Go west....?!?
The western media seems to have a strong influence on our lives(asia and middle east).
Intitially, starting from the lastest fad ,food we eat, to the growing freedom in sexual attitudes, gender equality and a liberated life style.
Do you think by following such a standard of living,we would become more western and perhaps more acceptable/superior to our peers and society?
Or, it doesn’t matter who and what your are copying ,as long as it makes you look original, chic and sophisticated.
Should we ape the West?
Views heartily welcomed…
posted by Mubs @ 1:00 am
3 Comments:
Mubaraka!
Turn the whole question round. Why do you think people in the West are fascinated by the East?
Why don't they get a postive image?
They would LOVE to really understand what is happening in the Middle East, Subcontinent and Far East.
Instead of bleating on about slavishly copying another culture, why not seek to look within and see what Westerners are looking for in their dissatisfaction with their fast-paced, materialist-minded, futile lifestyles?
Do you or anyone else get my point of view?
Ask me what happened to my daughter Dana and her sisters when they went back to UK in 1998...
PLEASE DO NOT REDUCE COMPLEX ISSUES TO BANAL STEREOTYPES.
bfn
Tony
5:35 PM
From where I stand and witness, people of all ages and lifestyles in Asia, far East and Middle East are frantically trying to “duplicate” everything and anything that the west has to offer.
Take our music scene for instance. Our generation feels more socially contended and easy to relate to it, when fused with western instruments and beat. Nusrat Fateh Ali khan was just another unknown, struggling qawwal singer,till the day he started fusing his compositions with western sounds.
His association with western music composers :Eddie Vedder and Tim Robbins (Dead Man Walking soundtrack), Michael Brook, Massive Attack, and Peter Gabriel (Last Temptation of Christ soundtrack) rose his stature to become the “sound of Pakistan”
Freedom of expression, professional security and life safety has led to the trend of huge masses migrating to west. In everyday news, how many people do we observe coming from west and longing to settle here?. One of Pakistan’s channel ,Geo TV, telecasts a funny, hip, part reality, part social experiment show where a British man, George, tries to become a Pakistani over a period of 3 months. His time is almost up and my current doubts are further fuelled because poor George still fails to find a bus stop.
With no offense intended at all to the UAE people, life here is lackluster and stagnant. On the other hand Working 9-5 in the west , usually by both the parents has left non-commendable repercussions on the family life. But, Life is “fast-paced, materialist-minded, futile lifestyles” in the west, on the other hand, also keep in mind that perks offered. Citizenship, investment in government owned companies, advance health technology, free education till secondary school(to name a few)attract more and more percentage of people towards the west.
I am not trying to mindlessly typecast such complex issues rather throwing light on a universally accepted reality.
Thanks for the exchange of opinions!
My home country is now a multi-racial, multi-faith mosaic of many different, but complementary parts.
The UAE is a vibrant, fascinating mixture of cultures and nationalities who live fairly harmoniously, albeit in circles that do not necessarilt intersect.
The tensions and contradictions that affect modern Pakistan are not for me to comment upon.
I feel secure in being a product of a liberal, critical thinking society which others might envy. Such is life, there are massive problems of social inequality and prejudice that disfigure my homeland. I am ashamed of certain aspects of my home country's past history and current contribution to the 21st century.
What I'm trying to say is that I abhor sweeping statements and kneejerk comments about the all-pervasive nature of Western cultural symbols. I still believe that the whole issue is very complex and appreciate Mubs' reference to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan for instance. I know from personal experience that people in the West are intrigued by the mystical aspect of Sufism and are seeking for enlightenment in an age of high-speed living and cynical governments that pay lip service to democracy and human rights.
What is universally accepted by you is not necessarily believed by everyone. What a dull world that would be!
As Afaq says, the grass is not greener on the other side, neither is the sand browner, either!
This debate is too serious and maybe we should talk about the big match between Arsenal and Chelsea tomorrow if we are in the "clash of civilisations" mode of thinking. Come on the Gunners!
bfn
Tony
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