Gilgit - BaltistanPakistan
Pictory IX: We are changing!!
by Muhammad Ali Alyan
Nothing remains constant but change but intellectuals also urge that one must not change on certain aspects.
‘Do you think the same?’
Our dads will have different taste. ‘Does it matter?’
Our moms will be showing off. ‘Really?’ ‘So what?’
Our sisters will be wearing trendy skimpy dress. ‘Hey you narrow-minded, do you want us in Afghani tents?’
Our brothers will be over cool. ‘Do you understand fashion, feeble minded, this is a modern term?’
‘Do you think we are losing something?’ ‘Hey, you lose when you change.’ ‘But I also gain.’ ‘Gain what?’ ‘Gain change.’
Don’t change your smile. Keep on smiling, whatsoever.
progress without change is bit difficult but we should care about norms and values while progreesing towards, we may lose the inner core of our culture with rapid change if do not care about norms and values.
regards
Wajid Rumi
Sydney Austrailia
very fanatastic pholosphy gave by Aliyan.it represent the real logic of our society.if any body think.it represent the repid changing of our area and els thing……
I am sorry. Please ignore my first post: ……This is what I meant to write….
Alyan, these messages are so strong and thought provoking indeed. I think in the face of so much of change around the globe, people are now thinking and talking of originality and a base from where to draw your identity. The pictures are very telling and the comparison is so profound that it induces one to think and ask a question- are these abrupt changes leading us to a situation where we would be facing what is called ‘identity crisis’ or in other words… should we change color as water does or should we have some parameters for change??
I am on a study trip to Canada and I was just mentioning about your thoughts on change with a wonderful couple with whom I lived for two days before moving to my univeristy. Both of them are professors at a leading university in Victoria and they were deeply touched with this saying that cultures need to be preserved otherwise one may lead to a situation of deprivation without any strong roots.
So, we all, especially our young generation needs to give it a serious thought. any comments??
cheers,
Sultan Ahmed
Victoria
assalam-u-alaikum
Its very nice to see such creative work,,,,, our new generation is adopting all those fasions wich are not applicabe to our society..
every person should promot his/her own culture and shoud live accordind to the norms and velues of the soceity in wich he/she is living………….
there is no means of freedom without boundries,
and please be MODEREN but not BURGUR.
Nice and Creative….
But whats the Concluding Message you want to convey???
Actual Problems is to decide on which side of the picture we should place ourselves..on the right side or left side!!
I believe we have a clear guidence in this regard:
Our Mothers must not SHOW OFF!!!
Our Sisters must not wear such dress!!!!
Our brothers must not change into a ridiculus creature!!!
We must cherish following ethical principles of our religion and faith!!!
WHY FOLLOW WEST???
Modernity does not come from changing a piec of cloth!!!!
Being part of the global village now, there will be an onslaught on many minor cultures around the world like ours. The damages of the onslaught can however be averted/ minimize to some degree through spread of quality education in the societies. The deep -rooted cultures will survive and the weaker ones would disappear with time, naturally, which perhaps is one of the demerits of globalization and or modernization development processes.
However, conscious efforts should be made by us all, particularly by the relevant local institutions or groups of culture loving people to avoid a total collapse.
Dear Aliyan,
It was breathtaking to see the you have not only raised a critical issue but have hit a nail in the heart of this issue.
Let’s protect our original cultural identity for which we were once very much admired and even now, the recent move in the Capital and other provinces towards raising awareness among our youth and other professionals would indeed contribute much in safeguarding our unique culture.
It’s encouraging to say that our youth in the capital as well as in all other parts of the country are not only into realization of its importance but also are playing active role in preservation and revival of our beautiful cultural norms.
With kind regards,
Mehmood Hunzai
Dear Ali
I am impressed by the powerful way that you have used to depict your ideas of culture – its relation with looks, dresses and the way our society is changing, or will change.
However, I don’t agree with the “we are gaining change” philosophy that you have mentioned towards the end of your beautiful contribution. Change is a dimension less and character less word. It means nothing until placed and viewed in a proper context.
For instance, I might question the ‘logic’ of change and of course I would also like to know whether change is always a “good” thing?
Suppose on your wedding day, during the early hours, the weather was superb; the sun was shining. But after the nikah suddenly the weather ‘changed’ and winds started blowing.
