The young women of Pakistan fall into various categories ranging from the uneducated, underprivileged, to the fairly educated ones and the highly educated, smart girls.
While most women in this suppressed society do not have opinions and perceptions or are not allowed to form any, others who are erudite and enjoy the liberty of speaking out are very opinionated and do not vacillate to put their judgments and thoughts into words of action. What these cultured young women reckon, inscribe and voice is of immense significance to the interest of the country.
After conversing about the topic with many women from varying disciplines and degrees of professions and intellect, I believe that the perception of the US amongst the Pakistani women is two dimensional. Both the dimensions lie at two different extremes but these young females accept and acknowledge both of them to be factual.
On one hand, the US is perceived as a progressive country and a world leader in almost all spheres of life. It is a land of opportunities giving exposure, money and a much improved standard of living to many who migrate from here in search of a better life. A lot of Pakistani girls very honestly reveal their fantasy of marrying a man educated and settled in the US because they yearn for a better and modern life.
The US is the ultimate superpower of today in the eyes of these women. However, they strongly believe that with great power comes great responsibility. The attitude of the US towards Pakistan and Muslims generally leaves a lot to be desired. Their consistent and unconditional support for Israel has created the monster that is known as terrorism in the west. And now they are fighting a seemingly endless war that they have created themselves.
A sentiment echoed here by a local business student, “The US knows no bounds when it comes to the pursuit of their interests no matter if it cost millions of people their lives (Iraq for example)”.
Furthermore, they believe that the US needs to change its foreign policy and work towards regaining their stature as a world leader, the way it was thought of in the past.
“Currently, when you think of the US, all that comes to mind is resent & hatred for what it’s done with Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine in unison with Israel. The west seems to be in a war against the Muslims at all times and that is what needs to be changed” comments a dynamic software developer.
Another perspective amongst the premeditated segment is the significant US obtrusion in Pakistan’s internal affairs. “Why does the US have to intervene in all of our matters? I detest the fact that no decisions, policies or whatsoever can be made in my country without approval from the US”, remarks a young university professor.
To conclude, the young Pakistani women mutually respect the values and morals that the US stands for and deems that the US alone has the power to bring peace to this world but if they remain unfairly biased, the worst is yet to come.
