How many of you are ready to go to Pakistan, the country people here call home, and try to reform things from within. I’ve read about a few people wanting to return to the country of their origin when their families no longer needed them. Monetary support to help the poor and oppressed is always welcome. I just want to know about the people who’re ready to forgo the privileges of their lives, for a few years, at least, and become a part of the scial set-up in Pakistan while keeping their reformative selves alive.
Some of the people I love most in my life are ‘ABCDs’ and ‘FOBs’. And there aren’t many people I ‘love’. So, don’t get me wrong … But, I get all confused when people who talk at great length about how they want to reform the Pakiatani society are absolutely horrified at the prospect of spending their lives in Pakistan.
Some may see so many reforms that are necessary, that they cannot imagine living there until the reforms actually happen. But because they don't want to abandon Pakistan completely, they still want to assist as best they can with reformation.
Like Benazir Butto, Iltaf Hussain? Am I supposed to love these reformists? Like Iraqi dissidents who made the whole world believe that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction? It was more about their own interests than the interests of an ordianry person.
To me Mandela was a reformist, Ghandi was also a reformist. They stayed with their people. They went through what ordinary person went through. I respect them more. They did not run away.
Vertigo, I felt the same as you did not too long ago. But when I have kids, I can't imagine raising them in Pakistan. There are too few opportunities there. And they can contribute much more if they have a Western education behind them. Hence, I don't see any reason to move there PERMANENTLY. However, I don't mind working there and working with people there to get them the right resources they need to improve their conditions. I don't mind investing there, as long as the investments are secure, which few are. I don't mind using my creativitiy to do some projects there either.
But I can't imagine raising a family there any longer.
That is not true, there are some very good (religious & sucessfull) people who were born and raised in Pakistan. It depends on the environment inside the home which matters the most.
At the same time I also know some bad (non-religious & unsuccessfull) people who were raised in western countries.
My point is, it is entirely up to the parents and the home which they live in, which influences young kids.
I dont think necessarily that it is the home and the family that influences a child. The child can be hugely influenced by their peers. point in case...my nephew. cute fella...good genes. but believe me...that boy is wayward. smokin', leering at half naked chicks...getting girls to fight over him. etc etc. His family, ie my cousin and my mamoon, shareef log. his mom's a doc, his nana was in the army, his mamoon is in the army. but where does he get that stuff:? his peers. so, peers are every where. some real good kids here, and some pagal ones as well.
but i agree with PCG, not a lot of oppurtunities there. there are the traditional roles there. and unless there is real industry and more oppurtunities, the education and the work experience of the west will rule for a long, long time to come.
98% of the people think they way you do. They are ‘okay’ with whatever and however things are in pakistan hence have no interest to change it. they’ve learned to live their lives in a messed up system. it has become a routine for those who live there. why people who want to reform refuse to live there is cz they do not want to become a part of the same system. it would be impossible to live their lives in the ‘right’ way. either he/she’ll die bitter wanting to change the system or he/she will become a part of the same system and change his own attitude after he hears other people (for whom everything is normal and perfect) laughing on his ‘crazy’ ideas cz for them that ‘screwed up’ system is what the normal way of life is.
Man, after my studies are done, I will go back INshAllah.
The west is no place for us. We can hope and atleast try to reform our society to better suit us.
I can't imagine my children growing up here. I don't want the generation after me to grow up here, Pakistan is special in its own way. Atleast if not All, it gives Some religious freedom.
Allah help Pakistan.