacrifices that our grandfathers rendered for the creation of this country, and so love for our country is boundless. Patriotism is something we hold at par with virtues such as honesty, courtesy, tolerance etc. But the truth of the matter is that patriotism is not a virtue per se. While being patriotic certainly is a very good trait to own, being unpatriotic is not a crime. If a person does not love his country, it gives me no right to judge him or condemn him to an act of criminality.

But the Pakistani people do not see it this way. This is a twisted fact, but a true one nonetheless, that Pakistani people often tend to take pride in the fact that they are having to survive through all sorts of troubles. Slogans like, “If you can’t sleep without electricity in the heat, you’re not a true Pakistani” and as such are common throughout the country. Consequently, if a person wants to leave this country and settle elsewhere because of how difficult life has become here, he is considered weak and immoral. But it doesn’t stop at that. He is also considered a traitor to the country and the people. People tend to develop ill feelings towards all those who want to leave this country. But is this really just? Let me describe the life of a common, middle-class man in Pakistan. You have to suffer a curse like loadshedding throughout the year, even in the extremely hot months of June and July, so you can neither get proper sleep nor concentrate on your work. There is no sense of security. At any moment, anything can happen to you. You cannot afford to be seen driving an expensive car, wearing an expensive watch or handling an expensive mobile, since it can be snatched away from you anytime at a moment’s notice. There is no justice here; if anyone wrongs you in anyway, you just have to put up with it. Inflation has risen so high that it has deteriorated the upper class people into middle class ones and the middle class people into lower class ones. The concept of education here is not to gain knowledge, but rather to make money from wherever you can. Jobs are dying out day by day, since the higher ups refuse to retire and vacate their posts, and gain extensions instead. Is this place really fit to live in, then? Can one be blamed for wanting to leave this country?

Also, if a person leaves a country doesn't mean he can't contribute to it anymore. A lot of people go abroad, but turn to their country in the time of need. There are many people who go abroad for higher studies. Once they have enough experience, they come back and create jobs rather than fight for them. For example, a Chartered Accountant with enough experience can set up an accountancy firm, which would help other students grow. Same goes for doctors; they often choose to set up hospitals rather than working in one. In fact, many people send money to their country from abroad which gives a great boost to the economy, and helps sustain its economical, fiscal and monetary policies. Would you label a person who does all that but does not live in his country a traitor?

Then there is the question of freedom of thought. As a citizen of a free country, I am entitled to hold my own opinion on matters without having people to judge me. Why then, can I not choose to be unpatriotic about my country? After all, you cannot force a man to be good person. You can only teach him the difference between right and wrong and then leave it up to him to choose which path to follow. Why not the same for patriotism? Because if love for our country is something that is people are forced to accept instead of letting them make up their minds about it themselves, then we are not individual citizens, rather mindless drones.

In my opinion, patriotism and love for one’s country is not as big and serious an issue as we tend to make it; hardly anything more than a personal choice. Patriotism is certainly an admirable quality, and God knows it is the one thing that is holding our country together. Patriotism is what unites us, and what is getting us through these tough times. And to possess it in such harsh conditions is no less than a feat. But if one isn’t patriotic, it’s not a crime, is it?

Our religion is perfect... Or is it?

It is the holy month of Ramazan these days, and the time of forgiveness, abstinence, and prayer has been upon us for quite some time. This year’s Ramazan was one we all had been dreading, for it was stationed in the extremely hot months of July and August. Some of the days were extremely tough, whereas others were relatively easy upon us. It was one of these days where I found myself musing over the fact that eighteen days of Ramazan have passed already. My brain registered this fact with a certain degree of shock, for it didn’t quite feel like the feat it was supposed to. I remember a time when the first fifteen days of Ramazan seemed interminable, and the huge sigh of relief we would heave when they had passed. But now, nothing. It seemed like the eighteen days of Ramazan were not much different from any other ordinary day,

And suddenly, it struck me why. It’s because the days of Ramazan are nothing more than ordinary days for us. Think about it: what more meaning does the month of Ramazan hold for most of us other than abstaining from food and drink? It is common to hear people exclaiming with pride, “tera bhai Sehri k baad soya aur Iftar se ghanta pehlay utha!” (Your brother slept after Sehri and awoke just an hour before Iftar time!). What is the point of fasting then? Because the purpose of the holy month of Ramazan is so much more than to merely make us realize the hardships of having to go without food and drink. It is the month where the gates of forgiveness are opened, and the devil is chained. It is the perfect opportunity to seek forgiveness for your sins, and set your priorities right. But if we do not avail these wonderful opportunities, then our fasting is nothing more than mindlessly subjecting our body to physical discomfort, is it?

