We Hate the West, but we Love Their Passport. Ft. Hypocritical (Overseas) Pakistanis
It’s been a rough week or so. First, the (now) former Pakistani Prime Minister was ousted after a successful Vote of No Confidence in Pakistan’s Parliament last weekend. But the fact remains that in all (dis)honesty, he tried to do whatever he could, including subverting the constitution, compelling the Speaker, and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly to act on his behalf, and pretty much short of ruling as Pakistan’s Vladimir Putin.
What transpired these last few days was indeed historical. For the first time in the country’s history, a prime minister was voted out through a no-confidence vote. What amazes me is the blatant hypocrisy, by Pakistanis, all over the world, including those back home. A nation that would do anything for a ‘western’ passport, even so, will fly off their pregnant wives to the United States due to the birthright citizenship law coming out against the same United States every couple of years. Why though?
I have tried to understand this from a scholarly point of view. What goes into anyone’s mind? If they hate the United States, why not embrace the same point of view in their lifestyle. Ironically, most of them spend their summer vacations in the US and have at least one of their paternal or maternal relatives in the US.
As someone who just came to The Netherlands for graduate school, I came across the same fraction of the diaspora who abused the EU while holding a ‘dutch’ passport. I don’t get it. Either you’re delusional, or you’re brainwashed into a specific form of cultist following (Re: Imran Khan).
Ten months down the line, most of the overseas Pakistani’s heartthrob have been ousted by a constitutional process. They have come out guns blazing against the ‘same’ United States. The fact is that majority of these people live here (West) out of guilt or alienation. They don’t feel at home, primarily because they live in a ‘secular,’ ‘western,’ ‘liberal’ democracy, but if anyone asks them, why don’t they support the same back home. Their Muslimness or Islamist civilisationism comes right out of nowhere. They are reminded of the glorious Muslim past, which for them reflected modern-day ‘Scandanavia’ yet with Muslim beliefs.
Irrational or illogical rhetoric implies that they are destined to return to their home country once it resembles London, New York, or Paris somewhat resonates with our diaspora. Is there any truth to it? Certainly not. When I say this, I have tried my best in the last few months to have a constructive debate. Still, it all comes down to the Salahuddin Ayyubis and Mohammad Bin Qasims of the world, disregarding the European passport they hold, arguing with me, who still is a Pakistani citizen and taxpayer.
It sounds good as rhetoric and populist slogans, but will these Pakistanis ever forgo their Western passport? I hardly doubt it.
