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Being Pakistani is definitely something us Pakistanis take pride in, I mean, our culture is pretty exciting. The never-ending wedding events, the constant meetings with relatives, not to forget the amount of respect we give to our elders. Pakistanis are scattered everywhere around the world, aren’t we?
There’s a vast majority of Pakistanis who are born and brought up in the West, more specifically in countries like the UK, US, and Canada. But, living our entire life there hasn’t seemed to change our beliefs towards our cultural traditions and Islamic religion. And that, I believe, is definitely a good thing, as we haven’t let the Western culture interfere with who we are as Pakistanis. I am not talking about the whole population of Pakistanis living in the West, but I can certainly speak for a lot of them, including myself. Of course, I am not trying to imply that we’re perfect because nobody is; I am just trying to clear the misconception of some, who think being born and bred in a country belonging to White people will cause for us to forget our roots.
However, what myself and many others don’t understand is why there are so many Pakistanis living in Pakistan who are different from us in terms of tradition. I have come across so many people in Pakistan who are distant from their culture. Not all, but many. But how is that even possible when it’s PAKISTAN? Surely, it’s easier to be more traditional living in a traditional country, right? I just don’t get it? I am not discriminating against anyone, I just want to state a few reasons as to why this confusion exists.
First of all, the support of same-sex relationships. Instead of helping them firmly with love and care to get themselves out of the test that they are going through, they motivate and promote homosexuality in a country where it’s forbidden, I mean, how is that helping? That’s just making things worse. Making a child go against their parents for the wrong things, not realizing that it’s simply not good enough for them in the long run. I am not saying people with such beliefs should be punished severely, that’s just wrong, but they should definitely get support and affection to take themselves out of a very tough situation.
Even here in England, most of us Pakistanis are not in favor of homosexuality, it shouldn’t be supported, it should be stopped, again, firmly, NOT harshly. It kind of shocks me when I hear a Pakistani say “Love has no gender”. Um, what? So, seeing a man on man or a woman on woman is “normal” to you? Weird! You don’t need to be a closet gay/lesbian, you can come out and gain help. Yes, I’m aware of how difficult it is to get help in Pakistan, not everyone is supportive, but the ones who are in favor of homosexuality, surely, they can be in favor of helping one out to be free from being a homosexual, right? Because I know a homophobe won’t be too nice about it.
Furthermore, the level of feminism in some areas of Pakistan is a completely different feminism to what I understood of the ‘movement’. Some people may have a misconception that I am a feminist, only because I believe a girl shouldn’t get married too early if she wants to study further to do something appropriate with her life. I didn’t say a girl shouldn’t get married at all, or marrying young is wrong, it’s not wrong at all. I only believe that, if she doesn’t want to, due to a valid reason, then it doesn’t have to happen. But, reading some Pakistani articles and watching documentaries of Pakistan, I have come across so many radical feminists, it’s unbelievable.
Paintings of naked pictures of women referring to that as “freedom”? What?! How on earth is a woman free if she is portrayed as naked? That’s immoral. I’m not saying she should be forced to wear a hijab or burqa, that’s a personal choice, even I don’t wear a hijab, but that doesn’t mean to say that a woman should have the liberty to represent herself as “free” because she is unclothed. Shame on those paintings. It is definitely a wrong message to give to the Pakistani nation, the young girls in particular.
Even being British living in England surrounded by white women wearing nothing, most of us aren’t even influenced by that. There’s no wrong in going out wearing jeans and a fancy top, we all do that, but exposure? That is certainly on a different level, and that shouldn’t be classed as “freedom”. Our religion describes women as gold, not flesh! Additionally, the funniest part in that documentary was when a painting of two girls being intimate with one another was shown. Yet again, I failed to understand how this could be classified as independence. Like, seriously?
Education is definitely important in every aspect of our lives. Both genders have rights to study and to have a job for successful life and have a brighter future. It is obvious how some rural areas of Pakistan only favor males to study and have a job and do not approve of girls to do this. That’s definitely unfair, and I am happy that the Pakistani government and society is improving in giving women the opportunities that they deserve. No man deserves to be oppressive and controlling towards a woman, and that is the beauty of what our religion (Islam) teaches us.
Therefore, that’s a great progression Pakistan is making. Moreover, the girls there have begun to have a social life too — going out shopping with friends, eating out in restaurants, ignoring the illiterate perverts, and just minding their own business, that’s also great! So, I’m not entirely saying that the people of the more liberal areas in Pakistan are wrong, I just get confused as to why they take liberalism to a different level in some cases, when they LIVE in a cultural/Islamic society, and us Westerners (well, most of us) living in a country full of all sorts of freedom, hold on to our roots?
I may be considered as “backward” or abrupt by some who read this, apologies for that, but I just thought it would be vital to clarify the assumption by some, who think we Pakistanis of the West are distant from our Pakistani roots; we’re not! (At least, most of us aren’t).
