Understanding Pakistan...Learn, Travel, Educate

On April 29^th, 2008 I attended the International Forum in Holt 170 on California State University Chico. The title of the forum was “Understanding Pakistan” delivered by A.B.D. Mahan Mirza from the Department of Religious Studies. The first thing I learned was that A.B.D. stands for “All But Dissertation.”

            Mahan Mirza was an exceptional speaker with a firm grasp on the English language, and a delivery comparable to the best public speakers of our time. Going into the lecture I knew very little about Pakistan, and he made a conscious effort to deliver relevant information in an organized and understandable manner.

            He started off with a headline photograph from Newsweek stating, “Pakistan is more Dangerous than Iraq!” He also noted that Pakistan’s flag, which is mostly green, and partially white with a star and crescent moon, represents that the Muslim majority outweighs the white minority. The overall point of the forum was to educate the uneducated that Pakistan is a VERY geographically diverse area. EVERY kind of geographic area is represented in Pakistan, from plains, rivers, mountains, snow, tropical, heat, desert, etc. It was rumored that Alexander The Great retreated from Pakistan because he couldn’t handle the heat!

            Mirza went into simple demographics of the area offering information like, the population of 170 million people. He also noted that the local language was English, although many people also spoke Urdu. It was also interesting to note that over 50% of the population was under the age of 30!

            One of the more humorous moments of the forum was when Mirza mentioned that Muslims entered India in 711…he then assured his audience that this had nothing to do with the coincidence that Indian family’s have been known to franchise 7/11 stores!

            Mirza offered a bit of political insight into Pakistan’s history, but steered clear of taking a stance on either side. He offered a crash course (less than 5 minutes) of political party advice, and a timeline of alternation between military rule and civilian rule over the past 50 years. He also educated newcomers (those of us who are not currently enrolled in his class) that Taliban…means “students!”

            Mahan Mirza was happy to end his talk, hoping that people were more educated about a place they seem so distant from. He also expressed his sentiments through his closing words in that the things he believes are important are: Travel, Learn, and Educate. He also recommended reading, “Three Cups Of Tea,” by Greg Mortenson.