Stereotype # 5: Muslims are terrorists and by that equation, all Pakistani’s are terrorists!

Terrorism is a menace that has plagued various countries world over. Even those that remain sheltered from it, experience its repercussions one way or the other. Some countries have tried to battle it out with force while others are still reeling from the aftermath of a failed military operation against the instigators.

Pakistan suffers from a chronic case of terrorism. There is fear in the hearts of the inhabitants. Every day is a challenge for the populace that has to survive through all the terror against all odds.

While on a national front, they country suffers from the disease of terrorism, there is no respite for Pakistan on the international front too. A Pakistani passport is the worst passport to travel on. Pakistani travelers are meted out with the worst kind of treatment. They are generally scrutinized from head to toe and looked on with suspicion while other travelers may not encounter any discomfort at all.

Reason?

The general misconception that all Pakistani’s happen to be bearded mullahs out to get the infidels!

Well, no. Terrorists commit the acts of terror and leave the label on the entire nation. You see the news, there are bombs, you automatically associate it with every other Pakistani who may be indirectly, if not directly, involved with that particular act of terrorism.

In reality, Pakistanis are as normal as people in all the other very privileged and ‘safe’ countries. We Pakistani’s have the same hopes for the future and the same desire to see our country proper and not to be mud-slinged on an everyday basis.

Here is one Pakistan writing to you in the most normal possible way. There are others not very different from me.

Don’t let one person, one set of people and one particular ideology ruin an entire nation for you.

Stereotype - Muslims are terrorists and by that equation, all Pakistani’s are terrorists!

Status – Hopefully BUSTED! 

Stereotype #4 - Pakistani Protesters are Violent

Pakistan has to deal with a lot of issues on a nearly daily basis. Something or the other seems to go wrong every minute of every day. People turn to streets as an outlet of their anger/frustration. And this is what we see in the media and on the news:

1. People setting fire to tyres/cars/flags/effigies2. Destruction of public property3. Infighting4. Police baton-charging the protestors5. Tear gas/shelling6. A large crowd of people amid chaos

What we don't see:

1. Over a thousand Shia Muslims of Lahore ended on Monday a nearly two-day peaceful sit-in after Islamabad gave in to demands for protection by the Hazara Shias.

(http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/01/14/city/lahore/unaccustomed-to-peaceful-protests-lahoris-praise-shia-resilience/)

2. Peaceful sit-in protests by the families of the victims of Mastung tragedy, Quetta.

(http://tribune.com.pk/story/662371/mastung-tragedy-protests-erupt-in-parts-of-pakistan/)

3. Hand in hand as many as 200-300 people formed a human chain outside the St Anthony’s Church adjacent to the District Police Lines at the Empress Road, in a show of solidarity with the victims of the Peshawar church attack two weeks back, which resulted in over a 100 deaths.

(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/08/muslims-form-human-chain-pakistan_n_4057381.html)

4. Hundreds of Sunni Tehreek workers took out a peaceful anti-terrorism rally.

(http://ppinewsagency.com/167171/sunni-tehreek-holds-peaceful-anti-terrorism-protest-rally/)

Enough said.

Stereotype - Pakistani Protesters are Violent. Status = BUSTED! 

Stereotype # 3 - Pakistani women are subservient to men

Quite the contrary.

Pakistani women have always been a force to reckon with. They have dominated the music industry, film industry, political circles and the corporate arena. They have ventured into predominantly male professions like the Armed forces and are more recently, also signing up for odd jobs like Rickshaw driving!

Those who are privileged enough to be studying in good schools and universities are ambitious and are curious about what the future holds besides two sets of children and a husband.

The status of women in Pakistan is not just that of a subservient wife/sister or mother. Each and every woman in Pakistan has an identity of her own. Whether she spends her afternoon proposing a marketing plan or buying the latest lawn outfit.

Pakistani women are colourful, loud, cheery, well-groomed, bossy and even a little obnoxious at times.
They have learnt to stand up for each other. They have self-taught each other the art of defending themselves and the people they call their own.

