Dr. Tariq Rahman, National Distinguished Professor of Linguistics and South Asian Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, and Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies, American University in Washington DC, and former High Commissioner of Pakistan to Great Britain, describe issues of cultural globalization in Pakistan

“We keep hearing of globalization, deregulation, market, freedom and privatization. They evoke the image of a world without borders where one does not have to stand in long queues to get state-regulated foreign exchange, an era of the rollback of the state and of people empowerment. In short, a brave new world is conjured up. The central magic word that appeared with globalization was privatization. The reality, however, is that the state has a coercive arm which is becoming stronger while its caring side (the one which gave unemployment and pension benefits, free schools and hospitals, etc.) is being rolled back.”

“… Freedom and choice have become synonymous with consumerism but not with the freedom to resist the market, to oppose globalization and to oppose the tidal wave of consumerism…

Choice is fine if it refers to Pepsi or Coke but just try telling a poor mother that she has a choice of schools when her monthly income is just enough to live on bread and dal (lentil soup) a day. In short, there is no meaningful choice in the absence of the appropriate income and enabling circumstances…”

“Let me focus on privatization, one of the sacred mantras of globalization. Privatization was not only a product of globalization since Pakistan has always had privately run religious seminaries (madressahs) as well as elitist English-medium schools. But the state was a bit apologetic about the latter and kept trying to hide them away from the public sight, thus educational reports do not mention them  and hope for the best…”

Source:  Dr. Tariq Rahman. “Globalization and the demise of private education in Pakistan.” OneWorld.  November 25th 2005. http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/122853/1/2223

“Musharraf and almost all of the army’s generals embrace globalization not only because most of them are from big cities like Karachi and Lahore, but also because it has brought the army significant benefits since 9/11 — most notably, new helicopters, tanks and weaponry.

They also appreciate the KFC restaurants, the Internet, and the links with the West that have sprung up in the cities of Pakistan over the past few years. However, these leaders are selective in the aspects of globalization they wish to embrace: They are happy to accept certain economic, military and cultural gains but are equally happy to ignore other more important positive aspects that the West wishes to promote, such as democracy and human rights.

To them, globalization presents an opportunity to battle a backward and stagnant form of Islam, represented by the tribesmen, for the future of a prosperous and modern Muslim society…

Unlike tribal relationships, those in the city are based primarily on financial interactions. Neighborhoods are mixed, and there is no way of deciding who should live next door. As people migrate from rural and tribal areas, their original ethnicities begin to blur. Every immigrant to the city quickly learns new ways of dealing with life: how to trade, behave and interact with a mixture of people.

In contrast, tribal life continues along traditionally demarcated lines. Important decisions are still made by tribal leaders. Commentaries published in Karachi and Lahore may condemn their customs and traditions as a barrier to the march of progress, but the tribesmen would argue that globalization is the menace.

With its intrusiveness and unrelenting momentum, it threatens the very core of their traditional identity and way of life. Although tribal codes throughout the Muslim world are changing as they confront the forces of globalization, they still influence behavior.”

Source:  Ahmed, Akbar. “Pakistan and Globalization.”  The Globalist.  June 15th, 2007. http://www.theglobalist.com/StoryId.aspx?StoryId=6204

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