What would you say if I told you I was going to Pakistan?

Question

What would you say if I told you I've been there many times before and after that first visit, knew that I was completely safe and protected?

Do you understand that what you see on the news is not the norm? The things you hear about in Pakistan, with "leaders" (HA!) ordering innocent women to be raped happens in tribal areas, going completely against Islam. The government is trying to crack down on them, and if you watched GeoTV or any other news outside of the US, you would see that there are shootouts between terrorists and the Pakistani military.

Do you think that if you were to visit the country's you bash, and learned they were not what you saw on TV, that your mind would change? I remember getting on my former inlaw's nerves because I kept asking to go see the desert I had seen on the news, and they said "Will you stop asking alreadY??? There is no desert here!!" (After the 9th time that hour).

Are stereotypes really that hard to change?

For the record, I am a white American born woman. I am half Irish and half German. I don't look Pakistani at all. I don't have to cover my face. Many women don't even cover their hair over there and to see a woman in "bedsheets" (also known as the abaya that I just love wearing) is a very uncommon thing there. The people were freed from the Taliban. They were under their rule, and fought back. Now the men don't have to fear being shot for going to the mosque if they don't meet those boneheads' requirements.

Answer 1

"What would you say if I told you I was going to Pakistan?"

Sweetie, I'd say "I'll miss you while you're gone - have a great trip - be sure to blog about it when you get back (with pictures!)"

In fact, that's pretty much what I *did* say.

And I WILL: miss you.

Answer 2

I would say, have a great trip and send a postcard. I for one don't bash the people of Pakistan, in fact, I'm hoping to make a trip there some time. I have been to India, and I loved it there.

I will however say that stereotypes are very hard to change. People make up their mind, often not based on fact, but what they see in the news or on television. They never see the whole truth. I would recommend that people really get out an see the world if it is at all possible. I'm sure many eyes would be opened.

Answer 3

True Incident - I am an Indian. India and Pakistan are arch rivals. During India-Pakistan cricket match in Pakistan, many Indians went to Pakistan. Guess what they said when they returned?

They said that they were given the best treatment they had ever received. Pakistani shopkeepers, hoteliers, taxi drivers were extremely cordial and there was a touch of affection in every Pakistani the Indians met.

I wish you a pleasant trip. Every country has it's civilised and quasi-civilised population. The common man in any country is as good as you and me. It is the Politicians and the Jehadists who destroy the image of Pakistan.

Personally - Even I feel scared to venture out in parts of Charlotte, North Carolina. Few days back, a couple of people robbed a few Indians at gun-point. So I think, danger is everywhere.

For your safety though, do not visit "shady" areas. Get a Travel-Guide book before you travel. There are dangerous areas everywhere, be it in South Charlotte, Grozny, Mumbai or Islamabad.

Answer 4

I would tell you to have a good time. The many people in the USA seem to think that the rest of the world is wrong in about every way possible. It not true but there is a common sentiment. The French arguably our closes allies except prehaps Canada and Great Britain were crapped on by our government because they disagreed with our venture in the middle east. The French have not even said I told you so.

Stereotypes often contain enough truth to make them very easy to believe for the lazy minded and very difficult to change for the diligent.

Answer 5

Hey, have great time. I'm a Pakistani but living abroad. Tell you what, I always miss Pakistan. People there would be very friendly especially if you are a foreigner. Most of the time they wouldn't let you pay for anything coz you are "their guest". Well, at least I had experience with such people anyway.

Answer 6

I'M JEALOUS -- i wanna go!! a good friend is going mid october and i couldn't get the time off work. my folks went and had a ball! my folks even got invited into a wedding at one of the hotels they were at and there was my mon 70 years old dancing with the ladies! then while walking aong the street a couple invited them in for cake and tea -- mind you they spoke little english my folks NO arabic dialects at all! then they were teaching the kids how to do the ump signals and stuff with american baseball -- it was a hoot! they had a wonderful time.

people here only see what they want to see and believe what they want to believe. sure there are those in the country who don't like one another but -- i liken it to the hatfield & mccoys of our heritage.

really tough - have a wonderful time!!!

Answer 7

Yes, I completely understand! People don't get that what they see and hear in the news is not reality, far from it, what they get is the most sensational and negative stuff that sells. Unfortunately, in this country I find that perception is: if it's written in newspapers or on television it must be true and people don't bother to educate themselves. I feel safer in Spain and other places in the world than I do in the US. And, don't get me started on stereotypes, omg..people look at my light skin, green eyes and blond hair and say "you cannot be from Spain"..puhleeze.. I get that all the time. Spain is in EUROPE, I am European .. (I consider myself a citizen of the world)
People, please educate yourselves and learn, don't buy into the stereotypes and don't believe everything you read and hear..find out for yourselves...the world will be better for it...and please do not judge if you have never been there.
...anyway, I am getting off my soapbox now...

~Have a wonderful trip, I cannot wait to hear all about it!

Answer 8

we will not we will not even tell Mexico to quite letting human beings of questionable documentation pass our southern border. Pakistan is an accident waiting to take place, so in need of carpet nuking them, their politics won't enable a solid reaction to the Al-Qaida presence of their u . s . a ..

Answer 9

I would say "That's Great"! I myself should be visiting next year. I will be in Modeltown (Lahore) and Rawalpindi. They are very good people. The society also holds in high regard those that have reverted to Islam. I understand where you are coming from.

Salam.

Answer 10

"Christianity...[has become] the most perverted system that ever shone on man....Rogueries, absurdities and untruths were perpetrated upon the teachings of Jesus by a large band of dupes and imposters led by Paul, the first great corrupter of the teaching of Jesus." --- Thomas Jefferson

“The son-ship of Jesus Christ is the greatest fiction of human history.” (Lord Bishop of Canterbury Commission, the Spiritual Head of England, 1910.)

“The son-ship of Jesus Christ, the Trinity, the blood sacrifice of the lamb of God, atonement are not the teachings of Jesus. These are all inventions of Saint Paul who never really met Jesus.” (Hastings Rashdall, The Theory of Good and Evil)

"Initially there were 34 gospels that were compiled by word of mouth. Four were chosen for unclear reasons and 30 were left behind [burned]. (Encyclopedia Britannica)

“There is strong reason to believe that St. Paul fabricated the belief system of Christianity from Zoroastrian mythology. In order to hide Paul’s plaigerism… Christians burned the library of Alexandria in 390 A.D. Books in that library kept Mithra’s original story of what Pauline Doctrine is an almost exact copy. (George Sarton , Introduction to History of Sciences) ,

Although Nontrinitarian beliefs continued to multiply, and among some people (such as the Lombards in the West) it was dominant for hundreds of years afterward, the Trinitarians gained the immense power of the Roman Empire. Nontrinitarians typically argue that the primitive beliefs of the Christianity were systematically suppressed (often to the point of death), and that the historical record, perhaps also including the Scriptures of the New Testament, was altered as a consequence.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nontrinitarianism

…..