A Firm Foundation of Friendship
By C. Naseer Ahmad
Washington , DC
Autumn in Washington is quite friendly to the human spirit - after a long period of humidity and oppressing heat. In the words of business philosopher Jim Rohn, in the fall "the leaves are a little yellow and the air a bit mellow".
In this season of friendliness a number of good things happened in Washington. For instance, the South Korean President was also in town which led to a State Dinner at the White House.
On October 12, the Washington Post provided a historical narrative about State Dinners at the White House. The newspaper printed a picture of President Kennedy with Pakistani President Ayub Khan - dated July 11, 1961.
It was interesting to see the picture of a Pakistani president during the visit of the South Korean head of state. There is after all a historical connection. When Pakistan's star was rising, it is reported that war torn South Koreans were encouraged to learn about the Pakistani economic miracle.
These days, to put it mildly, the Pakistani star appears to shine less and even the crescent seems a bit dented. And, not everyone is in a friendlier mood. There is a small minority - like those burning Hillary Clinton's effigy in Multan and Quetta - that is fixated on a violent interpretation of Islam seems to grab much attention. They don't seem to have any solutions for creating more jobs nor ideas for the stability in Pakistan. Neither do they seem to have any sense of history.
And, some of those who went to institutions of higher learning perhaps lost some perspective along the way. Some of these people might label US-Pakistan relationship as transactional, but facts might prove otherwise. US-Pakistan friendship has history and a strong foundation that can weather recent strains in the relationship.
Fortunately there are people like Irfan Malik and his colleagues in the USPAK Foundation, based in Maryland, in the Pakistani Diaspora, who are nurturing the relationship the right way. They have invested their time and resources to bring young Pakistani Americans from across the country to Washington to learn and to share.
Conversations with some young Pakistani Americans - high school students, college students and young surgeons - in the White House Executive Office Building - makes one believe that the cacophony of extremism will not silence the voices of reason. These emerging young leaders are citizens of two worlds - one enriched by the cultural values of their parents and the other they enrich by their positive energy.
During their visit to Washington they found that there are many people like them advising the US President on important matters. In fact, the Special Envoy to the Organization of Islamic Countries is a Muslim of Indian origin with some Pakistani familial connections. These people probably not only understand the issues but also perhaps symbolize the spirit of Islam more than those who only know how to destroy but cannot build anything. Through their demeanor the White House staffers effectively convey the message that America is not the source of all ills in the world. Rather, a lot energy of America and its citizens like them is spent in helping cure what ills the world.
Even though it is Fall in Washington, but for these young Pakistani Americans it is Springtime in their lives. In his lecture series, Jim Rohn said that "attitude determines choice, and choice determines results. All that we are, and all that we can become has indeed been left unto us." These young Americans of Pakistani origin who gathered in the White House and the footsteps of US Capital will perhaps be the future ambassadors of goodwill between two countries.
The generations before them have laid a firm foundation of friendship. The harvest they will reap in the fall of their lives will depend upon their attitude and how they take advantage of this foundation. As Jim Rohn would say: "By our own attitude we and we alone actually decide whether to succeed or fail." And so it will be for these young citizens of two worlds.
