Discovering Pakistan in Paris
By C. Naseer Ahmad
Washington, DC

On a clear day, from the top floor of the Eiffel Tower, one can see for miles across the city in Paris, where the clarion call of “Equality, Liberty and Fraternity” was made. That brotherly spirit exists today and can be seen and felt for miles atop the other Parisian landmarks such as Sacre Coeur on Montmarte.
Discovering Pakistan, and the beauties associated with our wonderful motherland, in Paris during Ramadan is a unique spiritual experience that will enchant those with appreciating eyes and minds. Those interested in bar hopping and risqué shows and flesh peddling need not apply.
In Paris, savvy travelers will find a Pakistani society with so many beauties that could one day be the envy of the immigrant societies in the Western world. One can see families living as neighbors and looking out for each other and caring for each other. For example, Mr. Hameed regularly stops by Mme. Winoswski’s (known as Mimi in the neighborhood) house to ask if he could do anything for her like taking her to the hospital to visit her common-law spouse. He recently painted his own house, so he painted her house as well. And, Hameed asks nothing in return except prayers and love. Occasionally, he will also take care of flowers and vegetables in her yard just as he is taking care of his own. In return, Mimi gives plenty of grandmother love to Hameed and his daughters. Nor does one need an appointment to see Mimi, who can spend hours sharing her wonderful life.
“It is a beautiful country, where nobody bothers you about what you wear,” said Mr. Nazir Ahmad, a resident of Sargodha who is visiting his son who was once working as a diplomat and now as a successful businessman in Paris. It was a pleasure to see this young at heart parent drop in wearing the tradition shalwar kameez. No phone calls were necessary, only welcoming hosts. Moments later the bearded visitor joined Hameed outside in the yard examining the homegrown vegetables.
Open-air markets provide many of the 50,000 plus Pakistanis to earn a decent living in Paris. It is had work, made harder by the Euro – the European Union currency. Here Pakistanis have found niche markets to sell different products thus adding to France’s gross domestic product (GDP), instead of dependency on welfare that is often found in other immigrant communities in Europe. It is this Jinnah spirit of “work, work and work” adopted by Pakistani immigrants of Paris that has the potential of making a success story, despite the notoriety of the Jihadists elsewhere.
Following in the footsteps of their parents, young Pakistani boys and girls work hard and seem to be getting into the gifted and talented schools. Due to their strong faith, these kids observe fast during Ramadan and study hard even on weekends. They are undeterred about the brouhaha on the headscarves controversy and adapt intelligent attires. They do weekend volunteer work at their mosques, without being cultural bores.
It is a sheer joy to walk along Champs Elysées, after a sumptuous iftar at one of these Pakistani immigrant’s home, on a balmy autumn evening. Here again one sees neon lit PIA and National Bank of Pakistan signs reminding the visitors that Pakistan was also once a field of dreams. After all, this lively avenue called “The Champs Elysées“ (Elysian fields) was originally nothing but fields, until Marie de Medicis decided in 1616 to put up a long tree-lined pathway. Along this broad path way is the famous landmark “Arc de Triomphe.” If Muhammad Ali Jinnah were to visit Paris today, he would return a happy man, as the Pakistani dream has the potential to triumph in Paris, France.

 


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Editor: Akhtar M. Faruqui
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