Anders Behring Breivik was driven by a paranoia of Muslims, and of Pakistanis in particular. Of all the nations, he singled out Pakistan as responsible for the future problems of Europe.
Most would run down Breivik as a sick young man, nurturing hatred and bias. But rejecting Breivik’s “Manifesto 2083” – a projection of Europe in slightly over 70 years from now, hardly serves those dismissive of the Norwegian who plunged the country into a state of mourning after gunning down some 68 youngsters attending a summer camp.
Of all Muslim societies, Pakistan seized Breivik’s imagination as a country typical for “denial of justice, intrusive religiousity and denial of rights to non-Muslims.” This must be a matter of introspection. In essence, Pakistan, for him, represents an embodiment of contradictions and denials, injustice, misgovernance and disorder which, in the long run, he fears would go on to galvanise other countries across the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic.
Breivik’s knowledge of Pakistan and Pakistan-origin Norwegians is based on his personal experiences, and extensive study of writings of people like Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Maulana Abul Ala Maududi, as well as prominent human rights activist Hina Jilani and Dawn columnist Irfan Hussain.
The image that Pakistani, Turk or Algerian Muslims have created for themselves is nothing new but people in Europe have started viewing them as inflexible members of the societies which are feeding them. For these Muslims, European values don’t matter.
Breivik’s childhood best friend, a Pakistani Muslim immigrant to Norway, comes across as someone who despite having lived several years in Europe still resented Norwegian society because it “represented the exact opposite of Islamic ways.”
Through close ties with Muslim families, Breivik must have also observed the paradoxes that most Pakistanis, Arabs and Turks live in: treating sons different from the way they treat their daughters.
The refusal of Muslim immigrants to assimilate into European society also seems to drive Breivik’s fears. Much of this is rooted in the conservative backgrounds that many Pakistani immigrants come from. It also results in a ghettoized style of living.
Last year, I met a young Pakistani driver in Washington. His father had migrated to the USA. The young man was born in the US but still found American ingredients of a breakfast – bread, cheese, coffee, marmalade – “not for us.” He loved paratha and lassi or black tea. The family lives together in a big house – with the women busy serving the rest. Their lives hardly vary from their relatives back home.
Based on personal experience, one can say most Pakistanis and Turks start having nightmares when their daughters reach adolescence – the fear of their girls dating drives such parents crazy, and they start thinking of how to preempt that eventuality.
As far back as in the mid 1980s, when one visited Scandinavia for the first time, one could see how many people from Pakistan – all of them practicing Muslims, were milking the social security system.
They do this even today.
Very recently, a friend based in Paris was blacklisted for abuse of laws that bestow certain privileges to parents of immigrants settled in France. It was a painful story to hear. There are countless such stories across Europe.
As a whole, the picture that emerges from the lives of a majority of Pakistani immigrants is dismal. They refuse to integrate. These conditions have shaped Breivik’s thesis on Pakistan. One is neither buying this thesis nor suggesting it is the ultimate truth. Our Pakistani brothers and sisters, however, must reflect as to why he arrived at such conclusions.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2011.
COMMENTS (44)
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Great, Indian trolls find an angle to bark against Islam/Pakistan even in this story.
@malik: "If you don’t appreciate their way of life, how will you contribute to enrichment of their society?" There was a time in America when the only way you could earn its citizenship was to enlist in its armed forces and be ready to die for it. Then, there wouldn't be such a mad rush to alien shores, obviously. The problems started surfacing when after WWII, there was a huge shortage of low-end labour in Europe. That is when many inducements were offered and the people who took advantage of those were the Muslims from Turkey and North Africa. In the mad rush to prosperity, no one paid attention to such arcane concepts as assimilation; people just did not have the time for it. Then, inevitably, the decline started and with the contraction of economies, who do you think became superfluous - the ones who came last, the ones who looked foreign, the ones who were different and -horror of horrors - insisted on being different, the ones who subsisted just above the survival line. They had all those identities when the times were good, but no one seemed to notice. People don't care if Einsteins can't - and generally don't - assimilate. But, even Einsteins could be victimized when there is no obvious need for their skills. You can appreciate and be in awe of a society, that is not enough to guarantee that you would be welcome! You may ooh and aah every minute of the day in a museum, that cannot get you a job over there! It is the economy, stupid!