And then I realized that this small, trivial thought has far-reaching implications. It is just not our Ramazan that has this problem, rather the whole of our religion. Islam is not just a mere religion; it is a complete code of life. It has given us counsel on each and every detail of life, minute as it might be. But we have restricted our religion to nothing more than its practices. If a person prays five times a day regularly, and he fasts, and he reads the Quran, we proclaim him to be a “pakka Jannati”. He is the most pious person ever. Is Islam restricted to religious practices only? What of all the rest of the things that Islam teaches us? What of all the small things such as how to how to treat your parents, how to behave with your teachers, what to do and what to refrain from in a social gathering, the concept of ‘Pardah’, refrain from backbiting and flattery and whatnot? Here’s a little example to elaborate. Often when hanging out with friends, we tend to taunt or insult each other (the correct term for it in Urdu is ‘point maarna’), or we tend to swear at others in general conversation. The victim flushes and retaliates. This kind of thing is usually done in a joking and relaxed manner, so it’s all good… Or is it? Think about the person you taunt or swear at. He retaliates, but what about the small stab of pain/hurt he feels before that? It may be momentary and trivial, but it is there nonetheless. And how is the Muslim defined? According to a rough translation, “A Muslim is he by whose hand and tongue other Muslims are safe”. We tend to forget all these little things and more that make Islam the perfect religion, and choose instead to declare ourselves the perfect Muslim based solely on following the Islamic practices.

Then there is another factor that needs to be mentioned here: the fact that we have made Islam a more restricted religion than it really is. People supporting the ‘liberal’ viewpoint often label Islam as an extremist religion, and they aren’t far off. Truth is, in our mindless battle to support Islam against the Western practices, we often end up condemning practices and concepts that are actually permitted. Consider the concept of education for girls. Hadeeth says, “Education is compulsory for every Muslim, man or woman”. Yet we maintain that girls should not get education. The concept of girls and boys studying together. It is one of those things we love to hate, and while it is not exactly favored in Islam, it’s not forbidden either, as long as the students dress properly and obey the limits. Then some people tend to limit religion to language. They consider it wrong to converse in languages such as Hebrew, the language of the Jews. But one must understand that it is not the language that is bad, rather the things were said in them. Conversing in Hebrew would not automatically be bad, or wrong. The perfect analogy to explain this scenario is to consider Islam as a pond of clear water; the perfect religion, a complete code of life. But what we tend to do is fill a cup of water from this pond, and make it the extent of our religion. Can the people be blamed for calling Islam an extremist religion then?

This small, trivial thought provides a possible answer to a very crucial question very common nowadays: Islam is perfect, but Muslims are not. Why is that? In my opinion, there is a difference between the Islam that is and the Islam we follow. We only follow a small chunk of the whole religion that is Islam. No one bothers to conduct a little research, to find out the extent of what Islam demands and offers outside of religious practices. Islam is perfect, but Muslims are not? No. The Islam we follow is not perfect. How then, can the Muslims be perfect?

The Female Fiasco

In light of recent events in this year’s ongoing Olympics, we have seen a number of protests in favour of equality of women or as they put it Feminism. It roots from the word female so people who want to promulgate it (chiefly women) have a clear insight of their purpose. There have been rebellious demonstrations of people who want a society with equal dichotomy of male and female with respect to exposure in all forms of life. In essence, they want females to be as open as they possibly can so any typical woman would not be indifferent.

