Our Piñata: The Western Culture

[[What sort of personalities these children are going to develop.]]

they grow up into fine inbred retards, the likes of which are abundant in the UK

needless to say, the same also applies to Pakistan itself ... where many parents (majority of middle class actually) would actively indoctrinate their kids in an attempt to (later) shun modernity

The classic migrant dilemma it is: to assimilate or not to assimilate. There should be no question about it. If you have been selfish enough to leave the country of your birth or ancestry to adopt a new one for whatever reason, it should not be insulted by remaining an alien there. No one is asking for a complete conversion but sooner or later worse things will happen to the children and its better to allow some sensible behaviour rather than a warped attempt at remaining aloof. Because try as one might, one just cant.

I completely agree with much of your article. Indians both in India and the West often find so much wrong with the West,(I think Pakistanis find even more wrong with it, so many even on chowk who live there hate it and pray for it all to come to a terrible end) but one can poke holes in every one of their arguments about how 'our' culture is better. When I am in India, most people will say 'you can't beat our culture'. And I think, there's no need to beat it, but in many ways you can. These days, I say that too.

Good article on my favourite subject: the middle class mindset, its strange morality and outlook on life, religon and west.
I have also written on this subject and its nice to know that it interests you also.

Taji....
It is not the problem of these people;the canadians...What for Canadians allow these beduin clones to enter their counry? If they allow too, keep them in zoo....

"If you have been selfish enough to leave the country of your birth or ancestry to adopt a new one for whatever reason, it should not be insulted by remaining an alien there."

Not feeling too comfortable with the negative connotation of being selfish here, for some reason, Fouz.

Good article, Taji.

Interesting write-up except that it is very gender biased, let me quote a couple of sections where I see an unintentional case of favoritism:

“Open sexual norms: Nothing infuriates the moral brigade more than the sexual openness of the western culture. If you ask one thing about their visit to the west, it will be their disgust (inner glee I think) about the skimpy clothes of the western women. It is all they observe when they are abroad, not the universities, the museums, or the well maintained cities, just the shortness of skirts.”

What about Desi girls going gaga over Italian stallions and their willingness to jump into bed with George Clooney?

“Watching porn has also given our desi boys some really warped ideas about the western culture. They think that western people are ready to jump into bed with just about anyone randomly. They secretly yearn for the blond women and keep telling themselves that once they are in the western land, they will have a bevy of blonds vying to become their Girlfriend.”

What about desi girls watching porn? Don’t underestimate Desi mamas. There is Fatima Does Dubai DVD in every Desi aunty’s handbag.

Other than that, a good analysis of the horribly confused group of immigrants. They want to reap the economic benefits of developed societies without making any effort to assimilate into their adopted countries. Hopefully, the future generations will be more conformed to their homes than their forefathers who woke up one day and decided to leave their countries for the new ones.

I once read a quote, which is very applicable in this case:

“You Grow where you are Planted”.

Thank you all for liking the article. I have written on this topic not simply as an issue face by immigrants. What I find it troublesome is growing xenophobia; while the scientific inventions should bring people together, this divisive attitude nullifies all the progress. And this xenophobia also exist in the west against the east.
However I have based my article on the people I know, who are the middle class of Pakistan, and how they generally view West. Another important factor that should also be added here is that the way our own history is taught to us. We learn about the kings and the wars, but not really how our ancestors really lived. The inner motivations of people are not very different whether they live in India, or Europe etc. There are more commonalities than differences.

And Kulharee at #7 I agree with you that desi women also watch porn and like the gorgeous western celebrities. But if you notice I have not said anything against watching porn, but against the conclusions implicitly drawn by the viewers.

Taji

interesting read-- especially the xenophobic mindset- most of the uncles and aunties those teach their children to stay away from fellow "firangs" have also probably asked for more than one lap dance from that blonde in the strip bar in their days of youth. :-)

Great point: "What sort of personalities these children are going to develop. As far as they are concerned, their native country is a terrible mess and their adopted country is unsuitable for social interactions. Talk about serious lack of roots. How can, otherwise, loving parents deliberately mess up the minds of their own kids. "

I met an extreme product of such closed minds yesterday (at an eid get together) - a young man dressed up as a maulvi. Along with his parents who were dressed normally. The father seemed miserable when talking about his son.

This has happened to a number of families I know where the parents tried to raise their kids as "good muslims", and then watched in shock as they grew up to be religious nuts.

Another family i know had the bearded son call up his hijaban sister right after 9/11 telling her he had shaved off his beard and she should get rid of the hijab too - and after a few years went by and the anti-muslim crackdown that these fools anticipated did not take place - the hijab went back on. The mother and father are since divorced and living out their lives in the bubble of misery that they have created for themselves.

a very well argued piece highlighting the rank hypocrisy of desis in the West who, whilst happy to partake of its fruits, are even more eager to criticise it. Yes, constructive criticism is good and healthy but no one is more introspective as a culture than Western European culture.

As I always say, if you don't like it here--leave.

kulharee summed it up:
"They want to reap the economic benefits of developed societies without making any effort to assimilate into their adopted countries."

yet...assimilation happens gradually whether you want it to or not--if not the second or third gen then definitely by the fourth. so doesn't it make sense to keep the essentials of your culture or what's important to you--for example your islamic faith--and assimilate in all other areas?

I think we Muslims can learn a great deal from how the Jews have assimilated into the Western countries whereas a few generations ago they were more despised than we are now.

Yet they are still mightily proud of their Jewish heritage.

Last night I stopped at a hot dog stand. The white lady selling hotdogs started telling me how germs migrate to America because the government has an open immigration policy. She quoted SARS outbreak as an example. I asked her where did mad-cow disease originate from. In her opinion USA and Canada should stop dealing with developing countries. After reading your article that shows narrow-mindedness of the immigrants I decided to share my observation. Narrow-mindedness/xenophobia is a common trait of humans, be they immigrants or citizens of host country. Anti-colonialism leading to pro-archaic positions is a phenomenon that must be dealt with education. In countries like India and Pakistan, the state is considered a re-incarnation of the colonial rulers. There is scant respect for the law and thieving and deceiving the system is a measure of smartness. Shedding off the colonial baggage does not mean despising modernity and education. If seeking knowledge could be established as the grandest virtue, people will become capable of discerning modernity from imperialism and xenophobic stereo-types could be shattered.

Very intelligently argued article. Bravo!

As you point out, things 'back home' are not that much better (and frequently a lot worse) than here in the 'immoral' West. But it is the agency that women enjoy in the West that makes these reverse-refuseniks uncomfortable. Also the fact that back home the 'immorality' is safely confined either to the very poor or the very rich. Here in the West, the wolf is often at the door, thanks to absence of social constraints.

flippin banned still????

I love them but they dont love me back i.e. some... how to respond unselectively to others selectivity