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Toronto Star,
Ontario
ed.
BODY AND SOUL
Sunday, May 5, 2002
Since arriving in
Canada 13 years ago, I have been returning to visit my homeland
of Pakistan at least once a year. It helps me stay in touch with
my roots and also allows me to keep a keen eye on the political
pulse of this volatile country.
As I traveled to
Karachi a few weeks ago, I was a bit apprehensive because since
Sept.11, Pakistan has been in the eye of the storm. Pakistanis
in North America, shaken to the core, have been galvanized into
discussions and forums that have demonstrated support for
eradicating terrorism and bringing about reforms. But I had no
idea how people in Pakistan were reacting.
I discovered the
mood there is strange and seems unnatural for a country on the
brink of nuclear calamity, faced with a massive crisis within
its own ranks and a raging war in the neighbourhood.
The educated
elite - representing a small but powerful section of the
community - seems to be totally in denial and talk about designer
outfits, jewellery and decadent parties. It was the wedding
season and Monsoon Wedding is not even close to the kind of pomp
and glamour everyone's competing with. At one wedding, close to
10 tons of fresh flowers were used and then left to rot on the
street. Outfits cost anywhere from $1,000 to $1,500 U.S.- and
that's just for the guests. The bride's designer outfit can cost
from $5,000 to $20,000.
With this crowd,
there's little chance of a conversation about the realities of
life or grassroots issues like human rights. Besides, I felt a
bit decadent staying as a guest in a house with two cooks, two
maids, two chauffeurs and two gardeners. I mentioned this to my
sister and she justified it by saying she has two
daughters-in-law living with her, so the need is for two
caretakers for each. I think the real reason is that young
people in upper middle-class homes can't carry a dish to the
sink or (God forbid) clean bathrooms. Privileged Pakistani women
who rely on the tailor and the domestic help are lost when the
servants don't turn up.
I managed to hold
my tongue and not rock the boat. After all, it's a great holiday
when one is not involved in any physical or mental exercise. I
got tea in bed every day, my choice of menus for lunch, tea and
dinner, read magazines, had a facial, saw what wealthy people in
Third World countries do for leisure, and generally soaked up
the "club culture." After three days, I was ready to
climb the walls, so I found a computer and logged on to world
news.
My only
intellectual stimulation was an invitation to speak at the
Rotary Club in Karachi about my involvement in interfaith
outreach in Canada. On the day of my talk, I donned my public
speaking cap and checked my notes for signs of blasphemy. I had
been warned not to venture into deep water. I think my family
was concerned that I might say something controversial and spoil
their social standing.
Me controversial?
When I questioned
Pakistanis I met about the cruel and constant persecution of
minority Shia and Ahmadi communities and the brutal massacre of
Christians, most responded that I was overreacting because I'd
become too Westernized.
"Pakistanis
could never do this - it's aliens," one person actually told
me. "You don't know - Daniel Pearl was a spy," they
said about the Wall Street Journal correspondent, who was
kidnapped and murdered earlier this year. That theory was also
suggested by others. I felt sick but congratulated them for
having advanced from "Zionist or Indian conspiracies"
to this "artificial intelligence" idea.
From all that I
heard, read and saw, it seems the masses are totally confused
about whether to support the liberal view of the present
government and risk being labeled "secular" (which is
like abuse) or to follow the hate-spewing Mullah in the mosque.
While trying to eke out a miserable living, they are being
brainwashed into justifying terrorism and blaming everyone else
for the problems facing
Pakistan today.
In this
atmosphere rampant with stereotypes of "the West,"
America is the common enemy of both the elite and the masses.
But not without hypocrisy - as all and sundry line up to dine on
fast food at McDonald's or KFC. While the affluent may be quick
to bash America, they also have no qualms about vacationing in
Florida or standing in line for days so their 3-year-olds can
get admission to The Karachi Grammar school, a Western symbol.
It's also a status symbol to send kids to The American School or
spend millions of rupees to educate them in America.
Despite my deep
concern about martial law in Pakistan, I had taken strength in
the fact that leader Gen. Pervez Musharraf would soon call
elections and that maybe for once, my homeland would be headed
towards a true democracy. Many Pakistanis in North America were
willing to accept him as dictator for another five years if he
continued to fight state-sponsored terrorism within the country.
But these hopes were shattered with news that the leader had
exchanged his military dictator cap for the multi-coloured
plumes of a politician.
Now I see no hope
because I believe a sham democracy is worse than a true
dictatorship. But I continue to love my country of birth and
will return whenever I can. I criticize only because I care and
want to see things change to promote personal accountability,
tolerance and moderation.
Copyright
© 2002 Toronto Star, All Rights Reserved.
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