A Blogger from Pakistan is attempting to change the way the Pakistanis are viewed across the Globe.
Pakistanis are described as Terrorists mainly, the Blogger rues and states that the Pakistanis are being stereotyped.
This view is not without merits.
Why are the Pakistanis stereotyped this way?
The West, especially the US would love to stereotype any one, especially in a negative light to suit its purposes.
The behaviour of the Leaders of the country whose face is visible to the Globe.
The action and reaction of the Pakistanis in the web.
The non presence of Pakistani readers and bloggers on Hot debates on a range of topics with a stand that is not essentially Islamic.
The structure of Institutions in Pakistan.
The spectacle of corrupt leaders in Pakistan with deals and counter deals to offset corruption charges.
The meek following of US Diktats.
The inability to address the issue of terrorism excepting quoting figures.
As to US stereotyping, it is to be expected.It has done/is doing for India as well.
This can be countered only by web presence in retorting with facts.
The globally visible face of Pakistan, Musharraf,Zardari,Gilani,Pasha,Mullahs,Pakistani Cricket team ( which never completes a series with out a scandal,Pakistan Taliban…. is not rosy.
Why can not they behave normally?
You find people like Nawaz Sharief being indicted for Corruption,getting asylum in Saudi and then comes back to Pakistan when he finds he can do a deal for power.
Musharraf runs away to UK and a warrant against his arrest is pending in Pakistan!
Starting from Ayub Khan..running through Zulfikat Ali Bhutto,Yahya Khan,now Bilawal..are these people the face of Pakistan?
Zardari has corruption cases in the Court and there is run in with the court on a daily basis.
Pasha of ISI gets indicted for hiding the information on Ossma in Pakistan from the Government , he(Pasha) lambasted the US and immediately rushes to US to meet Panetta.
On the one hand leaders declare that they will not tolerate Drone attacks in Pakistan by the US but hobnob with the US the same day and keep on asking for more US Money!
On the Pakistani Cricket team ,the less said the better.
Best talents, highly motivated, yet morally bankrupt-openly clashing with each other, fixing matches and getting caught in Foreign soil.
On the Pakistani Taliban the impression one gets is that Pakistan is ambivalent is on this issue.
These facts are to be addressed to and the good things happening in Pakistan; like the people taking on Extremism and corruption.
Readers /surfers ,Media need to come out of islamic orientation once in a while at least to contribute.
Bloggers, Media should also do their bit instead of harping the same subject India/US hatred,Kashmir.
The effort of the blogger is laudable.
She can send me a list of objective sites in Pakistan(like Pakistan Tea House WordPress) to me and I will carry their message on image make over as I am doing right now.
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Today, tens of hundreds of people showed up from 8 year olds to 60+ senior citizens in different cities of Pakistan to clean up the mess created by the few individuals who somehow always end up defining Pakistan. Here’s to all of today’s participants, you’re the reason why we have a good future. Pakistan is proud of you.
What saddens me the most is that, like they said, mainstream media willnever cover this amazing act of unity and peace by Pakistanis after the riots. Thousands and thousands of Pakistani citizens came out after the violent riots and cleaned up streets, public venues and other places to prove that the disruptive ones don’t speak for the goodhearted majority.
More power to you, Pakistanis.
http://pakistanisagainststereotyping.tumblr.com/
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“When it comes to international media and reporting, a stereotype has been established of Pakistanis as people full of hate,” said the 23-year-old student of FC College, where she studies media and political science. “People would post on my blog asking whether Pakistanis were really how they were shown in the media.”
So on August 8, Kasana set out to make a statement against this stereotyping. She advertised heavily on social media, inviting people to contribute to her project by taking a picture of themselves holding a piece of paper with the Pakistan flag on it and a message declaring: “I am a Pakistani and I refuse to be stereotyped.”
“The idea was to encourage Pakistanis to speak out and tell the world that we are a lot more than what people see on the television,” Kasana said.
Within an hour her appeal for entries, Kasana’s project ‘Pakistanis against Stereotyping‘ received close to a hundred photographs. And much to her amazement, she received contributions not just from Pakistanis across the world, but people of other nationalities too.
Ack.tribune.com.pk.
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