Hariharmani,
Thanks for taking the time to read my comments and post a reply. Gratified with your response. Regards.
@Frank: before islam you were Pothari, after Islam you remained Potahri. But you gave up your pre-islamic heritage. Post partition, colectively Pakistan also gave up most of its sub-continental heritage and asipred for a wahabi one.
@Shahzad Sheikh:
And what about your children? what if they WANT to marry people of another faith or race, what are you going to do then? You maybe what you are but your children will be there own people.
@Ali Wazir:
Well said... i am born and raised in Europe to Pakistani parents, i am quiet well integrated and my parents brought me up in a respectable Pakistani way which i think prepared me with good manners and respect for the future. But then we are a middle class family and it does make a difference, the poorer people find it more difficult to integrate.
Ali Wazir is right, there is a very Anti-Islam and especially Pakistan feeling in Europe (The constant bad news and kartoot of Pakis doesn't help). The far right is rising due to faltering Euro economies.
Regards integration, i would support a ban where 1st and 2nd generation Europeans of Pak or another nationality origin be banned form marrying someone from their parents country as this does not help integration at all. And ALL cousin marraiges should be banned, bad for your health and an excuse to bring over relatives.
Self-criticism is the best way to start a dialogue. Pakistanis must learn that art.
@Shahzad Sheikh:
You think the society that gives you livelihood is not worth being part of...then why the hell you want to part of that society? Your argument is that..I am born here and I am here to make a living and I don't have to appreciate their culture. If you don't appreciate their way of life, how will you contribute to enrichment of their society?
I think your mindset indicates that you are no different from a person who makes a living using her body and hating the society for making her do it.
Get out of US and come back to SWAT, here you will feel more at home ! And we will be proud about our person who refuses to 'assimilate' wherever he goes !
@Shahzad Sheikh:
Dear asalamualaikum : thanks for your wonderful comment i very very like your comment and 100% agree with you. we dont need to change ourselves. i have lots of foreign friends who always like me coz i wear shalwar kameez and i love my pakistani traditions. these peopel are living in fool's paradise who think that by wearing jeans or eating bread can become more progressive. we must respective everyone and their culture but should follow our own culture. its most beautiful culture for me. and i love it. Peace for eveyone!!
Rashid Khan and Imtiaz Gul,
Some background on your valid points and questions - While I have taken a somewhat critical view of Pakistan here, let me also say that the majority of second generation Pakistanis I have met here in the US identify themselves as Americans and are a mostly hard working and industrious community. Many don't mind being called Indians and it really doesn't bother them anyway either way. But this also has to do with labor policies and the immigration system of the US - it is rather strict, based on merit, requires that you demonstrate that you can support yourself and is not nearly as generous benefits wise as European nations are. This also explains why many Indians here are success stories compared to back home - the US immigration has drawn mostly the cream of the crop. In the case of the UK - some background detail is required. During the construction of the Mangla Dam in what is called Azad Kashmir, many of the farming communities that were affected or displaced were allowed to settle in the UK as part of an agreement made between the UK and Pakistan. These individuals were not among the educated class and found themselves drawn to issues of identity crisis and had relative difficulty finding adequate employment. Many have withdrawn themselves from society and it is also why you see so many Islamic Kashmiri oriented politically active groups in the UK as opposed to the US - these are primarily Mirpuri organizations though they are strongly affiliated with Punjabis more than they are with ethnic Kashmiris. Some UK politicians have in the past expressed regret at allowing this community in, with David Cameron publicly admitting that they allowed some "crazies" into their country.
