Many of us (myself included) have contributed here and have done a lot of Pakistan Bashing. Some of us are guilty of this more than some others. I believe that this bashing comes out of love (as Achtung pointed out in one of his posts after a visit to his homeland). All of us (at least most of us) are guilty of only looking at the cons and we loose sight of the beauty and the attachment we might feel. This post comes out of my unconditional and unshakable love of my land.
I do not support a lot of discriminatory policies of the Pakistani government, nor do I agree with the direction the country is heading towards, but it does not mean that I am not interested in my country. It will be a stupid assumption even to imagine that. People leave their motherlands behind for various reasons, some to avoid religious persecutions, and some for economic reasons. Mine was a matter of convenience as I married an American while I was student in England, and USA seemed a more appropriate place to make home so both of us could find work. I would have been as happy living in Pakistan as I am here, but my spouse will have a much harder time adjusting (language barriers, employment opportunities, etc.). Making USA my second home does not mean that Pakistan is not my home anymore. In fact, to the contrary, Pakistan is my first home, and it will always be my first home until the day I die. I am grateful of the sacrifices my parents and grandparents made to give us freedom and a place we can call home. My grandfather fought in the WW2. He was a POW in Burma by the Japanese (was given a meal of few grains of rice, and was made to drink his own urine in captivity). My dad fought in the 1965 war with India for his country, and if the time ever comes that my motherland needs me, I would not hesitate for a second to answer the call of duty.
However, I believe that Pakistan is heading in a very wrong direction with increased religious intolerance (Shia Suuni conflicts), increased discrimination against migrants, increased inter-ethnic and divisive policies of the Government, increased intolerance toward religious minorities. It is becoming an increasingly lawless state. Where does the problem lie? I believe that it is a result of various factors and not just a single reason. Perhaps the most obvious being the feudalism. Those who are familiars with the recent history (well, it is only a 50-year-old country) know that no matter what form of governance we have the faces never change. Whether it is a Republic (Skindar Mirza), an experiment in Socialism (Z. Bhutto), Dictatorships (various) or Islmically influenced legislators (current regime), the faces of the power-players behind the realpolitik never change. It has always been the same handful of families who have dictated and decided the course of action. That is where the real problem lies. I read in a book somewhere that even if given Communism to run the affairs, Scandinavians will make the best of it and will do well for their nations. I do not fully agree with such views, but it does strike a chord.
We are a nation of very hardy and warm people whose cultures have been enriched by many external forces (using a negative to find goodness), and we can learn from our heritage and richness to make our nation a place for all to live peacefully and enjoy the beauty that it offers. Our culture (we have so many) is very rich and very vibrant, our lands fertile and our visions conciliatory. There are very few places in this world that are as rich as our Nation. Although India has a lot more diversity and richness, but we also share some of that richness with our Neighbor. When Mark Twain refers to India as the birthplace of Civilizations, he means Pakistan as well.
We all contribute to our land one way or another. Some by getting mad with the current situation, and some by working the current situation to its advantage. The solution lies in the mixture of both approaches. If some of us here get a little too emotional about certain issues, that should not be viewed as hateful act of that of a resentment. It is only because of our love of our country.
One way of gauging how much love you have for others is by reading the heat, the higher it goes, the more love you have (although not in all cases). If my reading once in a while goes off scale, it only means that I get so upset with the current state of affairs.
I wholeheartedly believe that Pakistan has enough room for many belief systems to thrive and flourish in, as has been the case for 3000 years. I also believe that our disagreements on this forum are only a result of our unconditional and unshakable love for our motherland. Some of you may not agree.
Now you are all invited to a dinner of ….. a Biryani (of course Halal meat), drinks (Rooh Afza), and some sweets afterward.
God Bless Pakistan!
P.S. I don’t just mean Allah, but God of any color, shape, form, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.