We Pakistanis always protest destructively. Torching property is the easiest way to vent the feelings. Breaking windows, burning cars, looting innocent citizens are one of the many ways of protesting in our society. Going on strike is the first reaction from angry workers.
I always wonder if these protestors can be of some good instead of always being the demolition force. May be one of those days a mob will approach an under construction bridge and as a protest, work for free for a whole day, or workers work overtime for free!
Now that’ll be a nice management headache isn’t it?
I’m already feeling optimistic.
Thursday, 17 April 2008
Whom do you follow?
What strikes me most is that people following the fashion are following it for no apparent reason, they don’t know who started it, who they’re following. Followers of religion, however, are much better-placed in that the majority of them know who they’re following.
Ever wondered why an Elvis fan dresses like him? How a fan of Sachin can bat like him and become a Sehwag? Why do a Manchester United fan wears a ManU jersey with Rooney’s number on it? It means that being identified as a fan of their heroes is so important to them that they’re ready to forsake their own identity for it. Most Sikhs may be identified in a thousand. Because most Sikhs apparently follow what they believe. It’s not a matter of being right or wrong, it’s a matter of conviction, of believing that your version of truth is the real thing.
Fashion is a crazy phenomenon, no one invents it. And anything can be “in” before we realize it is.
What if religious dressing becomes in vogue? What if trousers above ankle become the next best thing from Paris. What if long beard became the in-thing? What if wearing a turban or a hijab gets into mainstream fashion. What if the west adopts Islamic fashion quicker than us?
Will we follow it then?
Ever wondered why an Elvis fan dresses like him? How a fan of Sachin can bat like him and become a Sehwag? Why do a Manchester United fan wears a ManU jersey with Rooney’s number on it? It means that being identified as a fan of their heroes is so important to them that they’re ready to forsake their own identity for it. Most Sikhs may be identified in a thousand. Because most Sikhs apparently follow what they believe. It’s not a matter of being right or wrong, it’s a matter of conviction, of believing that your version of truth is the real thing.
Fashion is a crazy phenomenon, no one invents it. And anything can be “in” before we realize it is.
What if religious dressing becomes in vogue? What if trousers above ankle become the next best thing from Paris. What if long beard became the in-thing? What if wearing a turban or a hijab gets into mainstream fashion. What if the west adopts Islamic fashion quicker than us?
Will we follow it then?
Paradox of Pakistani Society
The Pakistani society is a unique one. We have deep-running roots for the love of religion. Almost every mosque is over-crowded in Friday prayers despite the fact that there is at least a mosque every kilometer in major cities. If the huge congregations in Madni Masjid and Faizan-e-Madina on Thursday night are any indication, people crave for any opportunity to learn about Islam and practice it. Yet, it’s becoming even more difficult to follow the religion in the country, and much easier to follow western fashion.
It’s easier to have a goatee than a full grown beard, much easier to wear a jeans torn from the knee than wearing a trouser above ankles, easier to listen to songs than listening to Qirat. Worst of all, offering of prayers is much more difficult than watching a movie. It doesn’t mean that there’s a resistance from the masses, but there are certainly more than a few eyebrows raised in such cases. Even people with the religious mindset don’t resist their children from following the western fashion, and don’t push them to offering prayers. In a nutshell, despite the growing numbers in the mosque, the quality of the followers is depleting quickly.
What I feel is that as a nation, we’ve separated what we like and what we know is right. Despite the widespread belief that Music is prohibited, we’re producing more musicians than ever before. Liquor is freer than ever, so is adultery.
There’s widespread hypocrisy in our society, we love what we learn to hate since childhood – cheating, lying, bribing, extorting etc. And it is this deliberate hypocrisy that’s brought about our downfall as a nation. Knowingly doing wrong leaves irreparable scars on the character of a person – person who is the unit of society – society that’s digging its own grave.
It’s easier to have a goatee than a full grown beard, much easier to wear a jeans torn from the knee than wearing a trouser above ankles, easier to listen to songs than listening to Qirat. Worst of all, offering of prayers is much more difficult than watching a movie. It doesn’t mean that there’s a resistance from the masses, but there are certainly more than a few eyebrows raised in such cases. Even people with the religious mindset don’t resist their children from following the western fashion, and don’t push them to offering prayers. In a nutshell, despite the growing numbers in the mosque, the quality of the followers is depleting quickly.
What I feel is that as a nation, we’ve separated what we like and what we know is right. Despite the widespread belief that Music is prohibited, we’re producing more musicians than ever before. Liquor is freer than ever, so is adultery.
There’s widespread hypocrisy in our society, we love what we learn to hate since childhood – cheating, lying, bribing, extorting etc. And it is this deliberate hypocrisy that’s brought about our downfall as a nation. Knowingly doing wrong leaves irreparable scars on the character of a person – person who is the unit of society – society that’s digging its own grave.
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