Dear Frank,
That's a very natural question. Here's the response:
Pakistan was born of an ideology. Ideologies are exclusive, civilizations are inclusive. You're telling me that you are a Punjabi - but Pakistan wasn't created because Punjabis or Sindhis or Pakhtuns felt they could administer themselves better in a separate administrative unit. Pakistan was born because of an ideology - and that ideology is religious in nature. That's why you probably don't live by Potohari Punjabis who are Hindu or Sikh - because they were driven out of their homelands due to a violent ideology that caused widespread displacement. The majority of Punjab is in Pakistani territory not because Punjabis wanted to remain in Punjab, but because a majority of Punjabis felt their religion was more important than their culture and didn't mind displacing those Potohari Punjabi's who did not share your faith - hence the creation of a political unit called Pakistan Punjab. There would be no animosity if Pakistan was purely a geographical and separately administered entity sans ideology. The problem lies in the ideology of the state, and that is your culprit - the answer to your question.
Regards.
@Khadim Husain, Ss Yes! Your criticism was the expected reaction. You question Imtiaz Gul’s credentials to speak on behalf Pakistanis and his views of the image they project abroad simply because he is stating facts. While we cannot deny that the presence Pakistanis in Europe very few among us can vouch for their contribution towards the societies of their host countries. The little contribution if there is any is simply not at par with the benefits these people derive from system that support them. The UK has a long existing expatriate Pakistani community but with the exception of a few names such Amir Khan in sports, Wasti and Lord Nazir in politic, that too in recent years, there is no mentionable achievement. Further north in the Scandinavian countries, including Norway, the Pakistani population is on the rise folk because of the generous welfare package and the tolerant legislation but it’s the same story. The common thread the links Pakistani communities across Europe is: •Strong presence of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers – of course a large number of the later are on the basis of fake documentation •Disproportionate numbers of welfare recipients in relation to the Pakistani population in the country •Rampant abuse of the support system with malpractices, such as, tax evasion. This is justified with clichés such as ‘ why to pay these kafirs’ •Misplaced or hypocritical display of a religious zeal in a liberal society which disrupt society – penchant to block roads for prays and demands to build mosques at every street corner. •Resisting integration into mainstream society It is best that Pakistanis migrate to the Muslim majority Middle East. But the question is ‘will these countries accept them?’ And the answer is 'no'. So they abuse the tolerance of the West.
I am an American born Pakistani, and I will never assimilate. In the USA as long as you are a good law abiding citizen, you don't have to assimilate. I eat paratha every morning with tea, I eat halal meat, I do not and will not drink alcohol, nor will I let my daughters or sons marry people of other faiths. The White Americans say I am brave for keeping my roots and are interested in Islam. Yesterday I went out in Salwar kameez and met an Afghan Hindu who said he respected me and admired me for being myself without fear. As for upper class Pakistanis from Pakistan, you will assimilate well in America, but remember you are accepting American trash culture and deep down inside no American respects you. Its better to be yourself, whatever you are, rather than try to be a carbon copy of someone else.
The typical response from us Pakistanis is: "But we're the victims!" We're not the victims. We're causing our own problems.
Our ISI created the terrorists and we were fine with it when they killed Afghans and Indians and now most of us (like Imran Khan) seem fine with it still as these barbarians kill innocent Pakistanis.
We are a nation with no moral compass. We justify everything and make excuses for whatever we don't want to hear.
Until we can live with the truth and ask questions, we do not deserve to be called the Land of the Pure. Jinnah would be ashamed.
The nation of Pakistan or any Pakistani is not responsible for Norway attacks. Brevik believed in the imaginary "Eurabia" nonsense of the Far-Right.
@Khadim Husain: Thanks you very much for your kind remarks. Mr. Husain, a newspaper comment usually scratches and touches the surface for symptoms and their possible causes. Not a thesis at all. Whatever I wrote is out of concern for my country and countrymen, and not out of any consideration whatsoever. It is simple daily life experiences, and not a rocket science to understand the gravity of the situation. Many thanks any way for taking time out to read my comments.
So pakistan is responsible for any terrorist activity by alqaeda or taliban and now if someone else does a terrorist act from certain fear pakistan is responsible....
Just because someone or some people do not adopt the habits and customs of some society is no reason to justify their killing. Does it give some society the right to kill you if you are different from them?
