Sunday, 7 July 2019

Pakistan gracefully accepted and owned one of the biggest refugees populations in the world . In many cases they were given citizenship. Yes , laugh about it. " who needs the citizenship of پاکستان" . Ask them, they needed it.
Even when the situation in the refugee camps was far from ideal, even if crimes erupted there with a vengeance, ask the importance of that one piece of paper granting you right to exist without fear of being blown up , ask this from the syrian refugees stranded on no man's land, or ask the souls of the people who lost their lives because the sea with all its ferocity felt safer to them than their homeland; ask them why crossing the sea in a boat and making it to some other place was a more reasonable hope for them than living in their own country? This is where Pakistan once stepped in. Yes , the country which does not have a very coveted citizenship gave it to millions. The country with an impending imbalance between its population and resources opened its doors to those who sought it.
I understand the hurt about Afghanistan's rebuke of Pakistan, perhaps it's a national sentiment for us today .But you ,I or anyone commenting on social media most probably did not open the door to the refugees. We were perhaps getting excited over cricket matches even then too. The right to discredit the noble, to bring disrepute to the good work that our country did , does not belong to us. We do not have the right to service the "burn". This "burn" is delivered to the Afghan cricket fans. Those with no say in their govermnent or cricket team,those studying with us in our universities, those selling us the "lush push lawn" , the most honest vendors on our steets and those on social media who will never respect Pakistan again. This vitroil is always fun in the beginning until it  transforms into a many headed serpent of hate. The relations become toxic. (The matches against India are a testament to that.)
If we become unable to enjoy a game because we are scared of our repute , it is perhaps the time to stop confusing nationalism with being a cricket lover. If you are compelled to call an entire nationality "namak haraam" , it is time for an existential crises to humble you down; to make you reflect that most of us are born, and  we die with the slogans of our group. Our injured pride about something that we were not personally involved in is nothing but that.
Be nice in your speech and if you want to protest, do it gracefully. As gracefully as a "failing state" accepted refugees while the world looked away.

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