we the pakistanis...

It appears to me that Pakistanis have way too much time on their hands, and really no life; they just can't seem to stop nitpicking. Whether it's facebook or as I read in a letter to the editor, "banning shisha smoking", people need to learn to be tolerant of the beliefs and actions of others so long as they're not causing direct physical harm to other people. The west picks on the Muslims, and can't seem to leave them alone, while we then go ahead and pick on ANYTHING that resembles western culture, donning it "unislamic." So someone wants to draw the Prophet (pbuh)...that's their prerogative! Nobody is asking us to take part in it, and by condemning it verbally we are doing more than enough. It is a different belief system, no need to start a war over. No need to block facebook!

Tolerance only comes with education. A sound education where you come in contact with a variety of people from different backgrounds, beliefs, colour and creed is where you learn the basics of coming together as human beings. It doesn't matter what differences lie there so much as the similarities. We have to come together as human beings, before we an come together on the basis of religion. We have to believe in the greater good of the human race, before we can be selfish.

I like to think I'm a rational person. I have a good educational background, I've lived abroad, I've never had any qualms with the west, and they've never had any issues with me. I visit their countries and they check me thoroughly; and I am glad. With the situation nowadays I would prefer that they are vigilant lather than lackadaisical. Just as I would not let a stranger in to my house without an insight in to who they are and what business they have there, why should a country let people, especially those coming from a country packed with suicide camps, in without good reason. Their vigilance saves lives. For that I am grateful, because at the end of the day, less trouble across the border means less trouble within. If only we could be so attentive, rather than busy finding fault with every trivial thing under the sun.

There is more to life than facebook, youtube, second marriages and late-night-packages on cell phones. Wake up Pakistan. If you let these little things cloud your judgement and get you worked up, you'll have no energy left to fight the big things, the ones that really matter, the ones that infringe on your day to day lives. I promise you it's none of these.