The One with the Prayer for Pakistan

Dear Friends,

I had been meaning to write this particular blog for quite a while now, and so here I am. This is one is meant for all the Pakistanis who are living abroad. There have been so many times in my life where I asked myself “what can I do to help Pakistan be better?” Having lived outside of Pakistan for my whole life, making occasional trips to Pakistan for holidays, I never really really lived there. Often times, I would criticize at the way people behaved with me, at the way the prices were raising in the markets, at the way people would drive, at the level of corruption and dishonesty and the idle youth. Of course, the number of problems can go on and on. However, I later realized that I am doing anything for Pakistan by sitting outside of the nation, and criticizing.

Whatever I may wear, whatever language I speak, wherever I travel all over, whatever I eat and drink, whatever media I watched, I am still a Pakistani at heart. That is my identity. Pakistan is where I was born. I believe that in order to be at peace with oneself, one has to define what their identity is. For me, that is being Pakistani. Sure, you don’t see me wearing green and white clothes all the time, nor see me carrying the flag all over town, but by not doing that does not make me less patriotic than those who do. I don’t speak excellent Urdu, I don’t really enjoy the game of cricket, I don’t even know the full national anthem in Urdu—but these things don’t mean that I am not a Pakistani.

For someone like me, who has lived outside of the country, it can often become confusing as we enjoy the environment of two different worlds. For those who have been living in the West find it even more difficult to define their character. Are they western, or are they Pakistanis, or are they a mixture of both? Sadly, most people are not able to come to such a conclusion, and are often confused about their identity. I think the saddest thing for me is to see Pakistanis, who claim they are Britishers or Americans, just by having a passport from that nation. Of course, there are some who have an American or Canadian passport, but tell others that they are Pakistanis. They are people who have matured and made peace with themselves.

So, it came down to the situation: how and what can I do to help Pakistan prosper? I think the best thing that I can do, right now, is to pray for the nation. I have already made up my mind that eventually I will move to Lahore, Pakistan and work there, but after having gained international experience. Here is what I am praying for Pakistan once a week. I hope this will help you as well to those who ask, what can we do to help Pakistan?

(1) 50 Years Of Misrule
a. Praying for the years of corruption and dishonesty at all levels of society to be eliminated.
b. Praying for the people in position of power to deal justly and fairly with the public, especially the police and ministers.

(2) Antagonistic Ideologies
a. Pray for the elimination of those madrassahs (religious school) where young boys are brainwashed into hating the Indians and the Americans, or anyone who is not a Muslim. Pray that this kind of brainwashing is erased so the young people of the new generation can be more tolerant of others. (The brainwashing has been so deep; my dad was telling me that young boys are being told that the more number of shias they kill, the higher their position will be in heaven!)

(3) Unjust Laws
a. Pray against discriminatory legislation and for the implementation of a fair system of justice and police force that will apply these laws
b. Pray for the elimination of laws such as the Blasphemy Law, which has been used in most cases very unfairly to target the minorities, as well as the Hudood Ordinance, which is unfair for the women. (One friend of mine asked me: how can a woman, who has been raped by a man, bring in four witnesses to prove her case true as Islam requires one to do so? If she cannot produce four witnesses then she is guilty of adultery and the man is set free!)
c.
(4) Persecution and Intimidation
a. Minorities, women and children are often the most targeted. Pray their suffering is eased and that they are not abused.
b. Police forces are notoriously known for abusing and torturing prisoners for their benefits. They are known for taking prisoners innocent people and torturing them.

(5) Religious Strife
a. Pray for the religious strife to end between the Sunnis and the Shias.
b. Pray for the end of harassment of minorities, such as the Christia and Hindus in the nation.

(6) Leadership Training
a. Pray for the young generation that is coming up now that they get the proper values and skills imbibed in them so they can lead the nation with just minds, free from corruption and dishonesty

I think the least I can do is at least pray for Pakistan. I believe in the power of prayer. I believe I can make a difference this way, and I am proud to say that I am at least doing something for Pakistan.

Yours praying away,

Mansur