Open Wide – Travels in India and Pakistan #11: Arrival in Pakistan – Pakistan

Arrival in Pakistan
Most people raised an eyebrow and gave me a quizzical look tinged with fear when I said I would be travelling to Pakistan. “Pakistan? Why Pakistan?”

The easy answer was because I studied Indian history and until 1947, Pakistan was a part of that. I was also thinking of doing trekking in the incredibly scenic north. But the real reason was because I wanted to experience life in a country born solely for the purpose of being a Muslim state.

My mother was terrified I would be abducted by Pakistani terrorists and killed. I tried to explain to her that the media’s perception of Pakistan, their slant, was skewed and that she had nothing to fear for, since I wouldn’t be hanging out with the rebels in Kashmir or anything. I decided I would stay with families in Lahore, contacted through the international peace organization to which I belong. That way I would be, in a way, protected. My mother was still terrified but satisfied I had at least one eye out for my own safety.

When I walked over the line that demarcates the border between India and Pakistan I felt nothing but slightly giggly, since I had just spent an hour at a sodawalla joint drinking Mirinda and staring at the Niagara Fun World sign, where the Canadian and US flags intertwined underneath the sign’s title. Here I was at the Indo-Pak border, where during partition it is estimated that the largest mass migration ever took place. Around 10 million people moved their lives somewhere else. And it was not peaceful. And here the Indians were pretending the border was the Canadian-American one. I didn’t see any duty-free shops or Madam Tussaud’s wax museum anywhere… the only difference between India and Pakistan, that I could see, was that on one side the majority of the men were wearing turbans, and on the other, white Punjabi suits and Muslim prayer caps.

When I arrived in Lahore, I found it to be quite similar to any Indian city save for signs in Urdu and far less in English, as well as virtually no women to be seen. I was picked up by my host on his two-wheeler and driven to his women’s dress shop in Lahore’s famous Anarkali bazaar, where I was surprised to find two other members of the peace organization from Pakistan waiting to meet me.

Everyone was so excited to see me, so thrilled I had come to Pakistan. “Why Pakistan?” I gave them the same ‘amazing history and culture’ answer to be safe, but then they began to speak freely and true cultural exchange could happen.

All three men expressed how Pakistan never gets any visitors because the West perceives it as a Muslim fundamentalist country. “But there are bad people in every country!” they exclaimed. And it also doesn’t help that the majority of the country’s budget is spent on the military, which will happen since the government is a military one. The day I arrived General Musharraf announced himself president. “But we are unfortunate with our government,” they said, “We are not happy with it.” I asked why they didn’t do anything. “We are helpless.”

My hosts didn’t believe that Pakistan was a country that truly follows Islam. They cited Saudi Arabia as a better example. Just then a muezzin started his chanting for one of the five daily prayer times that are loudly broadcast on speakers around the city. The cacophony of disjoined phrases and tones as speakers from different mosques call out made the words hard to understand. But the beginning is always the same. “Allaho Akbar!” or God is Great.

I was taught as the muezzin called to put my dupatta around my head wherever I was. As I sat in the store and a Pakistani man came in and I greeted him with an ‘Assalam aleikum’ he did a double take once he saw I wasn’t Pakistani. After he left, the discussion about religion began and my hosts shared Islam’s perspective on other religions. “We believe in the religions of the holy books; Judaism, Christianity and Islam. You aren’t a Muslim unless you accept all the prophets of Judaism, Christ, and Mohammed, peace be unto him.”

We started discussing religion in the West and they assumed in their comments that I was Christian. I knew I wanted to tell them I was Jewish, though everyone said to avoid saying anything. When I tentatively said, “Well, actually…” the men suddenly became animated and were grinning broadly. I was the first Jew they had ever seen and they were so thrilled they were hosting a Jew so they could learn more about Judaism and show that not everyone in Pakistan is a fundamentalist. I spent the next two weeks fielding questions about Judaism and was repeatedly told how similar Islam and Judaism are. So many traditions in Judaism and Islam have similar rituals and practices that my hosts convinced themselves that Judaism and Islam were closer than Christianity and Islam.

“But we don’t believe Hinduism is a religion. They believe in many gods, you know. Monkey
gods, elephant gods.”

We all agreed, however, that the point of our religions was humanity. How strange to be sitting in a dress shop with three Pakistani men talking about humanity. “But there are bad people everywhere. There are men who act in the name of Islam who are acting for personal reasons.” I added, “And there are Jews who act in the name of Judaism who give Judaism a bad name.”

Satisfied that we were all in it for peace, I had a confession to make.

“I came here because I wanted to see life in a Muslim country. I wanted to be able to tell people that fundamentalists are not the norm. That people just want peace, truly do believe in humanity.”

They beamed and agreed. My host poured me more chai.

And so I share this with you now.

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