In this age, we need to redefine patriotism from a fresh perspective: we have mixed feelings about it and yet we cannot do away with it (Pakistan tried to be without it in the last two decades but it didn’t work, as we can see now).In order to understand something, we need to be able to distinguish it from everything else, so that we know what we are dealing with. The story of Rashid Minhas is just the perfect case study if we are willing to learn something new. Clichés don’t apply here: this is not a case where the hero of one country ought to be the villain of another, and so on.
Rashid wasn’t pointing a gun at anybody. He simply refused to be taken advantage of. This is the essence of true patriotism, which gets mixed up with irrelevant issues that almost always accompany patriotism in real-life stories. The value of Rashid’s story is that it lifts a veil from the soul of patriotism and allows us to see the essence.
At this stage, we need to learn more, what the "True Patriotism" is.
ReplyDeleteOther things come later.
ReeBz - I am in harmony with your priorities.
ReplyDeleteEach one's life and role - each one's era and nation's history is so unique. There may also be some of us called only to the use of nonviolent methods -no matter what and to calling, nudging, praying and loving others to more use of peaceful methods.
And we can learn from those who had and have a different calling and when not to judge others for their choices.
Connie L. Nash
ReplyDeleteCan you please define what are the peaceful methods?
Many of us, i mean many countries in the world,probably the "super powers" are not following "peaceful methods" to prove their patriotism to their countries..
Dont know why,its a common impression that "the more you destroy other nations,the more loving and devoted you are to your country"
Reebz and Connie, thanks. I have been following Connie's blog "One Heart for Peace" and I think that a very good explanation of her comment can be found there also :).
ReplyDeletei'll definitely try to find out answer of my question, if its availiable at his blog :)
ReplyDeletehope he can provide me a satisfactory answer.
ReeBz, its "her" blog.
ReplyDeleteoOops sorry, actually da name seems english, so i couldn't make da difference between his and her .
ReplyDeletemy apologies!
ReeBx,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your questions!
When people here say, 'God bless America' - I feel like disappearing and I am very upset no matter who does this. That is not my God, not my Allah - who would care only or more about America than all the other people He has created.
I am from a nation which although it is most beautiful in many places with plenty of kind people - still I am MOST ashamed of this country - with it's use of violence, disregard for the rule of law and for other peoples and lands. This just makes me sick!
There is so much that needs healing and righting and I am quite sure that over time Pakistan will have learned from the many mistakes of the West and not need to repeat these. And you younger Pakistanis here will surely be well prepared.
ReeBx, let me apologize deeply for my country -here to you and any others here who may have family, friends and your nation, religion, etc. maligned because of the evil deeds of the US. How I wish that I and many of us Americans could do so much more to help heal the terrible danage that has been done year after year!
For over six years now I've stood in front of the courthouse in our town to protest the wars and the rights abuses of the US. We do this with signs only - we don't yell (or not very often). We talk with people who come by and sometimes hand out fliers to each other or passersby when they are interested. Every year that goes by more and more honk in agreement.
We write letters to the papers and show movies to demonstrate the great damage that war has done in many places of the world - the environment wrecked forever - all the dead on all sides -ruined lives & families, etc. etc.
I also vigil with Veterans for Peace (mostly from Vietnam and those in Iraq who said they wouldn't kill anyone & came home to face the music.)
I am also a part of a group called North Carolina Stop Torture now. There are many other ways we seek to use nonviolence to change our little corners of the world - perhaps communications and this discussion is one of the best ways.
Do tell me what part might interest you and what part may bother you after you look over my blogsite and what you would recommend for Americans to do.
We are One World now more than ever before. This World is and will learn from Pakistan.
Connie L. Nash
ReplyDeleteI can not describe in words that how much pleased i'm after reading your post. You are really a kind person and no doubt world need people like you,who even at the stage of enjoying superiority has enough courage to confess the mistakes.
formerly,i was the member of a site where i had contacts with many of the foreigners including Americans,but they all were same,and you are different :)
I wish one day, your voice be heard by US authorities and they stop torturing others.amin
God bless you.
There are lots of people named Connie who are men and many who who women...that is not at all offensive to me, ReeBx. I am amazed and deeply impressed with the language ability of Pakistanis which is much greater than most Americans. Many many prayers for your beautiful country - so strong at root!
ReplyDeleteConnie,
ReplyDeleteThanks alot for appreciating me and for the prayers for my dear country.. :)
ReeBz (so sorry for using an x in your name - you see how badly we Americans are at unfamiliar terms, names and languages!)
ReplyDeleteI just found your answer to my first response & didn't see it when I put that about names. Tell me about yours, would you, ReeBz . I am profoundly moved by your honesty & really appreciate your own acceptance and generosity towards me. I have felt the same way by the acceptance of your host on this blog for his openness to allowing someone here to be here - someone from the mistaken, failing American state. Once again, I apologize for the many Americans with hate and lack of understanding who get into blogs such as you were on and bully and "throw around their weight" which is really nearly no weight anymore. There are many others which are not so & if you'd like me to introduce you to some of these sites, let me know.
You have me thinking about what might be included in "nonviolent actions". Over the course of the day, I have remembered some peace-making methods which I have used to help the peace within our own peace-gathering: two men were at odds with one another - how crazy to have arguing among peacemakers, eh? Yet it happens. So I knew the one man well and asked the other to tell the man I knew a joke! This method worked and the two men have been friends ever since & still telling jokes too.
I too have so much to learn from various friends for peace at home, from your host and from each of you. Please tell me what are some of the ways you help the peace?
Finally, I really have come to believe that I am first and foremost responsible to God, may I call Him Allah too? This includes doing my own inner spiritual work - find some quiet time (writers & artists need more than others generally where at all possible most of the time.) which includes daily disciplines of MUCH prayer and reading of scripture, attending at least some spiritually-oriented and sound solid peaceful gathering and following through on the Calling which has been given to me the best I can understand and do so.
Will you please tell me what is helping you to be and operate with peace, whenever possible - any of you here.
Thank You again and may you each and all be well inside your spirit as much as possible -even in the midst of such difficult suffering. I am praying for your protection and courage. Do pray for many more Americans to see how connected we are to one another and plead for REAL change and peace from our
US leaders.
Connie,
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter whether you call me ReebX or ReeBz,cause its just a nick and my actual name is "Areeba",so for me its not offensive at all :)
Not to mention, that I'm really touched by your thoughts towards us,and your efforts towards "real Peace", i appreciate with my heart.
Its a good question that how do i contribute for establishing peace.Hmmm,I'm no professional and i'm confined only in the area i live firstly i'm young, secondly i'm a girl,but i feel a high spirit in my heart to be a part of peace.
There comes, so many immigrants from Sawat,Boner and many other "Terror-Hit" parts of Pakistan,i have my own ways to help them,to make them sure that here they are secure, and to bring them back into life.
Its nothing a great work ,yet it can be counted as one.
Thank you For having a soft heart for me,for us and for my country. We need un-biased people like you!
Areeba, you are doing the highest best possible peace work known to humankind and I plead with you to keep journal notes. More later.
ReplyDelete