Huma Zafar just sent me this great link from the Common Language Project. I always find myself protesting internally when I read negative articles about Pakistan, especially when written by a foreigner. The standard cache of cliched arguments (“they’re part of the problem”, “they can’t understand our culture”) surfaces and I have to actively suppress them to determine the true value of the article. This one makes some good points.
The notion that Muslims are fatalistic has been beaten to death, but that doesn’t mean it’s not valid. We are happy to sit on our hands and watch things unfold, and this is often to our detriment. The way Pakistan’s government has shifted from dictator to dictator is a case in point.
From the article:
A book I read here described Pakistan as divided between two groups: the air conditioned elite and the great overheated masses. Of course it’s hard to think about reforming your country when your stomach is empty and its 105 degrees in your house.
The thing is, it’s equally hard to think about reforming your country when your stomach’s full and the air conditioner’s whirring peacefully in the background.
(Shameless plug for The Citizens’ Foundation. If you can’t contribute money, at least spread the word.)
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