In one way you must be happy because you have ‘gained’ change but on the other your entire wedding is messed up, the guest fleeing from the scene of Tamasha 🙂
What do you think?
Nur
Respected all,
Thanks all for the nice words. I have ma ‘LOVE & PRAYERS’ for you all. 😉
Thanks luplol Nur for the nice words. Well, I agree with what you dont agree. But will you disagree with what I agree with? I agree that change is not always a good thing but I think somtimes we need it very badly.
Certainly, take the case of ‘TAMASHA’. Just consider all the guests were fleeing from the scene before the ‘Nikah’ because there was a harsh wind blowing making it difficult to enjoy the wedding. All in a sudden, the weather changes after the Nikah. Sun shines like never before, the harsh wind turns into a soothing cool breeze and hopefully when it is your turn to dance the weather is at its best condition making you fully energetic to showoff your dancing skills and enjoy yourself like never before. Wouldn’t you accept this change? I know that my comments may fit somewhere in a Utopian world. Anyhow, that is how I was thinking.
Do I think the right way? What do you think?
LOVE
Dear Ali
I must have missed your nice reply to my two cents.
Thanks for showing me the other side of it 🙂
So, you agree that talking of change, the dimensionless and characterless word – as i said earlier, in isolation can be delusive. The phenomena of change of has to be observed/discussed in terms of a moral and philosophical context.
And in our case our faith – Islam, our tareeqah – Ismaili, our culture – Pamiri, our sense of identity – Hunzai and our unique ways contribute towards forming that paradigm of action and interaction, whereby we share, learn and relearn. This is what I think. You might disagree.
By the way, I have another observation regarding the pictures that you have chosen to ‘present’ the transformation. I didn’t see a black skinned human being, in which our fathers, our brothers, our mothers, or our sisters are being changed?
I mean, is it necessary that we will change into ‘white skinned’ creature? This is a racist observation, but can’t be ignored. What if the old man in the first picture had been compared to a man of his age, having black skin color?
I was just thinking, would an “Angrez” be ready to don our way of life and living as eagerly as we are donning theirs?
If yes, why? If no, why?
Nur
Looplol Nur,
Thanks for refining my ideas. I agree with you. Infact, I was just trying to make it clear that there are things which need not to be changed- i.e. our unique ways of living, that you discussed too. I had a better understanding of change from your explainations -thanks for sharing.
Well, one may be confused with the questions I have associated with the pictures. I am not asking them actually – these are the questions(or answers) heared when you question someone about it (e.g. why did you change?)
I liked the observations you made.
Surely, an Angrez would be changing his lifestyle if likes purity and a long peaceful life to live like our forefathers did and will accept our way of life (researches by foriegn researchers on longevity may be a proof. In fact, some researchers call us “The Happiest People on Earth”.). I am afraid he might not be changing now (because today we have few unique things -ways of living that would increase our longevity and so many other things missing…).
At the same time, I believe that I need to change -either I sholud go back to my forefathers or pick the nice things from the Angraz or anyone -like good educational system, good social system, good health systems, etc.
PEACE
L 😉 VE
talking about change,modernity and advancement in culture prospectiveI .I defined Culture!
CULTURE is a Human Behaviour,Atitude,Action and Reaction according to thier natural environment, which has collective acceptance and changes with passage of TIME!
it is very debatable untill one understands the crux of change and culture ,modernity or westernization.
the main thing which comes to me ,that is respect toward natural envirnoment and basic humanitarian appreciation,accptance and equality ,culture is not from piece of cloths or other things which were used few decads back. for instance, wearing of woleen paints,shoshk (Sandal) and half bats (coats) which has its usage but these woleen trousers,leather shoes and other stuffs have differnt way of outfiting compare to two decade back,the same travelling on horse backs or using other animals, is no more in use,the same way using dishes are no more in practice. taste and preference always changes, but the only thing that may stay for long ,is respect ,value and equality for every thing exist around you and practice,beliefs ,faiths and adhere progressive religious dogma’s. and these all comes from change!that gain of change is not merely from wearing trendy dresses or dropping long hairs,curing shaves blabla.. the progress and change comes from INTILLECTUALY GAIN!
MirzaW ISB