Monday, November 24, 2014

Civilization: Fountainhead of Divinity



Dr. Michael Murphy proposes “Civilizationism encompasses two distinct but interdependent strands of development : one technical and scientific, the other relating to different aspects of the human character or intellect. In scientific terms civilization refers to a society’s technological and organizational capacity to dominate its environment and thereby increase its security, power and prosperity. In its second sense it refers to something like the cultivation of those traits or characteristics which are uniquely human or definitive of human excellence.”

But, the point to ponder is whether a grown civilization permits its inhabitants to export & apply their personal mores extravagantly. answer is plain & simple NO as civilizational experience is one thing, civilizationism is another. Culture is one thing, culturism is another. Personal bias is one thing, objectivity is another. Uncalled for criticism is one thing, expression of genuine grievances is another. It’s astounding how some ill-informed non-resident/overseas brown  people with Pakistani origin, having little experience with the condition on ground, nominal relevance with the country, opine - read badmouth - fluently on the state and people of Pakistan.

Pejoratively tagging the residents as local-brands they presume that people here in Pakistan are semi-civilized and semi-literate half-wit nincompoops living in the Stone Age, until proven otherwise.Buck doesn't stops here, they want these locals to remain connected with their superior form of race fellows only to plead innocence for every action from national to family politics - before whom to plead innocence, the ones who presume them ignorant and uncultured morons. 

The same “highly educated”, out-of-bound non-Pakistanis persist – which their white counterparts abandoned some time ago- with the old  habit of seeing others through colonial prism. The ones who had long ago abandoned their roots and fatherland thanks to their forays of materialistic asylum abroad.

For they have the honour of living in civilized worlds, judges in their own cause, these prosecutors and juries have divine right of prosecution and judgement  Civilization is the source rather fountainhead of their divinity. When some free soul shows them this mirror, their cats come out of the bags.  They obligingly reply that not all but ‘few’ - read majority - of Pakistanis are illiterate, dimwit, uncivilized and uninformed.

The problem is this very mindset that believes that not all but some read majority of Pakistanis are semi-literate half-wit nincompoops of stone-age, rather they have to be in sync to the linking of their civilized brethren. In doing so they forget that same idiotic personifications could have been present on their side -actually not their but ‘white’s side’- as well. They are there in every culture and society. A fact which must not be overlooked.

Plus, to their apologetic outlook towards their fellow white-skins, they cannot bear those people who go there for the purpose of education and earning livelihoods for their families back, those who send remittances to their homeland, and those who remain concerned with their country.

People born with opportunity better express gratitude before almighty Allah rather criticizing these travailed segments. In spite of acknowledging and valuing these self-made individuals who generally have to start from the scratch - be it working in takeaways or let it be doing any odd job. They target them and censure these toiling and hardship-facing majority of overseas Pakistanis. As if it brings shame to their skin. Let’s hope if science and technological progress can help them in achieving this end. One could only wish if they could change the color of their skin!

"Most immigrants have this culture of hating their homeland cultures. Rushdi was its extreme example. Their hatred of Islam,  Pakistan and India is for some strong emotional reasons. But their love for West is fake as well as their hatred for east."

-       Naseer Ahmed Mirza

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