Pakistani women are super moms, battling nagging relatives and handling bratty children at pretty much the same time.

Pakistani women are smart and they are sporty.

They are independent and self-reliant and can do PhD's, laundry's and diaper changing.

In short, they pretty much rock.

Stereotype - Pakistani women are subservient to men. Status = BUSTED!

PS: Make your own sandwich. :P

I Am Pakistan

I’m Not just Bombs, Poverty & Corruption.
I’m Abdul Sattar Edhi’s Philanthrophy.
I’m Dr. Abdus Salam’s Nobel Prize.
I’m Arfa Karim’s Brilliance.
I'm Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s Oscar.
I'm Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's Music.
I'm Mala Yousufzai's Intelligence.
I'm Imran Khan's Courage.
I'm Dr. Adeeb Rizvi's SIUT.
I'm The Best Cricket Umpire.
I'm Mehdi Hassan's Ghazal.
I'm Sadqain's Art.
I'm Moeen Akhtar's Proud.
I'm Wasim Akram's Swing.
I'm Pervez Masih's Sacrifice.
I'm Shahid Afridi's Exuberance.
I'm Miandad's Six.
I am Jansher Khan's Consistency.
I'm Saqlain’s & Saeed Ajmal's Doosra.
I'm Fastest Growing IT Industry.
I'm Ever Expandng Middle Class.
I've Fought Dictatorships.
I'm 40,000 Deaths For Global Peace.
I'm Hospitality.
I'm Epitome of Resilience.
I'm the Bravest Nation of the World.

I AM PAKISTAN

Stereotype # 2 - All Pakistani’s Hate Indians

Three words – No we don’t!

Or at least, not all of us do.

Pakistan has a lot in common with India; both being multi-cultural countries that share more than just a common border.

Born just a day apart. The not-so-quite twins!

Natives from both the countries looking almost alike.

Make a Pakistani and an Indian stand shoulder to shoulder and you wouldn’t be able to discern one’s national identity from the other.

No such thing as a communication barrier.

Then how can you possibly hate one of your own?

For Pakistani’s reading this post and bloating with angry, ready to burst and vehemently disagree, here’s the deal. There could be a possibility of you just being indifferent towards India rather than blindly hating on it.

So I repeat, not ALL of us hate India.

We love to groove to the beats of Honey Singh!

All of the latest Indian flicks make Pakistani’s throng to cinemas in hordes!

Our shaadi’s are incomplete without medley dances, Bollywood style!

And this is just the cinematic and musical aspect of our not-so-hateful relationship with India.

I had an opportunity to visit India during my final year in school. As expected, I had been exposed to loads of politicallyand historically motivated BS about India by that time (Courtesy: History Books). However, I crossed the border with as much enthusiastic about India as I would have about visiting any other foreign country for the first time. By the end of the 12-Day trip I had learnt important life lessons. Best of which was, it doesn’t take much to hate on someone, but it definitely takes a lot to like someone who you’ve been taught to hate since pretty much the time you first opened your eyes into this world.  

So in conclusion

India is beautiful, its food is almost as good as ours. :D A little non-veg but with the same tarka and spices! :D

The people there treat you like you’e royalty. I’m pretty sure we don’t get such treatment in any other foreign country.

Pakistani's and Indians have the potential to form beautiful friendships.

And lastly, just like we don’t all hate India, neither do all Indians have Shiv Sena in them.

Hence proved,

Not all Pakistani’s hate Indians.

Stereotype - All Pakistani’s hate Indians. Status = BUSTED!

PS: For those who do in fact hate India, because I am aware that exceptions exist, maybe all you haters could shift yur attitude a bit. How about going with the Plain White T’s “Hate is a strong word, but I really really really don’t like you.” ;)

PPS: We don’t all hate India, but a Pakistan vs. India cricket match and IT IS WAR! :D 

Stereotype # 1 - Angry Pakistani's

We are not a bunch of angry, gun toting maniacs roaming around the streets and spewing hate.

We laugh. We smile. We have some of the biggest hearts around.

We would leave what ever task we have at hand in a second to help a completely random stranger.

