Friday, October 22, 2004
UFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!!!!!!!From an American School Lesson on Celebrating Cultural Diversity ...
Pakistan's Heritage and Culture
Islam was introduced in the 8th century and quickly spread throughout the region. The Turkish rulers of Afghanistan invaded Pakistan as they began their conquest of India. Pakistan then passed under the control of the Muslim sultans of Delhi.
Early in the 16th century, Pakistan became part of the Mughal Empire. Under the emperors Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan, art and architecture flourished. By the early 19th century, the Sikhs had consolidated their power and declared Lahore their capital. Within a few decades, however, the Sikhs were defeated in battle by the English, and Pakistan became part of the British Raj. When India prepared for independence from the British in the 1940s, Muslim Indians pushed for their own independent state, and the Republic of Pakistan came into being on August 14, 1947 as a Muslim homeland. Unfortunately, the birth of both Pakistan and India was marked by massive bloodshed, when violence broke out between Muslims and Hindus migrating from one country to the other. About 500,000 people are believed to have died.
Pakistan's population of 128 million is one of the fastest-growing in Asia. The two largest ethnic groups are the Punjabis, an Indo-Aryan people who dominate political and business life, and the Pashtuns, who work mainly as herders and farmers. The northern areas are home to many distinct ethnic groups, whose eclectic heritage is the result of intermarriage between local peoples and invaders from elsewhere in Europe and Asia. The official language is Urdu, and English is used extensively in business.
The Role of Women in Pakistan
Life in Pakistan is very different for women and men. Women are seen as being subordinate to men and have the duty of maintaining the honor of their family and/or husband's family. They are hidden away from society, either behind doors or behind veils, and rarely socialize with anyone of the opposite sex. Some women fully cover their bodies and heads with veils while others divert their eyes from anyone they come in contact with. The custom of covering oneself is called "purdah", Persian for "curtain". The amount of purdah that a woman follows, from covering the face to the extreme of never leaving the home, depends on her and her family's religious beliefs. Punishments for failing to observe the rules can be very harsh. Women are rarely educated and rarely work. The media teaches "proper" behavior and expectations for women and shows the evils of modernization in female television characters.
5 Comments:
Amazig, I couldnt find these facts anywhere. The writer seems to be unaware of the history.
what is that joke or stupidity.
hi
This article is based on lack of knowledge and lack of knowledge of representation. History in first para is ok but in second paragraph, Phustoons are much more involved in Business as compared to any other side of the country. Have you ever heard about "Silk Route". They are bussiness man since ages. Nowadays, biggest business hub in country are Karachi (being Sea port), Lahore (being capitol of most populated province) and third one is Peshawar (Check statistics).
What authors wrote about Women role and her life is not completely true as well. yeah Majority do PARDAh but that is part of their society and ofcourse religion. One shoudl realize this is not suffering of womena but CULTURE of that area. Nowadays, women are mostly educated, just try to talk to anyone in eglish and u will get the result. They are being respected every where in the country , check any queue (who got preferences ), check transport system, check if any women cry or look worried.. you will get the answer that how much respect and honor they have in Pakistani society. Their PARDAH and their role in homes should not be considered as their sufferings as these are tradition and customs of that area and they (womaen) themselve are proud of that.
Regards
hi everyone
just read the article and found the second paragraph extremly ....., it seemed after as if "pardah" according to you is a punishment by males to females in pakistan, excuse me miss its a sign of integrity and respect for women, if you dont do which is apparent by your picture at top right corner then it doesnt mean it is a sign of punishment or insult to those who do. dont follow the western trends and culture blindly. and NEWS FLASH for u, women who veil are happy and proud of it, so think twice before commenting otherwise keep it to yourself.
peace out!!
Anonymous: I haven't written this. It is an extract from an American textbook [From an American School Lesson on Celebrating Cultural Diversity ...] The "ufffff" indicates that I think it is extremely biased and stupid. I think it's you who needs to think before commenting.
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