The nation owes me
Eighteen girls in identical black burqas. One greets the same girl several times as it turns out. Despite the outward sobriety they’re charming individuals, and hats off to them for their courage: they’re at this (free) school to learn computers and from me English, me being a person who has had to look up the difference between an adverb and a pronoun in a hurry the night before. Even more courageous, they are there in spite of their social circumstances.
These girls’ fathers are rickshaw drivers or similar low wage earners, while the more prosperous might own a store. They all live in the area surrounding this school and this, coupled with the fact that the strict supervisor of the school is the only male on the premises, has allowed their parents to send them here. They are fortunate in belonging to families that support their decision to continue their education. For those of us in luckier circumstances, to ‘continue an education’ generally means a Masters or a PhD. For these girls it means anything more than class five, eight or matric, although there is one very bright seventeen-year-old who has not been schooled beyond class four, while a handful have studied to an intermediate, or even a Bachelors level. Their English however is exceedingly poor, as how can it possibly be otherwise?
To live in Pakistan is to feel grateful at every step for a privileged life if one has wealth. These are privileges people take very much for granted in the first world: the opportunity to play, study, and have some leisure, in short the opportunity to have a childhood. These girls, before they arrive for these classes at nine in the morning (at a beautifully appointed centre established by some dedicated people) have helped cook and feed their younger siblings, cleaned and washed their homes and the clothing for their entire family. When they return home they will be expected to make up for their absence by carrying out several further chores.
The bright young girl mentioned earlier was away from school for a week because she took it upon herself one day to cook rotis at their neighbour’s house, when their own was without gas as usually happens. My mother would have praised my enterprise had I done this. Her father grounded her for her daring, and it was only when the supervisor for the centre reasoned with her father that he agreed to let her continue.
It is a world apart.
They are more careful of their stationery, these girls, unlike children from wealthier homes. Books are carefully covered with paper and names inscribed in prettily decorated letters on the flyleaf; pencils and pens are carefully stored. It is obvious that the order of priority in which these items are to be replaced if lost is understood: food first, clothing second, and if finances permit after the bills are paid, the stationery; but naturally the boys come first.
The textbooks are good in the absence of anything local and interesting. Written by an Englishman, they have a liberal sprinkling of Pakistani names among the Annes and Richards, with teacher’s guides and notes. Nothing prepared me though for my students’ comments such as, ‘My father says we must not say ‘God’, Miss? He says we must only say ‘Allah’.’
You’re quite right, Nyla (not her real name naturally), it’s better to say Allah, so long as you’re Muslim and depending on the conversation, just as doctors would do better (conversely) to write a prescription for Metronidazole rather than Flagyl, or Levofloxacin rather than Levaquin. How this question arose in the middle of paraphrasing Alice in Wonderland though, I have never been able to discover. However it may have been, I have learnt to squash such discussions at the outset – who knows what misunderstandings might arise as a result of a single ‘flippant’ remark? One would rather these girls be allowed to continue coming to the centre.
The nation owes me for one thing at any rate. Here sit fourteen girls, and if multiplied by the national birth rate, a potential total of some one hundred and one and a half people who will never say ‘bowel’ ever again when what they mean is ‘bowl’. What is more, they will never direct persons to their homes by saying that they must get there via Shezan’s ‘backside’. I have seen to that, and whether or not I ever manage to teach them the difference between an adverb or a pronoun (or myself for that matter), I consider my efforts well spent.
Great effort. The pace of change has to start somewhere. Pakistan has alot of catching up to do with the rest of the including, many neighboring Muslim countries which have far higher Muslim literacy rate (except Afghanistan). Change starts from home and female education is paramount in the success of a nation as a whole.
If Pakistan really want fast paced growth, its must change its status from Islamic to Secular nation. In an Islamic ideology, there is a lot of gender discrimination, and lot of unequality for non believers. Whereas, in secular nation, every citizen of the country, either it be girl or boy, muslim or non-muslim, healthy or handicaped, diseased or athelete, are treated equally. Everyone has equal right……. Whereas in Islamic nation, there are lot of sacrifices, for girls, for non-muslims,etc. Pakistan has to come out of monarchy if it really want to create a fast pace pogrom……
Muslim extremists think that in an secular outfit, there is a threat to Islam which is nowhere justified. Secularism just gives the unarmed people the power to change their own fate. Secularism will give every single citizen the freedom to practice what they want, which might be a bit irritating to the inherited supremacy of the islamic extremists. Pakistan’s democracy is on the verge of its extinction…….who is responsible for this? Merciless killing of shia muslims and hindu minorities in karachi and no govt support for their security….,who will then take care of minorities in an Islamic sunni dominated pakistan? Pakistan today is totally under the control of Islamic extremists which is a matter of deep concern for everybody……..
See India, the people have all the power. The latest anti corruption movement led by patriot Anna Hazare is the example of civilians supremacy. The right to information act, another civilians led success campaign in India is an example of successfull democracy. Religious violence are the things of past in India, and this has happened due to the strong will power and right to education. Today, India is among the few countries, where education is the birth right of every children. Education for every children upto primary level is totally funded by Indian govt. The anti corruption movement against govt. Led by more than 60 lakh protesters(mostly youth) all accross the country is the example of democracy’s success……….
The only wapon which can destroy the extremeism is the eduction and knowldge. So you see these elements are after the eduction,boming school buildings particularly the girls schools……….. Ms Robia you are doing a great job………keep it up
Bakhtiar Agha Peshawar
Pakistan too is deeply drowned in corruption and terrorism, but the common people and youth showed no intrest to fight against it. Call it an islamic ideology or lack of education or lack of willpower,whatever it maybe but today real pakistan is also on the verge of its extinction with the power being shifted from common peace loving persons to the terrorists and corrupt politicians who have no meaning of a nation……….
With due apologies Mr Modi I think you need to read up a bit about what Islam really is, and it is not what you appear to think it is. Extremism and bigotry are everywhere biased and intolerant as I am sure you recognise with the BJP in India. Pakistan has a problem for sure with extremism and corruption, but the discussion at hand is education and in Pakistan, even though the government has failed in its duty by the people, individuals, many of them are doing great work…such as the people who have set up the Centre I mention in my column. They have made this and are running it out of money from their own pocket. I am sure there are such people in your country as well, but since I have not read up on how it is in India, I would not like to comment on the matter any more than I have done.
Mrs. Rabia, your efforts to bring education among muslim girls in Pakistan are worth praising and i congratulate you for that. As per as my knowledge about Islam is concerned, I live in a country where 160 million muslims resides(muslims in India being the third largest muslim population in world after Indonesia and Pakistan, and the largest minority in any country). India is place to most of the liberal muslims of the world. Pakistan today wants to showcase itself as father of Islam, which is accepted everywhere but in a dire negative way and the world today is seeing Islam as threat to peace. Islam which is the religion of peace, no doubt in it, has got negative publicity due to extremists in Pakistan. The terror campaign in the name of Jihad and global sharia has brought a lot of negative publicity for pakistan and islam.
I respect all religions and has no hatred among any religion. I was talking about Islamic extremism not Islam.
I'm so glad you are teaching these girls. 🙂 The Prophet himself (pbuh) educated women., and this (among many other reasons) leaves no justification for keeping half of humanity in the dark.
modi. Why are you here? whats the bloody obsession of indians to be on pakistani sites and splatter their ignorance all over? Go back to your toilet-free village and stay there.
and I suggest you go back to your biased gutter. Anyone & everyone is welcome to share their views here, thats how one learns, unless one doesn't want to learn.
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