I’m afraid you’ll be waiting quite a long time for that. Newspapers aren’t interested in posting positive stories (not just about Pakistanis, but about anyone). Good news doesn’t sell papers nor does it draw people to your publication. On the other hand, extreme, stereotypical cases of wrongdoing involving groups that are already disliked provide perfect click-bait and result in loads of views. Personally, I don’t think this is simply about Pakistanis. Rather, it reflects the sad state of humanity.
I don’t think it’s defensiveness but exasperation. When every article posted on here is about some atrocious crime committed in Pakistan or by Pakistanis, it gets quite tiresome. We get it. Bad things sometimes happen in Pakistan (and elsewhere for that matter). NEXT.
^ its not merely that. But also the fact that somehow ‘we’ are accountable and should feel bad about our selves when a random Pakistani commits a crime.
Right. That is what I am implying. What do the people who post negative article after negative article hope to achieve? It isn’t as every single Pakistani person is responsible for the actions of a few people.
Secondly, most of the extreme cases posted on here are outliers. While domestic violence happens in Pakistan as it happens everywhere else, it is disingenuous to make it sound as if the atrocities mentioned in the articles are the norm and every Pakistani man is beating his wife to death for not cooking mutton.
Have you ever seen the stats of Pakistan when it comes to domestic violence, rape and other crimes?
Well then maybe your definition of random is different than my definition of random.
And yes, we should feel bad, less about the crime and more about the victim. Why? Because they are your nation fellow. It still hurts but I care less about a similar crime happened in France, than when it happens to one of our own.
i think it’s meant to raise awareness among the masses and expect to somehow change the ‘thinking’ of the people…like trying to bring about a revolution. public awareness and their opposition to it makes a big difference.
as far as these crimes being committed in the subcontinent and other parts of the world, the major difference is how the law takes care of the victim. in our countries, the perpetrator usually goes unpunished while the victim goes through shame, pain and hardships.
I agree. However, posting negative article after negative article is not going to change cultural attitudes nor bring about the cultural revolution you’re referring to. Most of the people on GS are aware that such crimes happen and that the legal system of Pakistan leaves much to be desired when handling these crimes. This is not the demographic that needs to be made aware.
If the posters of these negative articles are so terribly concerned about domestic violence and the state of things in Pakistan, what are they doing to change the situation? Working with organisations that campaigning for stricter domestic violence legislation in Pakistan? Donating money to domestic violence shelters? Educating the uneducated that Islam does not condone honour killings or other violence against women? If they’re doing any of the above, than I would agree that they are trying to spread awareness. If not, let’s not be disingenuous and pretend the posters of such articles are actually concerned about the plight of women. It rather seems like a convenient excuse to bash Pakistan.
And you feel specially worse when the crime against “our” own is committed by one of our own, if its committed by someone not our own, its still better.
Awareness and acknowledgment is a good start dear friend.
There are three recommended ways to protest against injustice. Raise hand, raise voice - or at least in your heart, believe that injustice has happened.
I am also not always in favor of such threads. But when crimes after such crimes keep happening, and we just keep ignoring them, then we are not doing our job.
I feel sarcasm here, though I failed to grasp it, so I am not sure how to answer this. But yes, when a Pakistani father stabs his own daughter, you feel terrible, cause you are also from the same culture and you wonder what went wrong with us.
With due apologies and respect for your emotions, may I remind you of one of your own blog where your parents told you about this guy from your village who stabbed his own daughter with the intention of accusing his enemy of that murder. I remember you writing that you came back home and hugged your own daughter and cried. I cried too that night after reading your blog. I hugged my daughter too, in fact could not sleep the whole night that how could a Pakistani father do such to his own daughter.
But then lahore court incident happened, and it seems that we all are immuned now. It disturbed me but I slept ok last night. I am sure that it did not disturb you that much either.
Because this piece was specifically written and worded for a purpose, which was more about the perpetrator and his origins. And the feeling started after reading the other thread. I had read that story on BBC urdu and felt terrible, then within an hour I found the story posted by someone on FB, with word used “stoning” from some much less known news site. And I was sure that one particular guppy will post it here, no wonder, he did and not from BBC urdu but BBC, again with “stoning” in the headline. The story is still there on BBC urdu, with same words. Now if this is not spinning the news for an agenda, then I have nothing more to say. Its this attitude of some, that I dont find amusing, though I know you don’t indulge in this, but, it was just the timing that led me to respond in this way.
I must agree that the word stoning baffled me too, but then I did not pay much attention to the headline, but to the content.
I think I understand where you are coming from. Also I would have never posted this thread under normal circumstances. I read this news on fb five days before I posted it and did not post here, but when I read the lahore news, it just made me angry.
Anyhoo, at the end of the day, it’s better to stay away from any such negativity. It’s sad that FB which used to be a socializing website, is now turning into a repository of horrific and negative news, images and videos
I get your point. Violence is not special to any religion or country or community. I see justified frustration on your part when it is implied whole country is responsible for isolated crime. At the same time, IMHO, when a sad incident like this happens, I detect a struggle - to defend the nation vs condemn the crime.
You shouldn’t have to defend the nation. Cause violence knows no borders. So just a simple condemnation may be in order?
But I see your point also. When it is implied at times the whole nation needs to bear the burden for isolated incidents.
