Mental Maps about Pakistan: From Perception to Reality.

Naturally, people adopt personal views about countries and other things they don’t usually have a good knowledge about them. Any one who has never travelled beyond his borders must casually imagine the culture, behavior, believes of another country. Nevertheless these personal perspectives would not be completely true as one arrives in a foreign country.

Pakistan which is the only Muslim Nuclear armed country suffers a lot about mental maps. Even sometimes the name of Pakistan is replaced by ghastly names which are intentionally intended to cover up its real characteristics. There is no doubt today that any one who is outside from Pakistan is constantly surprising why this country virtually behave in that particular manner. But the reality on the ground is extremely suggests on the other side and it is upside-down different from that view of outside world.

One of the most commonly misperceptions which are connected to Pakistan is, its Islamic Religion. It is clear to every one that sometimes the words like Extremism, Fundamentalism and Radicalism is interchanged by the name of Pakistan. As Aljazeera Magazine reported few months back, a Pakistani journalist coincidently met with his American friend at Times Square in New York and then he was introduced to another man sitting with the friend of the Pakistani. The man unexpectedly said; “A Pakistani… hahaha an extremist man”! Immediately that American man has got angry and a serous fight erupted between the two men. Later he has apologized to his Pakistani friend about the rude words and said I can’t really tolerate such racist words and be sorry about it!  

Fareed Zakria, a political commentator, said in an article about Pakistan that this country always exports terrorism because it has been founded on the bases of Religion. It is true that Pakistan is an ideological based State but it doesn’t mean that it is contributing violence around the world rather than peace. A religious country never denounces peace and harmony but builds and protects it.

Pakistani people are not actually doing as always reported on the Media with regards to their religion. No doubt they are good Muslims yet they are not as other Muslims in the World. Really there is a fundamental difference. For instance, Girls are strongly prohibited to be uncovered by their heads in countries like Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Yemen and others more. In Pakistan you would daily meet in Markets, Universities and other Public places hundreds of girls being dressed in Jeans and even sometimes just like Westerns let alone cover their heads.

In addition, unlike other Muslim countries Pakistani women are engaged in any field of work. They are Lecturers in universities, Bank managers, Doctors, Media anchors and Lawyers and also drive their cars by themselves. This is not likely same as most other Muslim nations in the World.  So why Pakistan only called as a fundamentalist country once the Pakistani women enjoy this extent freedom.

In Saudi Arabia, women are virtually separate from other places where men are doing their daily business including Educational centers but in Pakistan girls and boys regularly take their lectures in a single class sitting side by side. Most astonishingly, in Saudi Arabia a School girl had on a fire once, when the Police have realized that the burning building is the School girl they stepped away and argued that they can’t see the faces of those girls. Many girls have died in this way until many more women are being called to survive burning girls from the building. As far as Pakistan is concerned there is no such horrific incident reported ever.

Pakistan is a Muslim country which follows its culture more than its Religion. The cultural bonds are too much strong among the society. These people do respect women even further than some Western countries. Women in this society are almost decision makers not only in the Family affairs but also in other common issues and they retain too much respect when ever they do so. More over, this country is among the least Muslim countries which women achieved on the position of Prime minister and other higher political positions. Currently the speaker of the Parliament is a female!

This is where most of the people don’t really understand that this Society mostly retain their culture too deeply. International Media and other political commentators should understand about these lines. Usually the culture and the religion of a country are linked to each other but sometimes there is a sharp difference between them. The religion is what that Particular Society regards as what their God had bestowed on them while the Culture is just evolving through Human experience. The Islamic religion prohibits the women to be a Commander Chief of a country so does the Pakistani Religion which is an Islam allows that; no its culture does.

                                                                                            

All in all, the truth must always be observed on the grounds not what have been said about a country. The fact usually lies with inside of the country and one should look down to that country instead of just reliable on what is on the headlines. Your imagines along with the reports of the Medias are not always correct. Trusting your mental maps would lead you sometimes catastrophes. The mental maps of Pakistan are far from perception; it is from perception to realities!

                                                                                

Abdulkadir Suleiman

BS 4^rd year

IR Department

"Didiinglay dhamaateih"