I was in Islamabad when I got into a heated debate on the United States’ decadence and moral corruption with a gentleman who was nearing 60. He asked me what it feels like to live in North America, how people treat us, what are the living conditions like, is the government fair to us and so on. This gentleman, by the way, had lived in the United Kingdom in 1980s. He was convinced that the West and North America is no place for us to raise our kids; it’s full of evil and the governments there are liars.
I haven’t lived in North America for long – a few years in New York City and a few years in Mississauga. And I have nothing but good to say about the part of the world I live in. The US offered me the best education of the world; my professors were extremely encouraging. In fact they prodded my brain, challenged my views to think rationally but at no time did I feel that they are even slightly pushing me to give up my values or my culture. The debates with diverse groups in class make you more tolerant and open to listening to others’, an attribute we – the South Asians and Muslims - absolutely need to learn. Just by living and interacting with Americans can at times make us humane.
My sisters and I, and many other girls could walk out of the class at ten at night, sometimes even later than that, without a tinge of fear that someone would pass a rude remark on us or that we are not safe here. I could wear hijab if I wanted to or shalwar kameez, and no one would look at me as if they were X-raying me. I have countless opportunities to grow provided I work hard. Yes there are isolated incidents of hatred or racism but then again we have come from the part of the world where Punjabis don’t like Sindhis and South Indians are not too familiar with North Indians or Beharis have something against Mardrasis, sunnis are up against shias, and wahabis have their differences with deobandis and so on. In fact after 62 years of living in Pakistan, some of us are still mahajir (migrants). Yes, occasionally, people might not sit next to me in New York City transit because I was wearing shalwar kammeez, but what’s the big deal! America and Canada gave me the freedom and the liberty to be who I am and no one can cherish these liberties better than I can and hundreds of thousands of South Asians and Muslims like me.
I told all this and more to this gentleman but he wasn’t happy with my response at all. He tried to show me a different picture of the US, a picture where George Bush forced the troops on Iraq by lying about Saddam Hussain and the weapons of mass destruction to not only Americans but to the entire world. He tried to tell me how America has no respect of sovereignty of other countries and how she is killing people in Afghanistan and the northern areas of Pakistan using her pilotless planes. He tried to tell me how immoral and decadent the western societies are where our girls go off to marry the blacks and the whites; how our children and teenagers’ character is damaged by morally corrupt societies. Somehow he failed to see and appreciate everything I and many others like me love about North American and the Western societies. He also forgot to mention that Americans didn’t like Bush’s policies so they elected a Democrat as a President of the US. And that the UK’s Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, will probably face an inquiry commission on Iraq.
Somehow this elderly gentleman’s views – which of course are the views of a very select group – have seeped into the minds of South Asians and Muslim young men and women living in North America. They have been born and bred in the most beautiful part of the world, they hold the US passport, yet they are getting terrorist training. They are going to Pakistan, Yemen and Syria to get military training and are legitimately coming back to the US – the scenario that has the US government concerned as it rightfully should. Ms. Anne Patterson, the American ambassador to Pakistan, believes this is a “nightmare scenario” about which a government cannot do a whole lot. She added “It’s not very many. But it’s hard to get a precise number,” Patterson said.
However, as a community we can and we should step up to help our governments.
Yes people especially youth are distraught with the US government’s lack of initiative on Palestine and its lies about Iraq, but can you – can anyone – think of a country where you can live so blissfully and criticize the governmental policies at the same time. Mind you, criticizing the policies is very different from criticizing the state that has given you everything.
Can you be critical of the government in Saudi Arabia, in Pakistan, in India? Human rights’ violation in Saudi Arabia is well documented, however very few people criticize the Saudi government. In fact many people associate criticizing Saudi practices with condemning Islam.
As a community, as parents and as teachers we need to be mindful and watchful of who our kids and our youth are interacting with, what their background is, what their views and ideology is and what are they preaching to our kids. Many of the imams in the community are not very knowledgeable even about the Quran and other revealed books of God; they know very little of sciences and literature and culture of other societies. We have to carefully see what our kids are being taught at Islamic schools. No one is saying anything against the religious studies, however being radicalized is dangerous, very dangerous for all of us. Remember Osama bin Laden was only one man and he has ruined the name of Islam and Muslims throughout the world. Our adults have grown up in the societies where tolerance, patience, respect for women and ideas is not very much appreciated. For them to live and raise kids in an open society where almost everything is up for debate and criticism is hard.
In addition to that we live in a virtual world where the information is out there for us to access, comprehending and grasping it is another story though. We live in a world where we can conquer hearts and minds of people through google, twitter, youtube, facebook and several other social networking sites. Violent acts, bombing buildings, shooting at people disgusts human nature at a very basic level. If you want to get your message across, use technology and your brain. We should be envious of Jews’ success in North America. They have made inroads into the society not by using guns but by using their minds and education. Jews can tell stories of how they were discriminated and racially targeted, yet they have succeeded by their hard work, and not by using guns. And so can we.
Thinking about harming such a country is mind boggling to the majority of people. Here in Canada, the Canadian government added the name of Al Shabaab in the list of terrorist organizations whose activities are banned in Canada. Al-Shabaab means the youth. According to official press release “The Government received reports from the Somali community that Al Shabaab has attempted to radicalize and recruit young Canadians. The listing of Al Shabaab will help the Government of Canada to better support the Somali community of Canada.”
If gentlemen like the one I got into an argument with is in any shape and form the mentor of our kids in North America, we should be beware of them. We have to teach our kids the blessings of the Western societies. And about that moral corruption part, it’s up to you to adopt it or leave it. We have this freedom too.
Author:Asma Amanat