What we recently saw in the Olympics was no nut job women like the psycho who killed innocent people in America during the Dark Knight Rises premiere. She was a Ukrainian who went half naked with a poster on her bare chest written “No Shariah”, just to publicize the meaning of Feminism, as well as bring a setback to the Muslim contenders who are already facing a clash with the holy month of Ramzan. More to the point she has targeted the Palestinian Muslim female who covered her full body while running in an event. The news quickly became rampant and got the viewers in a dilemma. It might have been a publicity stunt but it has got the people thinking that why Muslims have to be indifferent to certain standards set for everyone which now of course pertain to the Olympics. As for the activist I would call for some self-respect and advocating training if she had any and her actions show otherwise the kind of Feminism that she wanted people to comprehend.

Feminism is not a hot favourite topic to discuss today but it has been with those nations who claim to be its godfathers. Contrary to the popular belief that America is the superior Feminist nation, it is the same nation who had been strangling its throat for years. It holds good grounds that women have risen in their society to secure and potent positions. However, as a result of female suffrage, women were not allowed to cast their vote no earlier than the beginning of the 20^th century. Even black people had those rights by the year 1858. Although we are missing the point here that never has a woman from their social order been elected for president. A nation who used to undermine and detest black people would now rather have a Negro be president rather than Hillary Clinton who was an obvious candidate. Moreover, the skin show culture in these countries is a normality. What more is there to hide when you are oblivious to the fact that you have sold your body and not the product? I am afraid to say that Feminism is being wrongly perceived and to make matters worse being secreted for making women easier objects to handle.   

It is not sufficient to say that Feminism will be justified by consolidating fewer coverage of body with liberalism. If people have a problem with it then first they should remove their double standards. I am afraid to say that Feminism has been restricted to a nude science of women and I don’t mean to offend the Olympics or any given place with an attire criteria. Competition should be based on the dexterity of the athlete in a particular game and not the weight of their outfit. Respect and equality for women in all spheres of the community should be appreciated whether it is economic, political, educational or employment. Islam has from its inception been the paragon of equality for all of mankind. Stature for mother, daughter and wife was given. Right to vote was allowed from the start and let’s not forget that Benazir Bhutto was the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan and also the first Muslim women for any Islamic state. I would not argue with the extremist part of the world who only speak nonsense and no Islam, and who have compelled women to live a life of despair. Nevertheless we should not mix it up with a culture where certain clothing is traditional. What I feel is that there is less debate of Feminism and more targeting of the Muslim world. Food for thought ?  

People Still Care

Today I witnessed an event; the consequence of which was the dawn of a significant realization upon me. In itself, the event was not that remarkable, but it had far-reaching implications. This afternoon found me standing next to the Daman-e-Koh entrance, waiting for a friend. Being Islamabad, the month of July, and 43 degrees, naturally I was all hot and bothered by the intense heat. Nearby, there was a broken pipe that had been gushing water like a fountain for over 45 minutes before these two beggar kids arrived at the spot. One of them immediately rushed to a nearby tree and started peeling off branches. He started beckoning and shouting to his friends, asking them to help, maintaining that “paani zaya ho raha hai” (the water is being wasted). With their help, he stuffed the tree branches in the hole of the pipe and stopped the water from leaking and wasting.

While on the outer surface this incident may not seem to be particularly remarkable, it is what this occurrence implies that is of essence. Consider Ali: a nine-year old boy who belongs to the lowest class of people in Pakistan. He makes his living by selling flowers to car drivers on the roads. He suffers the brunt of all the crisis Pakistan is going through the most. And yet, today while others chose to simply look on and remain indulged in their apathy, Ali chose to care. This small act of his shows that he is aware of and cares about the fact that water is already scarce in our country, and it should not be wasted. It shows that he cares about Pakistan; the country which has forced him to make a scrimpy living by selling flowers in the sweltering heat; as well as about the people of Pakistan, most of whom he encounters on the roads and whom he gets told off by regularly for ‘being an annoyance’.

