A progressive approach in one word can be defined as to “reform”. A person who is progressive welcomes change, innovations and challenges the norms that exist in the society. A progressive person challenges the status quo and believes that in order to progress with the changing times, older beliefs that hold the society back from progressing must be changed or eradicated if necessary. On the other hand, a conservative is reluctant to accept any kind of change. Conservatives consider that any type of reformations to existing beliefs and norms are threatening and disrespectful. For example in the early years of formation of Pakistan, the conservatives in the Pakistani society were reluctant towards women’s education as they believed that it would challenge the norms and gender roles that are assigned to women. Most of the conservatism comes from a place of fear. In Pakistan, according to American historian Stephen Cohen there are several political constants that play an important role in Pakistan’s conservatism such as; the rule of law, the religion Islam and respect for tradition.
I believe that in order to bring any kind of change, a progressive approach should be adopted. There are many aspects of our society and culture that need serious reformations. Many of the traditions that are part of the Pakistani culture are very medieval and questionable. Killing of women in the name of honor and “panchayat” systems that follow their own rule book despite of what the actual law says and most prominently mob killings in the name of religion or blasphemy are some examples of the type of traditions that need to be eradicated from the Pakistani society.
It is to be noted that Progressive writers in Pakistan have been victims of threat and violence in the past. For example the murder of a prominent rights campaigner Sabeen Mahmud who was murdered for pointing out the abuses in Balochistan is one example of such incidents.
Following are examples of some of the many traditions that need social and cultural change for the progressiveness of our society: According to studies, 85% of marriages in all Pakistani regions involve the exchange of dowry. It is also to be noted that about 2000 deaths related to the transfer of dowry happen in Pakistan each year. Not only is this burdening for the families financially but this materialistic culture humiliates unmarried women by weighing them through wealth. The upper classes adapt such a culture and set a standard for the lower classes to follow which creates a social problem. Despite many anti dowry laws such that of; 1996, 1997 and 1998 this culture hasn’t stopped because people seek benefits for their own selves, without realizing the type of impact such a practice has on the overall society. Change begins with firstly your own self, therefore it is important that every individual takes a step to bring a change in their own families. Families should create an agreement that the transfer of dowry will not be accepted during the wedding ceremony and like this a norm that discourages dowry should be created in the society.
Gender roles created for both men and women in the society have given birth to countless amount of problems. This is both a social and cultural problem because the notions such as, “women are only meant to stay at home” and “men don’t cry” are extremely problematic and damaging for our society. This deprives women of getting their basic rights of education, job opportunities and freedom of speech. Women are faced with many social problems such as cat-calling, harassment in public places, also while driving and work places which can only be tackled if the men are educated that women are not objects that can be sexualized. Women should be empowered and given more opportunities so that they can take a stand for themselves and the concept of working women can be normalized. Similarly the emotions and feelings of men should not be dismissed and they should be allowed to express themselves in any way they prefer. This change can begin with right parenting; parents should never discriminate between their sons and daughters in anyway.
In Pakistan the discrimination against the transgender community is a huge social and cultural problem. People are ignorant towards the idea of a third sex or the biology behind hermaphroditism. This is due to the lack of education and awareness amongst the general population. When a hermaphrodite is born to a family, it is considered to be a huge disgrace and they are often abandoned from their families. They do not only suffer in making a living for themselves but education as well. They are called with several disrespectful names on the streets and are not considered as humans. It is really important to normalize education about subjects like these that are considered to be a taboo. NGO’s working to support this community should be supported and people should step out to protect them from any type of injustice even in public places. Most importantly parents should be aware enough to embrace their child without coming under societal pressure. Hermaphrodites should also be given opportunities to represent themselves on political platforms to raise their problems on national level and government should help them in any way possible. For example they should be given seats in the parliament or national assembly so that they can feel empowered and acknowledged as the citizens of this country.
Mob killings or murdering innocent people in the name of religion have been a very controversial topic since majority of the population in Pakistan is very driven from religion. There have been many examples of people taking innocent lives over false accusations of blasphemy. The blasphemy laws of Pakistan have always been very controversial and people tend to take law in their own hands. The famous Mashal Khan case is an example of a false accusation that led to the killing of an innocent young man. In Pakistan, people should normalize the culture of “innocent until proven guilty”. Proper investigations especially in matters like these should be carried out by government authorities to prove that a person is actually responsible for what they are being accused. Besides this, extremism in case of religion should be discouraged in the society.
Conclusion:
Pakistani society is an example of a conservative society where people are very unwelcoming towards any kind of reformations and modifications that might actually benefit the society. It is important to normalize the idea of progressiveness in order to see a change. People should develop tolerance and patience and realize that their opinions and decisions while living in the society can have a deep impact. The traditions and cultural values that they adapt today can influence the society where are upcoming generations will be living tomorrow.
