Well, as long as you vent out what you believe in, whatever you believe in.
Tell me one thing, however, does your love for the country comes more from the fact that you were born and raised there? Or the greater part of it is because of your strong belief and liking of its culture, people, and heritage?
Dear Roman,
That’s a tough question. My love for Pakistan is primarily because I am a Pakistani but not entirely because of that reason.
I also love all other countries of the world, but not with the same intensity. Pakistan has a special meaning for me. As I said earlier, the sacrifices of my elders, the place of my birth, the childhood experiences, all play equal part in my love for my country. I feel very attached to my country (as most people will). When I take the PIA to Lahore from JFK, I am willing to put up with their lousy service just to reach my destination, and land in a place that I call ‘my land’. (Going thru customs and immigration is different matter).
The sad situation of contemporary Pakistan can not be a deterrent to my love for my country. In fact, even if things get totally out of hand, e.g., a nuclear holocaust or a civil war, it will still not diminish (let alone lessen) my love for my nation. Human tragedies are not a measure by which you calibrate love. You are probably more familiar with the Greek Classics than I am, tragedies bring out the best in us. Some good is to come out of all the wrongs with our nation. We are social beings, we Associate, and therefore we Disassociate. Although it would be comforting to think that the one could happen without the other, we know in reality it does not. For example, how many patriots are there who have never felt a twinge of xenophobia?
Let me also talk about why one may Hate (opposite of my thesis). Hate means something graver and darker than, e.g., lazy prejudice. But the closer you look at this distinction, the fuzzier it gets. Much of the time, we harbor little or no malice toward people of other background or places or ethnicities or ways of life. But then a car cuts you off (an analogy for example of differences between Ahmadis and Sunnis, or Sunnis and Shias) at an intersection and you find yourself noticing immediately that the driver is a Fat Ahmadi Woman.
My point here is that to understand why someone may love a place, we should also understand why someone might hate it too. In a lot of instances, the lines are very fuzzy, and the distinctions not very clear. It only depends on the paragon.
To answer you question, I can only say that I love Pakistan and nothing can make me change it. I know it is not a very good answer, but this the only answer I know. And where have you been hiding? I will be a bit jealous if you were away to Pakistan!
nice post :) :)
Learn to love yourself, then learn to love one-another
NYAhmadi,
Man, you are serious, snap out of it, will ya? (j/k)
Well, the reason I asked you the question, I guess, is the 'place of birth' factor in your reply. I am unable to understand how this factor alone can make you love the country your were born in. Childhood experiences, elders' sacrifices, memories, personal liking and relating to the culture are solid elements and are understandable why one would love his/her country but the fact alone that someone is born in a particular geographic location itself is something I can't say much on.
True that it may be a factor for many people to love their country, but is it possible that their upbringing in that particular culture and consequent identity (that they feel towards it) may actually cause them to count this factor in, even though without the above it itself is not much of validating factor?
Being born in a particular Geo location is a physical and tangible, yet uncontrollable fact. This fact itself may give one a legal identity but beyond that it is a matter of one's upbringing and identification with the culture and social customs which incites the very love for the country.
I can understand the reactionary hatred of people due to current state of affairs in Pakistan, and also that it comes out of love as well. What my question is that is a person really a Pakistani (beyond legal contrivances) solely based on the fact that he/she was born in Pakistan?
Dear Roman,
Your argument is very well made. For me, it is the same attachment as one feels with his or her biological mother. Staying in that 5-star hotel for 9 months with full expenses paid is an experience one should never forget! One's mother can be the most horrible person in the world, but the things she goes through in those 9 months (first conceiving one with the aid of someone who she might not have any feelings for (only an example), then bearing you, and rearing you. Without that one does not exist.
I was present when my wife gave birth to our first child. It was the most religious experience of my life. Man, the power a woman has, I don’t believe that a man can ever come even close to that. Even a big train engine is not as powerful as a Woman giving birth is. Our second child was born preemie and Cesarean, and I was not allowed inside (hence spared of all the profanities of my wife).
It is the same attachment I have for my nation. The Place-of-birth reason combined with other reasons is very powerful reason for me. There is some truth to the saying ‘motherland’. I was born a Pakistani, and I consider it to be my Mother. If I were born on a Ship, I will think of Ocean as my mother, but I wasn’t.
I know my using this metaphor makes no sense. But I am blinded with my love for my motherland and I don’t need any senses to realize that. I just love it.
I realize that I didn’t answer your question!
NYAhmadi,
I think you used a fine analogy to express how you feel. However, I was talking in a different mode of perspective -- more materialistic than emotional (which is where you are coming from).
But that's just fine, if that's how you feel, then that's how you feel. There is no right or wrong way of looking at it, I guess. Just two different approaches or levels of emotional adherence.
And that's probably was the point I wanted to make (unknowingly may be). Not two people may experience the same nature and intesity of emotional belonging to their motherland based on 'born there' fact alone. But generally people expect everyone to feel the same sense of belonging and identification even though an individual may not relate to the cultures or customs of his/her motherland beyond an indifference level.
Now, indifference does not imply hate, neither does it render love. It's just what it is. Unfortunately, majority of the people don't look at it that way. For them, it has to be either one of them or both. Which itself is fine as long as people don't use it as a criteria to judge and scrutinize others.
[This message has been edited by Roman (edited September 29, 1999).]
wah wah N.Y.Ahmadi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
a very very good post.i really love to read posts like that.
take care.