Why are you singling out Pakistanis in their 'refusal to integrate'? Is this not true of any nationality? The Chinese immigrants do the same - go home and eat with chopsticks, Japanese immigrants wear suits but for them europe is still a 'Gaijin' - foreign - country, Indian immigrants go ahead and create a "Little India" wherever they go, Italian immigrants will eat pasta every single day of the week if they can help it, the French will return to ratatouille and relish every moment of it, an African will continue performing voodoo at home...the list goes on!
Why single out Pakistanis? I'm sorry but I find your article doing more harm than good to the image of Pakistan when similar stories exist with people belonging to all nations. Then why attack a bunch of non-Pakistani youngsters in their mid-teens when you clearly have a beef with Pakistan? I'm not saying you're defending Mr. Brevik's actions but you clearly do think that his reasons were correct and Pakistanis should integrate more. To my mind that is as sick as Mr. Brevik's actions demonstrated.
This is what multi-culturism actually stands for. If you have a political ideology of multi-culturalism, like the Norwegian Labor party does, you can't expect your own culture to exist in its entirety. Last I checked it wasn't illegal for a Pakistani to eat a Paratha, or for a Pakistani woman to be happy in taking care of her husband and family.
Mr Imtiaz, these women do it of their own accord, because its our culture and we take it wherever we go. But when we come back to Pakistan, we bring more of the migrant country home. We're neither purely Pakistani nor purely Immigrant. The traffic flows both ways.
What has been referred to in this piece is a dilemma which can not, in any way, be used as a justification for the brutish act. Why are we here, in Pakistan, trying to cement his misconceptions into concrete facts?
just learn from indian, how they integrate in western society and become successful in UK and USA. they are the highest taxpayer in USA.
the horrific act of this lunatic should not be allowed to become the reason for the spread of radical islam in the west.i was born and raised a muslim but with education and the passage of time i became an atheist.i've seen the muslim population in london creating their own ghetto where they don't interact with the non-muslims,they don't socialise with the white people.the only interaction the muslims do with the non-msulims is in their workplaces where it is unavoidable.this has led to the prevalence of devious things like pressure on girls to walk around in burkas,death threats to ex-muslims and persecution of the gay community. the actions of this lunatic should not be allowed to overshadow the threat posed to the world by radical islam.all this cousing marriages( inbreeding),child marriages,honour killings,hatred of atheists and agnostics should not be allowed to become mainstream in the european or american society i escaped to britain to escape islamic fascism,but i am seeing how britain is fast becoming islamofascism central.
Imtiaz does have a point here. As usual some of us would totally deny it right away. Without going into details, let us look at Pakistan itself. Most large cities in Pakistan have elite colonies where elites live without major problems. However, there are slums where the “out of state laborers” live and they have Balkanize the cities. Karachi and Baluchistan are examples of this non-integration and daily wars between ethnic groups. The point is when Pakistanis cannot integrate even within Pakistan, what can we expect from them in Europe? We refuse to accept anything and show resistance even if it for our own benefits. A few examples are Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was branded non Muslim when he wanted Muslims to get education and compete on merit. Even Quaid-e-Azam was branded Kafir-e-Azam by all mullahs. There are more pir and Hakim treating Pakistanis in the interior than actual doctors. We are always late to adopt anything good for our progress. We only do it as a last resort, after we have tried everything else.
Mr. Gul presents a very true factual picture of Muslims living in Western countries. Muslims living in my country Australia came here as asylum seekers because they felt unsafe in their native lands where they were subjected to religious persecutions, wars etc. Yet since their arrival they have continued to stick to their previous religious ways. Many still continue to follow the practice of female genital mutilation, females wear a burkha. Many Imams do not speak English and continue to sneer at Australian ways. A senior Imam in referring to a gang rape of an Australian girl by Muslim youth said" immodestly dressed women who don't wear Islamic headdress for being preyed on by men and likened them to abandoned "meat" that attracts voracious animals". Thus showing complete ignorance of Australian society and the law. When Muslims come here they tacitly agree to uphold Australian Law and yet behave completely contrarily. They also try to get as much as they can from social benefits. Many do not work tyrannize their women and some have even killed their daughters for having Australian boy friends. No wonder tharefore that Muslims are held in low regard by others.
