The following blog, written by ICNY Program Associate Dr. Sarah Sayeed, is a reflection on her recent participation in the US-Pakistan Interreligious Consortium, and was published by Intersections International on May 7, 2013.
When I was young, I learned a prayer-poem that is sung in many Urdu-speaking families in India, where I was born and lived until I was eight. The poem is also sung all over Pakistan, uniting Pakistani and Indian Muslims across borders and tense relations between the two countries through a shared appreciation for the famous Pakistani poet Allama Iqbal. It is called “Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua” and in it, we sing a longing for divine guidance, for the ability to be a light and of service to those in need, so that each person can “do their country proud” by being the best person they can be. The opening lines of the poem are “My longing comes to my lips as supplication of mine! O God! May like the candle be the life of mine! May the world’s darkness disappear through the life of mine! May every place light up with the sparkling light of mine! May my homeland through me attain elegance! As the garden through flowers attains elegance.”
As an Indian who immigrated to the United States and became an American citizen, and as a Muslim woman active in interfaith work, I bring my own unique lens to the issue of U.S.-Pakistan relations. In April, I had the privilege of participating in the U.S. Pakistan Interreligious Consortium (UPIC), a grassroots effort of people-to-people diplomacy organized by Intersections International.
What struck me almost immediately about Pakistanis was their very sincere commitment to see their country improve, as well as their honesty about the relationship between Pakistan and the United States. Through our dialogue, what emerged was a shared desire to revive the positive relationship that Pakistan and the United States have historically shared. There are many challenges to strengthening the relationship between our nations, and there are also opportunities for us to work together.
Among the hindrances we identified are media narratives, in both countries, where the relationship of Pakistan and the United States is often portrayed as seeped in conflict, and little attention is given to a third side that seeks peace. Media also ignore the views of ordinary Pakistanis and Americans who harbor no ill will against one another. Some of our dialogue partners expressed concern that anti-Americanism is on the rise in Pakistan, but also, they are discouraged by the American perception that Pakistanis promote terrorism. As an American of Indian origin, I was particularly attuned to the sentiment that America does not value Pakistan to the same degree as it does India. We spoke about ways to engage social media to counteract these trends, a strategy that would also allow us to involve younger generations of Pakistanis and Americans in bridge-building.
Another of our group’s concerns was the blasphemy laws which target derogatory remarks about Islam and the Prophet. While these laws in theory are meant to protect the sanctity of all religions, in practice they are used to target religious minorities as well as Muslims. In many cases, the death penalty is pronounced without even following the legal procedures of being charged and properly tried in a court of law. We also spoke about how each country and each society has its sacred totems, symbols to which it has strong attachment, and that individual freedom cannot be divorced from a responsibility to the collective.
These are just two of the highlights from very rich conversations that took place over four days. I hope that these grassroots relationships will continue over the coming months and that Americans and Pakistanis can work together to revive and build a lasting peace between our nations. For these are a people whose generosity and hospitality indeed makes them like the flowers that Iqbal refers to, rendering Pakistan itself as an elegant nation, worthy of America’s utmost attention and commitment.
Check out this video of Sarah and her reflections on the Consortium here.