In most western societies women would be terrified if their parents told them that they would be having an arranged marriage, but in Pakistan it is still a normal occurrence. The article we read from the London Weekly Telegraph gave an argument of why arranged marriages work, and why some people would like it to be a more regular occurrence in more westernized cultures.
In arranged marriages parents pick the person they think would be the best match for their child. They are less likely to have their judgment blurred by love or passion and are more able to look at the person as being a good match based on career, goals, and personalities and religious views. More times than not, the approval of the entire family is necessary before the marriage can happen.
In westernized cultures marriage is more based on love and feelings than it is practicality, and therefore the couple is less likely to understand the hard work that must go into the relationship. In Pakistan since the foundation of the marriage is based upon practicality the new couple has their whole relationship ahead of them and are able to get to know each other better as the relationship progresses.
Thoughts of arranged marriages will make me think twice next time I bring a guy home and my family doesn't like something about him. They should be the ones who know me best, and they should know who is best for me. I might not get rid of him on the spot but lets face it, I will think about it. If over half of marriages in the US end in divorce, would it hurt to give a new tradition a try? I mean, I wouldn't mind.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Westernized View of Pakistani Family- Karen
I think it is really interesting so far in the movies we have watched that women are portrayed to be treated so badly. In the movie Monsoon wedding, the father did not seem to treat his family lovingly because he was under so much stress due to his one daughter's wedding. The point at which you saw that he actually cared was when his one daughter opened up about being raped by her uncle. The father stuck up for her and kicked the uncle out of the house for the remainder of the wedding festivities.
In East is East the children of the family are having an identity crisis. They do not know if they are British like their mother or Pakistani like their father, and their father does not make it easy for them to be both. After the oldest son is kicked out of the family due to leaving an arranged marriage at the alter, the father feels it necessary to try to arrange his next two oldest sons into marriage. If the first one did not wrok, why try another time? Also the way he treats his wife is a poor portrayal of what all families are like.
I feel like people in the US feel as though their lifestyles are superior to other cultures so we feel the need to nit pick at them and find all the small things that could be wrong and blow them out of proportion. The more that other cultures have wrong with them the more normal we feel as a country which is not right! I think people in the US need to try to find a more natural view of people in other countries and show that instead of a bogus movie version. Either that or start portraying ourselves as what we really are like in the US.
In East is East the children of the family are having an identity crisis. They do not know if they are British like their mother or Pakistani like their father, and their father does not make it easy for them to be both. After the oldest son is kicked out of the family due to leaving an arranged marriage at the alter, the father feels it necessary to try to arrange his next two oldest sons into marriage. If the first one did not wrok, why try another time? Also the way he treats his wife is a poor portrayal of what all families are like.
I feel like people in the US feel as though their lifestyles are superior to other cultures so we feel the need to nit pick at them and find all the small things that could be wrong and blow them out of proportion. The more that other cultures have wrong with them the more normal we feel as a country which is not right! I think people in the US need to try to find a more natural view of people in other countries and show that instead of a bogus movie version. Either that or start portraying ourselves as what we really are like in the US.
Women and Veil
Ok!it's time to get this straight!As it stated in the Al-Quran (Al-Ahzab, 33:59), go look it up and read with your own eyes :) none of the verses mention that women HAVE TO wear veil. Therefore, this article called "Muslim minister killed 'for not wearing a veil' "is pissing me off a lil bit.It seems that these people are doing unpleasant things in the name of Islam which I think is completely wrong despite the fact that Pakistan indeed an Islamic state!!!why?because it' NOT Islam!
Mostly because as a Muslim I believe that once you wear a veil you are not supposed to take it off till the rest of your life (it is a pretty strong commitment!) and wearing a veil means that you have to be fully committed to all the five pillars of Islam; no skipping salat (prayers), fasting not only during Ramadhan but also every Mondays and Tuesdays (just what is says in the Sunna and Hadist), and all of those acts.
So, let women decide and choose to wear veil!
http://www.independent.ie/world-news/muslim-minister-killed-for-not-wearing-veil-55972.html
Humanitarian Crisis
With the recent Taliban crisis in Pakistan, people living in the Swat Valley have been forced to flee from their homes after the curfew was lifted in the Swat Valley. Refugees have been fleeing by the thousands from their homes and has caused camps in the North West Frontier Province to become full and many refugees are being forced to travel long distances to find places to stay. Saturday night, May 9th, 250,000 refugees had been registered and more refugees fled today, May 10th. Officials believe that the number of refugees could be close to 700,000 before the crisis ends. Many people who fled the Swat Valley have hard feelings toward both the Taliban and the Pakistani Army because of the operation being deployed.