Ashok
I am a Potohari Punjabi. My family have been in Potohar for as long as we know. What did we take from someone else to make Pakistan? Moreover, who is this mysterious someone else from whom we have taken something? Who is it that has more right to Punjab than Punjabis? Please explain.
The most important contribution this article has made to the debate is that it is because parents don't let their daughters go out with boys that we are witnessing such hatred against Muslims. Well done, Mr. Gul.
And obviously, success for immigrants should be measured by what food they eat. Eating paratha bad, eating bacon good. Orwell was so stupid not to think of this.
We all know about the problems of Muslim migrants in Europe be they unemployed Arabs rioting in France, Turkish labourers in Germany, Pakistanis in the UK or Iranians in Scandanavia. Yes they have trouble integrating and a lot of them live on state welfare / khayrat "milking the system" but does any of that justify mass murder? No. We need to put things in perspective. Yes Europe is sick of Musim migrants who go as asylum seekers and then live at fringe of society in low income housing but they can only blame themselves for not sending back these illegal migrants when they first arrived. Killing other Europeans to spite the foreigners who are not integrating makes no sense. As for Muslims in North America, most of them are not asylum seekers but went there as real immigrants through a point system based on skills.
an analysis without a powerful conclusion....???????
This is a weird article. Why should ordinary Pakistanis view themselves through the eyes of a mass murderer? If Ossama Bin Laden had written a 1500 page thesis on Norway or any Western country would we expect them to "reflect as to why he arrived at such conclusions"? H
This article is in terribly poor taste...Not only it generalizes excessively but the entire premise is flawed. If you have met Chasidic Jews you will notice there distinctive dress, how they remain insular in their community. Go to any china town and you will see signs in Chinese etc. Same goes for Latinoes and even Black Communities. Has anyone ever suggested that there is a problem that this is a problem that can drive someone to kill 80 people????
Multiculturism is a sucess beacuse it allows the space for communities to co exsist. 1000 years of Jewish History in Europe wasnt enough for them to be seen as "Asimilated" by German Nazi same goes for the Roma.
Sure immigrant Muslim communities have problems but to generalize them as people milking the welfare state is frankly borderline racist. I think we Pakistani have made self flagellation and Blaming ourselves our new national hobby. Baerick rampage has more to do with Europe failure to recognize a increasing dangerous Islamophobic racist ultra right
a brave and frank piece, which does credit both to the author and to the newspaper for carrying it... if only all pakistanis can be so introspective and sensitive about the genuine concerns that some of their narrow-mindedness and intolerance vis-a-vis other communities is causing around the world today. The potential for communal amity and mutual peace can then become so much greater...
Some of our muslim brothers and sisters, especially from Pakistan, need to realise that they (or anyone else for that matter) do not hold a monopoly over God, and over everything that is right in the world... the beliefs and views of other people matter too. However, if they continue to defend their unnecessarily narrow mindset; refuse to properly integrate in the countries that they immigrate to; shamelessly milk their welfare systems while actually looking down upon Westerners in practice; and think that their own religious faith and practices alone matter and should ultimately rule the world, and nothing else... their general future will remain bleak. And they will continue to be looked at with suspicion and derision by others, and directly or indirectly be associated with such crazy incidents.
They should introspect why other communities - chinese, indians, buddhists, etc. - have been able to integrate, and make positive contributions, in a globalised world much more easily compared to them - without raising similar concerns and fears. The supreme irony here is that a white Norwegian nut-case has killed white Norwegians... but the mental fingerprints still lead back to Pakistan.
Assimiation with reservations is important. Muslims must inter act with their neighbours and participate in associations doing good for the society. They must participate in delivering food to the homeless, volunteering at hostpitals, participating in walkathons for good causes. They should live their lives in moderate ways and must not engage in milking social welfare system, making demands for prayer services, blocking roads for Jumah prayers, demanding Jumah prayer in schools, demanding the government make special privilages for them. They know well that this part of the world keeps religion as a private affair. They fought for hundereds of years to reach here and do not take it kindly when Muslims start making demands.
