Arguably the most-repeated phrase in the last few days has been 'Pakistani Moral Values'. "Why, oh why can't people follow simple Pakistani moral values?!" is on the lips of many, but when asked no one is able to really describe what these are.
So what exactly are 'Pakistani Moral Values' of today?
Based on actual examples, the following could be useful:
Pakistani Moral Values 101: Top 10
1. If a Pakistani man romances more than one woman, he is a casanova. If a Pakistani woman romances more than one man, she is a slut
2. If a Pakistani cricket star dances with Indian starlets on stage in India he is being amusing. If a Pakistani actress dances in an Indian show she is a cheapskate
3. If a Pakistani man marries an Indian/any other nationality, he is a hero. If a Pakistani woman marries non-Pakistani she has no shame
4. If a senior male at the workplace is divorced/single he is an eligible bachelor, if a woman at the workplace is divorced/single she must be a corporate bitch
5. If a male makes a dance video with scantily-clad women he is being stylish. If a woman makes a dance video she is promoting vulgarity
6. If a male minister hugs a foreign official he is keeping etiquette, if a female minister hugs a foreign official she deserves a fatwa and the boot
7. If a male (especially if he is a cricketer) gets embroiled in a false marriage scandal he is an innocent victim. If a woman gets embroiled in a similar scandal she deserves to be hounded and made fun of
8. If a man chooses his bride it's his right, if a woman chooses her mate she is a characterless kari
9. If a Pakistani man wears shorts on TV for a game his religion should not be mixed, if a woman wears shorts on TV it's scandalous sacrilege
10. If a male director makes sleazy movies casting all his heroines as hip-thrusting prostitutes it's called fantasy (please sit back and enjoy the cheap thrills). If a female actress as much as sits next to man under a blanket in freezing cold on a TV show it is abuse of culture and a maa behen mulk izzat iman ghairat issue
The next time you are unsure if Pakistani Moral Values and culture have been challenged by someone or not, please refer to the above generally-agreed guidelines.
If anyone else has more interesting ones, please feel free to add.
So what exactly are 'Pakistani Moral Values' of today?
Based on actual examples, the following could be useful:
Pakistani Moral Values 101: Top 10
1. If a Pakistani man romances more than one woman, he is a casanova. If a Pakistani woman romances more than one man, she is a slut
2. If a Pakistani cricket star dances with Indian starlets on stage in India he is being amusing. If a Pakistani actress dances in an Indian show she is a cheapskate
3. If a Pakistani man marries an Indian/any other nationality, he is a hero. If a Pakistani woman marries non-Pakistani she has no shame
4. If a senior male at the workplace is divorced/single he is an eligible bachelor, if a woman at the workplace is divorced/single she must be a corporate bitch
5. If a male makes a dance video with scantily-clad women he is being stylish. If a woman makes a dance video she is promoting vulgarity
6. If a male minister hugs a foreign official he is keeping etiquette, if a female minister hugs a foreign official she deserves a fatwa and the boot
7. If a male (especially if he is a cricketer) gets embroiled in a false marriage scandal he is an innocent victim. If a woman gets embroiled in a similar scandal she deserves to be hounded and made fun of
8. If a man chooses his bride it's his right, if a woman chooses her mate she is a characterless kari
9. If a Pakistani man wears shorts on TV for a game his religion should not be mixed, if a woman wears shorts on TV it's scandalous sacrilege
10. If a male director makes sleazy movies casting all his heroines as hip-thrusting prostitutes it's called fantasy (please sit back and enjoy the cheap thrills). If a female actress as much as sits next to man under a blanket in freezing cold on a TV show it is abuse of culture and a maa behen mulk izzat iman ghairat issue
The next time you are unsure if Pakistani Moral Values and culture have been challenged by someone or not, please refer to the above generally-agreed guidelines.
If anyone else has more interesting ones, please feel free to add.
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7 comments:
Post-Script: Article also posted at Express Tribune - http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/4139/a-dummy’s-guide-to-morality-in-pakistan/
getting productive by the day.. han.. :)
good stuff. leaving mumbai airport after a week of stay for what is actually and hour's flight to karachi but in culture and ethics.. seems ages far... i guess the true value and true picture of your lives become more clear when you try watching them from a distance and a neutral perspective. its not shunning down the country or culture but in a neutral context, felt hugely lost at words in an attempt to explain some of the above..
but you never seem to have that problem.. bravo.. :)
Thanks bud, you're one of the few who always get where I'm coming from :)
Call when free. Ta
Well said, Aruna! Here are two more:
If a man has demanding work hours, he is hard-working and successful. If a woman does the same, she is selfish and inconsiderate of her family.
If a male negotiates his salary well, he is street savy and smart, if a woman does it she is money grubbing and trashy.
Thanks, those have a ring of truth as well !
I don't disagree but not sure why this is labelled "Pakistani" Moral Values.
Patriarchy, my friend, is not limited to the boundries of Pakistan, but is just a teensy bit more global.
Oh and lets not forget - if a woman stays home to look after her children, shes a care-giver. But if a man does it, he's a no good leech. Could go both ways......
All valid points though
Thank you S.
Teensy bit more global? So are most other things - crime, rape, prostitution, murder, extremism, etc. We still have to address them. When these happen in PK, these are PK issues, and so 'PK moral values'.
Also fully agree men also suffer and these things happen both ways, however overwhelming majority issues are patriarchal in nature.
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