Sometimes, we would give you stuff for free just for the heck of it.

It doesn't take a lot to make us happy.

And no matter what happens, we wake up to the next day with brand new smiles and hope in our hearts.

Stereotype - Pakistani's are angry people. Status = BUSTED.

(Photo credits: Humans of Karachi)

Pakistanis: The stuff resilience is made of !

I wake up to the sound of my phone ringing incessantly. While still in the process of retracting myself from the dream-world, I am informed of a movie plan for the following evening. There is no way my friends are missing out on the latest Bollywood blockbuster. As the day proceeds, I can sense optimism all around me. The fruit and vegetable vendors take up their usual spot on the roadside. Every now and then, a car with songs blaring out of the stereo passes by. I can see a tough young man walking his dog while two little girls dressed up in an impeccable school uniform, hop along hand in hand. I may soon hear of some depressing news, a strange new political development or an unlikely event but I see no sign of distress on the outside world. Who could ever guess that a society so trapped in a multitude of problems could display such resilience!

None of us are blind to the daily troubles that surround us. The personal security and liberty of every Pakistani citizen is in shambles.  Our economy is in doldrums, half of the population remains illiterate, poverty is on the rise, and as if all of that wasn’t enough; the public is fed-up of the government’s inefficiencies. Every other day we hear of events that shake up the country but we stand firm, facing the challenges with a brave outlook. Instead of cowering down and cursing our fate, we have learned to not just weather the storm but keep on living strong.

Our cricket team may be losing the most crucial match, but we’d still be glued to our TV screens till the last minute of the game. Tennis may not excite many of us, but we’d swoon to the thought of Aisam-ul-Haq cruising to the Grand Slams Final. We’d hoot with joy at Pakistan making eight world records in a day and we’d rush in hordes to buy the latest lawn print that is all the rage! And when all else would fail, we’d turn to food for consolation; a plate of steaming Chicken Biryani or a dose of Halwa puri would get us through the day. The country may face a momentary security lapse, public places may pose a serious risk to our lives, streets wouldn’t appear safe anymore, but none of this would stop us from enjoying a hot cup of coffee at one of the busiest commercial hubs.

We, as a nation, have so subtly adapted to the environment around us that we don’t let pain conquer us for long. This does not mean that we have become insensitive or immune to the atrocities being committed on a daily basis but rather, we have let the hope in our hearts triumph all the negativity. In spite of the constant threats, our journalists and social activists do not stop raising their voices for the victims of injustice. Sectarian violence has become a norm but there still remain many amongst us who do not hesitate to speak up against this unfair condemnation of the minorities by the society. Just last month, the Sunni community of Gilgit-Baltistan awed the world by their act of gallantry; providing a human shield for the highly persecuted Shia community during one of the 10^th Muharram processions. We have the worst law and order situation, with the crime rate at its highest and frequent bomb blasts tearing through the cities, yet our Police Force stands united in protecting the citizens even at the cost of their own lives. The media, both national and international, may portray Pakistan to be on the verge of failure but the citizens have learnt to brush off the allegations and not let despair get to them.

Living under fear of the unknown diseases has also become a way of life for us Pakistanis. From the outbreak of bird flu, to the dengue menace stretching for months, the fake medicines and now the poisoned cough syrup scam, we have had it all. Once paranoia gets set in a society, it can shake it up to the very bones. However, we have stood against all odds by first suffering, then recovering and finally working to uproot the problem. While the world expects us to break down any minute, we show them that we’re made of stronger stuff and that we’re not going anywhere any time soon.

Not surprisingly, according to the Happy Planet Index (HPT) 2012, Pakistan was termed the 16^th happiest country out of 151 countries of the world. Many would scoff at the findings but we just need to look at the people around us, smiling at and appreciating the little things in life. It’s not always about how wealthy a country is or how it’s waging in the global scenario; sometimes it’s just about a citizen’s simplistic approach towards life. So the next time someone tells you in all seriousness that Pakistan is going down, you tell them that we Pakistanis are resilient enough to rebound!  

(This article was first published on The Express Tribune Blogs on December 15, 2012)