Anti-Americanism should Not Be an Article of Faith
By C. Naseer Ahmad
Washington, DC
A report in the Morning Edition program September 23, 2011 broadcast by the National Public Radio (NPR) network informed about the calamity besetting millions of Pakistani. Veteran Julie McCarthy’s report from Sanghar, Sindh and the questions from Morning Edition Host Steve Inskeep brought attention to the fact that Pakistan is hurt not only by natural disasters but also by rampant “Anti-Americanism” and a misplaced sense of aggrievement.
Some outside the United States complain that many Americans probably can’t point on the world map where Pakistan is. That might be true – partly due to indifference and partly due to factors beyond their control. Having visited places like Sanghar and having spent time in Pakistani villages in Punjab during my formative years, one fails to understand the unhelpful anti-Americanism that seems to exist in Pakistan now. For one thing, many Pakistanis – at least in places like Sanghar and Badin in Sindh probably don’t even have an access to a map to point where America is.
Scenes of women wading through flood waters - and struggling to balance metal trunks with their belongings on their heads - narrate a story that they are just trying to survive. Their voices beg for solutions to help cope with the misery that is likely to visit year after year with monsoon rains and changing weather patterns. Do they really have luxury to locate a map and pin their blame on America?
The voices grabbing microphones for attention with heated rhetoric about alleged American arrogance seem to emanate from luxurious surroundings – far removed from the submerged villages of Sindh. One gets the feeling that those fomenting the anti-American angst are those who spend more time getting ready for the cameras – in elevated positions on higher ground. What are the purveyors of discord achieving? Has promoting anti-Americanism created more jobs in Pakistan ? Has this helped prepare to deal with disasters? Perhaps, it is something to think about.
But anti-Americanism is not as pervasive as it is made out to be. A few days ago, I received an email containing pictures of some sunnier days in US-Pakistan relations from a senior retired Pakistani Air Force officer. The image of two smiling US Presidents with Pakistani President Ayub Khan are a reminder of times when Pakistan was on a growth trajectory. A picture of President Lyndon Johnson in calmer waters with President Ayub Khan brings back some happier memories. Then Vice-President Lyndon Johnson's invitation to an impoverished came rider Bashir Ahmed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bashir_Ahmad_(camel_driver) was a great example of the big hearted American friendship.
While researching the era when wise people were making some good choices, I stumbled upon the book “Citizen of Two Worlds” – an autobiography of Col Mohammad Ata-Ullah, published by Harper and Brothers, New York. In his review, published in the New York Herald Tribune, the late Justice William O. Douglas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_O._Douglas) - perhaps the longest serving justice in the history of the United States Supreme Court - wrote under the title “East and West May Proudly Claim This Moslem” that Col Ata-Ullah like his father extracted from the “Koran a philosophy of life that extolled virtue in man and service to humanity”. The comments of legendary filmmaker Lowell Thomas on this book and Pakistan provide concrete evidence that a basis exists for something positive to build on.
More over, people President Ayub and Col Ata-Ullah were men of faith too. Reading this book, one tends to believe that their faith might be stronger than those who appear to make anti-Americanism an article of faith in the name of religion. These people followed the footsteps of Mr. Jinnah, Pakistan’s Founder, who proudly announced in his speech on August 11, 1947 about the recognition of Pakistan by the United States. Like Mr. Jinnah, these people focused their energies towards the goal of making Pakistan one of the greatest nations of the world and not on affixing blame on others.
The inflammatory anti-American speech by Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad brought my attention to the chapter “Assignment Persia” of the book. In fact, if Mr. Ahmadinejad takes a break from his America bashing he probably would find in pages 130-160 of this book an interesting account of how an American official and this Pakistani doctor worked frantically to stave off food shortage in Iran after World War II.
Members of the Pakistani Diaspora are in a way citizens of two worlds. Those who were born outside of the United States would naturally have conflicting feelings with loyalty to this country pulling on one side and some empathy for the old country that is torn apart by some vexing problems. Through this book they might find that they can be the bridge over troubled waters . Given the current situation, it will be an uphill battle but when they read the chapter about Col Ata-Ullah’s collaboration with the legendary Dr. Charles Houston, American Alpine Club, to climb K-2 Mountain peak, they might find themselves following the poet Mohammad Iqbal whose vision beckoned his followers to conquer the soaring odds like eagles – leaving behind the comforts of soap boxes trying to rile up needless anger.
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