In the refugee camps families are supposed to receive a tent, food utensils, and other provisions but many families have not received them and have caused a mini-riot, with the refugees looting the UN stores. With the influx of refugees from the Swat Valley, people already living in the areas the refugees have invaded is causing financial problems and could cause numerous other problems among the people already living there and the refugees.
Because the Pakistani Army gave no warning to the people of the Swat Valley of their mission to try and reduce the invasion from the Taliban, many civilian casualties have been recorded at the hospitals in the area. Sher Mohammad stated "We're not the terrorists, we're ordinary people but we're the ones dying." With all of the refugees and casualties in Pakistan, the economy will take a hard fall because people will not have the money or opportunity to buy the things they need and stealing will be resorted to if needed by the refugees. It is unknown how long the Pakistani Army will be in the Swat Valley but the longer they are there the more refugees and casualties there will be and the less amount of money that will be spent in markets and stores.
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuId=29&ContentID=140799
Education of Women
There is a clear difference in the education a woman can get based on where they live. In the rural parts of Pakistan, women struggle to get up to the secondary level of education while women in urban areas can get from basic to masters' level education. Vocational and technical schools have recently been set up around Pakistan to try and help women in rural communities adapt to the changing environment. The problem with the schools is that they typically choose to teach women sewing and embroidery, trades that are helpful but have low wages and the employment opportunities are also low.
It is hard for me to hear that women in rural areas are being held back because of where they live. Women in urban areas have opportunities to go to secondary school, colleges, universities, and receive scholarships to study abroad. Women from urban areas find it easier after going to a university to obtain a respectable, high paying job. Looking at how women are educated in Pakistan compared to how far women can be educated in the United States is drastically different. Women in the United States have had freedom to attend college and have high paying jobs for decades, while women in Pakistan are just starting to be able to do the things women in the United States can do.
http://www.pakistanpaedia.com/women/women.html
It is hard for me to hear that women in rural areas are being held back because of where they live. Women in urban areas have opportunities to go to secondary school, colleges, universities, and receive scholarships to study abroad. Women from urban areas find it easier after going to a university to obtain a respectable, high paying job. Looking at how women are educated in Pakistan compared to how far women can be educated in the United States is drastically different. Women in the United States have had freedom to attend college and have high paying jobs for decades, while women in Pakistan are just starting to be able to do the things women in the United States can do.
http://www.pakistanpaedia.com/women/women.html
Is "Honor Killing" just an excuse?
http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/headlinenewsd.php?hnewsid=1120
According to the article called "Honor killing in Pakistan takes lives of two men and a woman" that I found, it isn't clear enough information why the honor killing took place in the first place. For those who's not familiar with the term, you can google it!but to save up your time, i will tell you anyway what it really means. Honor killing is when usually the men in the family (father, brother even uncle) that have the right to killed the member of the family that is believe to brought dishonor to the family or community or society. Hmmm sounds unfair to me!!!what do you think?do you think this is acceptable?I think no one in this entire universe have the right to take someone's life!!!Anyway, later in the article it is said that one of the man shot his uncle because of some property problems between the two. Which i think it is rather weird than shocking. Is "Honor Killing" now become an excuse to killed someone in the family? What really surprised me though, this "tradition" is still practiced in countries such as Pakistan for instance and many people just assume that it is a part of Islam (especially with the fact that Pakistan is an Islamic state). Well, I can't stressed you enough that you gotta learn to see the differences between the culture one's have and the religion they believe in.
According to the article called "Honor killing in Pakistan takes lives of two men and a woman" that I found, it isn't clear enough information why the honor killing took place in the first place. For those who's not familiar with the term, you can google it!but to save up your time, i will tell you anyway what it really means. Honor killing is when usually the men in the family (father, brother even uncle) that have the right to killed the member of the family that is believe to brought dishonor to the family or community or society. Hmmm sounds unfair to me!!!what do you think?do you think this is acceptable?I think no one in this entire universe have the right to take someone's life!!!Anyway, later in the article it is said that one of the man shot his uncle because of some property problems between the two. Which i think it is rather weird than shocking. Is "Honor Killing" now become an excuse to killed someone in the family? What really surprised me though, this "tradition" is still practiced in countries such as Pakistan for instance and many people just assume that it is a part of Islam (especially with the fact that Pakistan is an Islamic state). Well, I can't stressed you enough that you gotta learn to see the differences between the culture one's have and the religion they believe in.
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