Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Identity Crisis

 

As I stand in front of the Devil-Box, I see our past, values, traditions and culture crumpling away right before my eyes. Our forefathers fought and sacrificed to preserve and protect these same values and traditions. But now we failed them. Disgraced their sacrifice. We threw away our culture, beliefs, norms, values and traditions into an abyss of void and blackness and then blindly followed the traditions and beliefs of foreign alien invaders. Witnessing this grieves me! Tortures me! Kills me!

We have forsaken our beautiful Shalwar Kameez for tight jeans and shrunken T-shirts. We have forgotten the true melodies of Sitar, Sarang, Flute, Rabab and Tabla for the foreign Head-banging so-called music which is all about screaming and Boom Booms. We have even started to prefer bland, fatty and disgusting burgers and pizzas over tasteful, delicious and healthy Makai Ki Roti and Saag or Chapli Kabab or Driver Hotel’s Daal with Naan. We would rather have those black or orange sweet and sickening drinks like Cola instead of more refreshing Lassi or Chai or Rooh Afza or Limo Pani.

We have an identity. Or we used too…

Our identity is what make us unique and special in the whole world. Driving madly in bad traffic is our identity. The unhygienic roadside ‘tikka’ and ‘chaat’ and ‘ganey ka sharbat’ is our identity and so is Shalwar Kameez with Chapliyaan or Khhoosey and Eid and Basant. Gossiping and colorful clothes with patterns and embroidery is our identity as well as heavy jewelry and glass bangles and boys kee ‘cheapness’ and girls keh ‘nakhrey.’ Not to ignore same gender hugging and gender segregation. If there was no gender segregation then what would be the fun in ‘Poondi’ and why would girls take hours to get ready to become the centre of all Poondi? This is Pakistan and this is who we are! This is “us” as a nation! The loud, annoying rickshaws and the heavily decorated darling buses with cheap poetry on the rear window, the constant abusing and cussing of politicians and the Friday Namaz when the streets get empty, the hooting and whistling in any social event, these are what define us and give us an identity. These are what give COLOR to our lives and culture! This is what adds SPICE in our lifestyle.

LOVE PAKISTAN. LIVE PAKISTANI.

11 comments:

  1. sorry but i don't know how to follow ur posts..there is no follow tab :-(((

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  2. Thanks alot for taking out time to read my post. The comment as well as positive and useful criticism is what i am looking for to improve myself and my ideas. I really appreciate that :-)

    As for some of the points you opposed, let me clarify. By gender hugging i meant "same gender hugging" which means guys hugging guys which is in our culture and is considered quite gay in American lifestyle. This is a part of our culture and gives us our distinct identity. As foor Poondi and Girls keh nakhrey, my intended purpose was to not promote these but show that even things that our considered bad in our "lifestyle" can actually be taken in a positive sense and we must learn to see everything in an optimistic light since such things give COLOR and SPICE to our lives. Only then will we become true Pakistanis. I have spent a year in USA and closely studied their lifestyle and i just wanted to paint some of the differences that give us our identity.
    Again, thank you for your valuable comment...

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  3. AND as for the FOLLOWING MY BLOG part, i would suggest this:

    on your blogger dashboard, scroll down and you will se an "ADD" button below the tab of "BLOGS I AM FOLLOWING". Click on the ADD button and simply type in my page adress: www.syedshehrozhussain.blogspot.com

    see if that works. Thanks alot...

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  4. ooohh you remind me of the era i so still belong too but hardly ever practice what used to be - hence all the colors of my life are pale and pathetic eww

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  5. Excellent post, fellow blogger! I happen to harbor the same view about Pakistan. I have been living outside of Pakistan and have realized the extent to which I am missing the Pakistani "identity." Here, we have to succumb to the needs of a foreign place like everyone else around, but I would definitely like to see Pakistan and Pakistanis retain their identity so that I have one place to visit in order to relive my own identity. =)

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  6. In foreign nations, we must not succumb...i totally disagree with the famous phrase: DO AS THE ROMANS DO!

    So, my message to you would be, PLEASE STAY PAKISTANI EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE IN SOME OTHER ALIEN LAND!

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  7. I appreciate your comment and you'd be happy to know that I still have a firm hold of my Pakistani ways, some of which include being a die-hard desi food fan, my unaffected love for shalwar kameez, celebrating Pakistani events, speaking fluent urdu at home with my family, etc. I intend to stay a true Pakistani.

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  8. I salute you for still being a PAKISTANI!
    Thanks for your comments :-)
    I have a more optimistic view on this matter now :-)

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  9. LOVED this post.

    Just went through your entire blog. Some of your posts about Pakistan made my day.

    I like how you jot down your life and no, you write really good. Stop being modest.
    Cheers.

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  10. Thank you very much for your comment!

    And thanks a lot for the encouragement :-)

    I appreciate that :-)

    Cheers

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