Thomas Jefferson made it clear. “The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers.” Well said, considering he comes from a nation that feeds on mass hysteria. And what better way to promote this collective paranoia than via media sensationalism, the fuel of American communications.
One minute they are crying about “fundamentalism”, (an American word we have accepted without question or resistance), the other minute it is “enlightened moderation” (a euphemism for secularism that we used with great flair during Musharraf’s era), and Obama’s new favourite, “Pakistani Talibanism.” The list goes on and on.
The Swat “peace”-deal had the media going haywire, with even Canadian newspapers publishing demoralising stories of women being murdered by their Muslim husbands or fathers, and eventually relating the incident (by hook or by crook) to Islamic scriptures and inevitably, the Swat peace deal. Then there was the sudden appearance of the questionable Swat flogging that occurred…six months ago! Why that video should appear conveniently after six months of hiding is unclear, until you step back and look at the big picture. But why would CNN or the New York Times report the big picture? They wouldn’t because the threat of the Taliban is exactly what’s needed to keep the Pakistani elite rulers on their toes and the American public constantly looking over their shoulder in fear of the next 9/11. It is exactly what is needed to keep Pakistanis preoccupied while Americans suck their blood, money and resources.
Sadly, our fellow people abroad are having a hard time separating reality from fiction. A young woman at university simply could not believe that one of us had attended a Catholic school…in Pakistan.
“It is so shocking that a Muslim should attend Catholic school, in Pakistan on top of that!” Yes, isn’t it amazing how we didn’t just shout Takbir and behead the nuns? Another young man could only frown and scratch his head when we told him “no Pakhtunistan does not exist.” (It is only a figment of your government’s imagination and desire). Even fellow Pakistanis who have lived abroad for too long dare not venture back home for fear of “all the terrorists and bandits running around.”
It’s that bad. But all is not lost and there are a few things average people like us can do to avoid falling into this media/paranoia trap.
1) Keep up to date with current affairs. It is of the essence that our generation break free from the chains of pop culture and step into the real world.
2) Research everything on your own. Don’t believe all the news that’s going around by word of mouth because it eventually becomes nothing more than a game of Chinese whisper.
3) Don’t believe everything you hear or see on mainstream media, especially if it is a western brand. This has nothing to do with racism and everything to do with the fact that these media outlets are in collaboration with their government and military and hence, have vested interests. Try browsing unconventional websites that provide a fresh, alternative, independent perspective on world views like www.globalresearch.com, www.infowars.com, www.ahmedquraishi.com, www.daily.pk, www.presstv.ir and www.independent.co.uk. (Note that being mainstream doesn’t make a piece of information wrong and being unconventional doesn’t make it right but it is a good way to avoid being bound by a certain, dictated mind set.)
4) Spread the word. Forward any eye-opening articles to your friends and family. Post interesting links onto your Facebook profile. Write letters to the editor of your local newspaper. Talk about it in your blog. If you are in university (both in Pakistan or abroad), join a club that promotes social issues and bring up the topic of Pakistan. Someone, somewhere is bound to be affected by you.
5) Relax. The world will end but on God’s terms, not Obama’s or Zardari’s.
6) Pray. For Pakistan and for all the victims of the tyranny of hegemonic powers.
Remember that these are people who run for cover every time a plane flies over New York, whose whole systems break down when their computers crash, who hurry to quarantine when a few cases of the flu are given a fancy name. There’s no reason why this paranoia should rub off on us because there’s one thing the media conglomerates and their partners in Washington are forgetting; this is Pakistan; brave, army strong and downright tenacious. We are not going to fall simply because a bunch of people in turbans have now acquired new technology and weapons (and we all know where they’re coming from). We are going to keep our head and dignity, we are going to fight until the end and we are going to end the fight winning.
Romesa K. Qureishi
May 13th, 2009
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