I often wonder how the plight of women in the 21st century has changed since pre-Islamic times. We talk about freedom and liberation, but at the end of the day, we're all still entangled in the prehistoric duel for equality. It's funny how double standards play such a pivotal role, by men and women alike, to justify their arguments. In the case of men, for example, it's considered to be a praiseworthy feat for a man to be able to attract numerous women- to have one partner is, in the western world, often considered to be something that is atypical. When television shows such as Jersey Shore which glamorize and idealize the "art" of one-night-stands and regarding women as sexual objects, attract a total of 6.5 million viewers (record-smashing statistics, might I add), one wonders whether the this trend is one that we wish to instill in our future generations. And if you're going to argue and talk about how this is western "culture" and doesn't affect any other part of the world, I'd beg to differ.
I don't live in a western country; the norms and culture of my society are predominantly conservative – however, this traditional set up has not barraged the inflow of western philosophies and values from infiltrating into local society. Additionally, not to sound too hostile towards foreign culture, I would like to add that I do appreciate the positive aspects of some of the abundantly progressive ideas, innovations, values etc etc that the west has contributed to the rest of the world. Individuality, independence, organization, progression, science, freedom, and goal-orientation are all ideas and characteristics of the Western world which I respect and often wish my society had more of. I spent a year in Canada where I learnt more about "that part of the world's" values, and was lucky to have been exposed to some of the best experiences and opportunities I had ever come across. But then again, despite all these positive traits, I still believe that many of the core values of my own community are slowly being forgotten and in some cases ignored- something which I feel is extremely unfortunate. I remember being a little girl and experiencing butterflies going crazy with excitement in my stomach on Chaand Raat (the eve of Eid)- the whole house would be buzzing with people getting ready for the next day, whether it be in terms of clothes, food or house clean-ups. I'd beg my parents to take us out for Chaand Raat shopping, without thinking twice about suicide bombers possibly blowing up a shopping area or anything like that. But now, when I look back and remember all that, it seems like it's something from a lost era. This may be a sweeping generalization on my part, but it's the way I feel: We're starting to forget the significance of a day which is equivalent to Christmas for Christians; people (maybe from a certain class of society) pay more homage to foreign/non-Islamic events and holidays than they do to their own traditional dates.
You may call it globalization. I'd consider it globalization if the rest of the world celebrated OUR events/traditions as much as we do theirs. I mean, if it's GLOBAL, it should be all over the globe, right? Don't get me wrong. I think it's great to learn from different cultures and religions. You get a more balanced view of the world- you learn more. But at the cost of forgetting where you've come from? I'm not too sure about that. As I write this, I feel hypocritical. After all, the Eid I just described to you was MY Eid and that was how I felt about it. But despite this change of heart, the feeling of ownership and protectiveness for something that used to belong to me, and still does I should say, still exists. It's sad to see today's elitist youth forget their roots. I wish we still treasured what our parents have to offer. I wish we didn't have to follow foreign cultures just to feel like we're made of something. I wish we didn't have to be slaves of the west in the 21st century. I wish we could walk around any country of the world and be proud to say that we, indeed, are Muslims residing in Pakistan, the land of the pure. Not the land of suicide bombers and fundamentalists. Why can't we go abroad and not be embarrassed of wearing our national dress, or covering our head if we want to? Why do we, instead, begin to adopt alien behaviours and begin to engage in acts which we know we may not be comfortable with? Is it that hard to fit in?
I am a hypocrite. I accept it. But I'm very proud to say that I'm glad that I am one. Why? Because it took me to become a hypocrite to realize what was important to me, and where I stood. I don't mean to demean foreign cultures in any way. Like I said earlier, it's great to learn and experience the world around us. But nothing can supersede the home you've come from.