Considering the crisis our country is presently going through, a kid like Ali shines like a beacon of hope for all of us. This seemingly insignificant act of his shows that while conditions here may go from bad to worse, and from worse to worst, only to realize that the worst is yet to come, there are people here who still care about Pakistan and fellow Pakistanis. People who are ready to brave all that our corrupt governments are throwing at us, and more. People who are willing to pull out a last-ditch effort to save their beloved homeland, when the time is right. And while such people exist, you know your country is in safe hands.

Islam is Perfect but Muslims are not!

The term "Islamic Republic" is often used for many Muslim countries, but are the Muslim nations really following the Islamic model? Majority would definitely say "No"! Islam is the religion of about one billion people and is a rapidly growing faith worldwide, particularly in Africa. The United States, for example, boasts almost a million converts to Islam (plus an even larger number of Muslim immigrants). Islam's adherents find their faith second to none, for their religion possesses the code of life or in definition ‘Peace acquired by submitting your will to God’. As a leading figure in the Islamic Republic of Iran maintains, "Any Westerner who really understands Islam will envy the lives of Muslims."

Contributing to this internal confidence is the memory of outstanding achievements during Islam's first six or so centuries. Its new culture was the most sophisticated, Muslims enjoyed the best health and lived the longest, had the highest rates of literacy, sponsored the most advanced scientific and technical research, and deployed usually victorious armies. This pattern of success was evident from the beginning: in A.D. 622 Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) fled Mecca as a refugee, only to return eight years later as its ruler. As early as the year 715, Muslim conquerors had assembled an empire that extended from Spain in the west to India in the east. To be a Muslim meant to belong to a superior civilization in all manners of life. Muslims, not surprisingly came to assume a correlation between their faith and their worldly success, to assume that they were the favored of God in both spiritual and mundane matters.

Though in modern times battlefield victories and prosperity have been notably lacking. Indeed, as early as the thirteenth century, Islam's atrophy and Christendom's advances were already becoming discernible. But for some five hundred years longer, Muslims remained largely oblivious to the extraordinary developments taking place to their north. Perhaps the most dramatic alert came in July 1798, when Napoleon Bonaparte landed in Egypt - the center of the Muslim world - and conquered it with stunning ease. Other assaults followed over the next century and more, and before long most Muslims were living under the rule of European Colonialism. As their power and influence waned, a sense of incomprehension spread among the Muslims. What had gone wrong? Why had God seemingly abandoned them?

The trauma of modern Islam results from this sharp and unmistakable contrast between medieval successes and more recent tribulations. Muslims have had an exceedingly hard time explaining what went wrong. Nor has the passage of time made this task any easier, for the same ill-fated circumstances still exist. Whatever index one employs, Muslims can be found clustering towards the bottom - whether measured in terms of their military prowess, political stability, economic development, human rights, health, longevity or literacy. The Asian Renaissance (1997) that whereas Muslims make up just one-fifth of the world's total population, they constitute more than half of the 1.2 billion people living in abject poverty. As the imam of a mosque in Jerusalem put it not long ago, "Before, we were masters of the world and now we're not even masters of our own mosques."

So what went wrong?

In their effort to build a way of life based purely on the Sharia laws, Muslims strained to reject all aspects of Western influence - customs, philosophy, political institutions and values. Despite these efforts, they still absorb vast amounts from the West in endless ways. For one, they need modern technology, especially its military and medical applications. For another, they themselves tend to be modern individuals, and so are far more imbued with Western ways than they wish to be or will ever acknowledge.

And when Sharia based government does take power, as in Iran, Sudan and Afghanistan, the result is invariably a disaster. Economic decline begins immediately. Iran, where for two decades the standard of living has almost relentlessly declined, offers the most striking example of this. Personal rights are disregarded. Repression of women is an absolute requirement, a practice most dramatically on display in Afghanistan, where they have been excluded from schools and jobs.

In the end, my personal opinion is that we have adopted the modernized Islam in ourselves and completely forgotten the true principles of Islam. We are pretending to be unaware that we still follow the sayings of Allah and his Prophet. We adopted our own religion which varies from each person to other. To take Muslim world out of misery, we all Muslims countries should start the campaign of understanding the true Islam and unite to solve our international issues. It's a very difficult task in this era but we have to take the initiative because it's the first step towards the Muslims prosperity.