Of course, there are stimuli like ideologies which shape attitudes, and commonly, many of these ideologies will be absorbed at home, at work or in peer groups, outside the purview of the state. The effects of these cannot be denied but, in essence, these groupings or stimuli are cumulative effects of individuals coming together as groups, or individuals shaping the attitudes of their children as parents, or as teachers to students and so on. No doubt, there are larger factors which act at regional or group levels to change the personality of individuals, but what I am suggesting is that there are strong individual stimuli felt at home, at school, at work in the society in general, which can mould an individual's thought.
Arguably, these are as the building blocks of the same building seen in different facets. Using this analogy, the stimuli shaping the mindset of the common man are largely considered the neglected, unexplored back side of the building, as opposed to the more glamorous exterior of the radical who gets more press. The exterior patina of the Afghan jihad-hardened radical, or American actions (directly or indirectly) radicalising individuals is much more up front and in your face and is thus considered much more in the mainstream. This detracts from the comprehension needed to assimilate the Pakistani reality and limits research on many areas. For instance, I believe that cultural and societal conditions in Pakistan that have frustrated the basic psychological needs of Pakistanis have escalated the potential for violence. This is not very well-documented, either in Pakistan or in the West. Thus, even seminal western works like Professor Anatol Lieven's Pakistan; a hard country focus more on the opinions of the elite in the country who are different from the masses, or the radical, who is anyways the extreme manifestation of the common man at cross purposes with society.
I am quite concerned about the impact of society on culture on the Pakistani individual. I am also concerned about the impact of Pakistan's culture and society on groups, whose basic building blocks are individuals, since the fulfilment of basic needs cannot just be an individual matter in exclusivity to the society. Leaving aside the potential for conflict within groups made up of individuals, there are a number of stresses that a Pakistani individual, or any individual for that matter, will face in everyday living.
Thus, the way that culture dictates everyday life, relations between groups, the institutions of society, and the existence and nature and impact of local communities on the individual and families will provide a framework of reference as to how these people will live their lives. This will impact upon how basic desires and needs are met, how children are treated and in turn treat elders, will delineate the poor from the rich and how they will act , and will also delineate social structures and statuses of the poor and rich and their social networks. An obvious negative impact is that it may sometimes rigidly define statuses, so as to affirm or diminish people as individuals depending on social status, as has happened in Pakistan or any other developing country. Social grouping status wise is so ingrained in the minds of even the most seemingly liberal Pakistanis that they would not willingly opt out of this mindset, even if societal conditions were conducive to producing an equitable society.
Thus, there are certain cultural and societal nuances ingrained within the mind of an average Pakistani which condition him to live within the paradigms of the Pakistani society. Such conditioning is usually necessary for a person to survive within a society, but may also be based on not very liberal predicates. Sometimes, as in the case of not only Pakistanis but many other societal groups as well, this conditioning can also produce a retrogressive mentality resistant to change or innovation. More research needs to be done on the building block of our country, the common Pakistani.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 10th, 2013.
COMMENTS (13)
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The author has qualified with his studies for the job of a 'Security Analys'. Even without his Phd he is a suitable candidate to be given a job in the vast security apparatus of the USA administration which now operates in more than 150 countries. What he has ignored to state that the territory of Pakistan has been declared by the west as well as the current Pakistan Govt., a WAR zone similar to many other muslim countries where high on their agenda ' terrorism' has been prioratised!
All western Gvts. have officialy advised their citizens to this effect and cautioned them to refrain from unnecessary tourist visits. What must therefore be the perception of a man in the street or the peasant in his fields about Pakistan.? Mind you our families are now frightened equaly for visiting India and South Africa, where the gang rape culture against the women has suddenly surfaced out of the blue. This did not prevent Hollande ofcourse from the visit to sell French jets to the Indian military, but this is another topic.
I am also not sure if during his studies Mr Zaidi has had the opportunity to acquint himself with the term 'Inquisition' by the christian church against muslims and jews, several crusades inside the arabian territories and the massive conversion program in Spain. Today the American armada is entrenched in the holy land of Afghanistan, and Pakistan is feverishly faciitating its withdrawl as it did for its entry a decade ago.
Rex Minor
We have problems in part of our society (extremism etc) that will take long time to solve and is a continuing struggle. . In the meantime, we should aggressively pursue on our cultural fronts (films etc). We cannot wait for things to improve first. . India has a space program and it didn't wait for poverty to be alleviated. Brazil has gun problems and it didn't wait for it to get better and kept promoting its football cool image. . Things are complex... let's start promoting the better side of our society and this may improve our image.
Delusion at its worst. It does not get removed even with the benefit of western education in conflict studies.
Is the author's prototypical common Pakistani happy, sad, angry or neutral that Osama bin Laden is dead (he may be angry about how it happened, but what's his response to the fact that Osama is dead)?
Is the common Pakistani yearning right now for elections and looking forward to the change that will bring, or is he yearning for the military to take over again?
Is there any circumstance under which the common Pakistani is likely to have the kind of response seen across the border to the rape of one woman? There are many rapes in India that don't get the kind of response seen to the rape of a physiotherapy student in Delhi, but, still the question is is their any circumstance in which a similar response by the common Pakistani to any rape?