There is a controversy going on in Toronto over Muslim students having Jumah prayers in schools (with menstrating girls sitting in the back). This is resulting in Hindus and Jews protesting as public shools are supposed to be secular. A show down is developing with street protests and counter protests.
Some issues must be dealt more with wisdom than emotion keeping the long term benefits in mind.
For some assimilation means dressing up like European women, going to late night parties, dropping their moral values, consuming alcohol, etc. which is against Muslim values.
For a Muslim behaviour is important as he/she is a living example of Islam and to get bogged down with superficialities has the opposite effect.
Moderation in all is the way to go.
Excellent Article Sir. I live most of the time abroad and can
t deny a single word you have said. & most comments hereafter would deny even though they know the truth (Especially Pakistanis who live abroad). I knew a particular instance when i lived in Germany, a driver was saying "ye gore hum pakistani banayenge". Hum yaad rakhein, apni hi mulk mein hame izzat nahi milti, jitni izzat hame idher aam awaam se milthi hi".Go to Saudi or any of Gulf/Arab Countries, you
ll know how they treat Pakistanis. Youll see the difference in the airport itself. By not integrating, many of our people are ruining the name of other Pakistanis who want to integrate with the society. I certainly wish these people leave west and go and settle in Gulf, but then they wont even do that.I wonder why a psychopath killer's irrational thoughts are being projected on media in the context of civilizations and nations rather than being examined in a psychiatrist's office..... :( Isn't his most heinous crime the corroboration of his sick mind that not be discussed in public ...
Look at the history of immigrations...USA was nativeland of Red-Indians...white came in...white adopted the culture of red-indians? No...some adopts some don't...some influence the native culture some not...it is two edged sword...
Imtiaz Gul did not represent Pakistani's, he is spokesperson of non-Pakistani's, neither he knows definition of integration in the society. It is better he must study local constitutional rights of the citizens. He must also study Christian sects; and great gulf between those sects;. In most Western countries laws are made for humans or in many cases animals as well. Imtiaz Gul and such kind of writers are still living in the age of G W Bush and Mush.
No one wants to hear it! We have become used to playing the victim wherever we go. There is always someone out to get us. No need for us to look inwards, just blame someone else. People are imposing their own misogynistic views and cultural biases on their families amongst immigrant communities and use Islam to justify their actions. Its shocking that people in Europe or North America justify forced and underage marriages of their daughters under the pretest of "Islamic" values.
As the PM of Norway said, we need more respect, more openness and greater democracy.
The fundamental problem with Pakistan is that it was created by taking something from someone else. Islam didn't originate in India, and while there were already numerous Islamic countries, a significant portion of the Muslims of India in 1947 asked for one more. Empirically speaking, it was created by Muslims only for Muslims. As sad as it is to say, if Pakistan became secular tomorrow, it would not really make a difference in the grand scheme of things as most of the religious minority communities indigenous to that land have vanished. The Pakistan Military's policy of targeting Hindus in what used to be East Pakistan does not help in this regard either - it becomes a state policy that gives this ideology official sanction. The land that Israel occupies is minimal compared to the size of Islamic countries put together, and it is after all where the Jewish people originated from. Yet, Israel draws so much anger from Islamic societies. If Palestinians were displaced, weren't indigenous Zoroastrians, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs displaced due to Islamic expansionism? Yet there exists a perception that there is absolutely no concern whatsoever for this within Islamic societies.
Most European Muslims are Turkish or North African. This is not a cultural thing it is a class thing. The poor were brought to work in factories and other menial jobs, then left to own devices without proper education when they were no longer useful. People who come from upper classes have no problem in assimilation. In the US, they fear Latino failure to integrate. But, again these are poor who do menial things and work in farms (to keep food prices down) in, constructions, etc. Generally in Europe and US, poor areas get abysmal education and services. Little wonder this reflects in failure of people to integrate. This also a problem with African Americans after hundreds of years. First there was slavery, then Jim Crow, now education and employment discrimination. Meanwhile, African immigrants (brought up in countries considered basket cases) do better in the United States as they are more often middle class. African immigrants who go to Europe are poor, so again there is an assimilation problem.