Why do we get provoked so quickly?

NEW YORK: This is with reference to Quatrina Hosain’s article of May 24 titled ‘Optimism is not passe’.

She asks many pertinent questions and many of us have also wondered that why do we become angry and defensive? Where is all the angst and anxiety coming from? We find ourselves in a state of profound crisis. It is a complex, multi-dimensional crisis whose facets touch every aspect of our lives —- our health and livelihood, the quality of our environment and our social relationships, our ideology (faith, beliefs, religion), our economy, technology, and politics. You are absolutely right that 9/11 has changed many things.

In the past ten years Pakistanis have been erroneously stigmatized as terrorists. Many of us have personally felt the wrath of suspicion. There is no denying that ‘special’ treatment afforded at airports and elsewhere is due to our name and country of origin. It is very tempting and easy to view the conflict in Muslim-Christian/Jewish framework. And, that is what many Pakistanis do. But they are wrong.

Published in the Express Tribune, May 26th, 2010.