To the outside world relations
between the USA and Pakistan appear strained, but Anwar Akhtar argues that
America is not as unpopular on the streets of Karachi and Lahore as the west
might think.
The televised debates in the run-up to the presidential election highlighted
acute differences between the two candidates in terms of foreign affairs and
diplomacy. But while the unsuccessful Mitt Romney might have provided an
aggressively nationalistic tone, the newly re-elected President Obama has
himself been seen as "hawkish" or disappointing by many in Muslim countries -
where his first election victory was greeted with great optimism after the two
terms of George W Bush.
There has been no progress on peace between Israel and Palestine, increasing
tensions with Iran, conflict in Afghanistan and drone attacks in Pakistan's
border regions. Attitudes vary by region, city and rural, as well as by age,
religion, culture and profession. So there is no one dominant perception. But
given the images we often associate with Pakistan, I have been asking people
their views and if there's any difference in how they perceive America and
Britain.
It is surprising, but America is not as immediately unpopular as you might think
with the effigy burning images on street demonstrations we often see. Hollywood
DVDs, MTV culture and USA brands are as present in coffee shops and shopping
malls in Karachi and Lahore as in most other cites in Asia. This is not North
Korea or Saudi Arabia. Also a recent development, USAID is running adverts on
Pakistan cable channels regarding food and health programme they are supporting.
This provides a stark contrast to many political shows the adverts interrupt,
which often contain outlandish accusations made against the USA. American
interests and relationships in the regions, especially with Gulf dictatorships
regarding oil and gas, arms deals, kickbacks, the proxy war on neighbouring
Iran, provide ample content for political conspiracies. That said this is
democracy and freedom of speech. People here often say "you have to go through
bad democracy to get to good democracy".
It should not be under-estimated how much the efforts to portray the west as
"The Great Satan" can be undermined by knowing your cousin in New York.
Two high-profile western politicians are frequent visitors here. Hillary
Clinton, US secretary of state, and Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, British Pakistani
Conservative foreign office minister. Hillary Clinton has achieved a significant
level of respect among people here for her bullish and up-front engagement with
Pakistani society. She frequently appears on talk shows, meeting young people
and saying some blunt truths about America's previous actions with unintended
consequences in the region.
The achievements of Sayeeda Warsi - a British-born women of Pakistani heritage
and working class background who has achieved a high position in the UK - has
its own powerful dynamic in Pakistan, where life chances are nearly always
defined by family/class background. The fact that such powerful roles are held
by women is noted by many and, of course, irritates the men that run sectarian
religious parties and militias.
Diaspora
Perceptions of the west are also greatly influenced by large Pakistani
communities in the west, such as the million-plus British citizens with
Pakistani heritage to the large Pakistani diaspora communities in the USA,
Canada and Spain. It should not be under-estimated how much the efforts to
portray the west as "The Great Satan" and an enemy of the Muslim world etc, can
be undermined by knowing your cousin, your auntie and uncle is actually doing
quite well in New York, Toronto or Manchester.
Women's rights activists here identify with radical traditions of American
politics from the civil rights movement. Sectarian political organisations use
religion as cover for oppression of women and fear losing their control of
society, particular in rural areas and poor communities if working class women
are allowed education and opportunities. There is a committed and courageous
women's rights movement in Pakistan - far more empowered, active and outspoken
than in many neighbouring Arab societies.
Karachi is Pakistan's commercial hub, a multi-ethnic and religiously pluralistic
city. While it is affected by sectarian strife, it also acts as a bewildering
and energising commercial metropolis, with a similar trading heritage to Mumbai,
India. Speaking to business leaders here, it becomes clear their big issue with
the west is access to markets, economic development and trade, where Pakistan's
future issues need to be resolved.
Alienated youth
Young people I met in universities and colleges are on the whole not
anti-American. They are ambitious and want to get on and succeed. However young
people from the poorest parts of society are often alienated. This constituency
is the demographic that sectarian religious organisations can whip up, to access
and turn a mob on and off as their political muscle.
To see this in action (in peaceful mode), "Defence of Pakistan" rallies say a
lot about Pakistan today. They are full of young men to whom Pakistan cannot
offer education, ambition or employment. It's easy for them to be fed a diet of
machismo, nationalist rhetoric mixed with religious honour turned into a
language of hate for other cultures and communities, usually starting with the
minority communities of Pakistan then neighbouring India and the USA.
The reality, though, is that while these sectarian organisations play their
sectarian card, they do not have the support of the nation. If they did, they
would win elections, yet they never get more than a few seats. They will bring
out numbers for a show of strength on the street with the predictable
anti-western rhetoric, but they are not the majority certainly in terms of
electoral strength.
Talk to people here though, in cites and villages, and what they want is
economic progress, not conflict. Young people, especially the students I meet,
want to achieve their careers and their goals, not a conflict. Churchill's great
quote about Russia - "It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma;
but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest" - is, I
think, equally applicable to Pakistan today.
The key is to offer the young people of Pakistan the same hope, aspiration and
ambition that we offer young people in the west. Pakistan's greatest threat, in
my view, is that it is on course to double in population to close to 360 million
within three generations. It has a leadership lacking in capacity and ability to
meet the challenges the country faces.
Food shortages, a rapidly growing urbanising population, as well as violence and
conflicts, are the issues that drive Pakistanis - the business of survival. The
sectarian elements here wish to drive an agenda that the west, especially
America, is the enemy of Pakistan. But most people I speak to here, just wish
the conflicts would stop and Pakistan could get on with the business of life,
which is an agenda I hope everybody could agree with.
Anwar Akhtar is Director of www.thesamosa.co.uk a culture and politics site with
a focus on Britain and South Asia. He is also associate of www.urbed.coop a
Manchester based regeneration practice. He was previously Director of
www.richmix.org.uk
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