These are some of the questions that the author and others need to answer to understand the common Pakistani. If the answer to the first is sad or angry, to the second is - waiting for the military and to the third is - no, then we know that the picture of Pakistanis in the west is closer to reality than the author would like to acknowledge.
Well said, although there should be consideration of mob behavior in the above analysis. Groups, as you mention them, still seem to be the rational counterparts of the mob. An individual's frustration metastasizes in a mob to become the bile of radicalism.
Interesting and very relevant topic of the day. It would have been better if the article was written in simple English for a common person like me. I really had to apply mind to understand some points which is good to for better understanding yet part lime reading for pleasure may not need too much mind juggling.
A Peshawary
Common Pakistani ........ This is how the world sees.........
When President Bill Clinton visited Pakistan for 5 hours after his 5 day visit to India, this is what was reported: (1) The roads that his motorcade passed were cleared of all spectators for security reasons. (2) His motorcade passed at a high speed, without any stops on empty roads. There was no crowd on the sidewalks to greet or cheer the President with flags. Roads were just empty. (3) All along the way his motorcade passed, there were huge banners on both sides of the road praising Jihad and espousing Kashmir cause. These banners were specially put up to greet the President. (4) For security reasons his motorcade was driving in the wrong direction on the divided two way street. (5) Bill Clinton straight went ahead to deliver a strong warning to Pakistanis live on Pakistani TV Channels. There were no cheerful faces or warm greetings throughout the 5 hour visit.
This is the image that Pakistan itself has projected to the whole world and the world views Pakistan as it has itself wanted to.
Even today, what is most seen about Pakistan on TV screens is thousands of bearded mob burning American and Israeli flags. The 1000's of gun wielding mob that surrounded Rinkle was equally chilling. World watched this also live on TV.
Sheikh Rasheed has threatened few times on live TV that Pakistan will destroy everyone with nukes. He says: No birds will fly and no bells will ring in any (Hindu) Temple (Koi cheedia nahi udagi. Koi Mandir mein ghanti nahi bajagi) and Pakistanis Cheer, Pakistan's former UN Diplomat, Munir Akram threatens US with nukes. "Amreka ka jo yaar hai...Gaddhar hai, Gaddhar hai" is the often repeated favorite slogan.
When Musharraf overthrew NS and seized power, Pakistanis were distributing sweets on the streets. Meanwhile US was surveying what percentage of the Pakistani Army that are having beard, beard with mustache, beard without mustache, the length of the beard and whether it is groomed or unkempt. If you look at the surveys in Newsweek and Time Magazine of those days, you will find such surveys.
Hijacking of Indian Airlines plane, freeing founder of Jeish e Muhammad and killer of Daniel Pearl, Kargil, Mumbai attacks etc. add to the list. All these were cheered and celebrated in the in the streets of Pakistan by distributing sweets. London bombings by terrorists of Pakistani origin where the 22 year old young mother even carried explosives disguised as baby food for her infant child was chilling. This led to prohibiting carrying any liquid in flight. That Khalid Sheikh found in Karachi and OBL was found in Abottabad added to the list.
What I am saying is that all Pakistanis, including its establishment, its political and religious parties, its general population, its judiciary and its own media have worked hard for many years to build this reputation for all Pakistanis. With so much support for terror and constant call for elimination of hindus, jews and christian by most of muslim population in Pakistan, it is hard to recognize the 10% of good Pakistanis who are not anti any other religions or those who do not support terror activities.
The impact of society ( religion,tradition, teachings of parents & teachers, environment, peers and values) is seen shaping the person . The effect which is almost equal on individuals is understood to be normal and sure on the mindset and treated as common . This is understood the surest of the product and does not attract the idea of going deeper to understand it. It is the .Naturally the matter of research will be the where the degree of variance is very very high( an altogether product/ outcome).
Is this an example of Shakespeare's 'all sound and fury, signifying nothing'? What is the author trying to say? All I see is a mass of complex words; I cannot see any underlying new idea or insight. As the Americans say, "where is the Beef?".
ours have turned a degenerated, morally corrupt, and a clueless society heading for the abyss... every society in the world have wrong elements, be it in US, China or India.. but the problem for pak is that under blessings of our establishment, the extreme views have been nurtured beyond recognition, and unfortunately, the sane, peaceful voices of common society has been mute spectator. In india, if there is a rape, entire nation is out on streets. In pakistan, the women are raped double the rate of india, but no one reports or even cares to hear the voice of 50% of population, as our society have accepted women as commodities.
What a refreshing article. It takes a rare mind to reset the conversation and say, the common man and common woman is missing from this debate. This is akin to bringing sexy back, in the best way possible.
Zaidi Sahab - Well said. I agree with you about skewed interpretation of a common Pakistani in western circles. This is because sample used for analysis most of the time has been biased because of urgent research / international relations conditions. Anatol Lieven has also highlighted lack of availability of primary research resources on Pakistan's sociology and anthropology as gaps that need to be closed for Pakistan's trajectory to be understood.
It is true what the author says. I think unless we are free to ask questions on eveything and no holy cows are left out, most of Pakistanis will never be free to come out of the closed soceity and remain imprisoned in the limited room of manovering.