Westernization and Human Welfare · Maryam Jameelah
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mothers who beam with pride that their children speak only En~lish is an indirect way of accepting the domination of the master culture. By wearing Western dress, eating Western style, and speaJting Western languages, we not only admit that we have nothing to offer the West but we unwittingly make Western norms the arbiters of our taste and judge our behaviour accordingly.
We feel ashamed that our girls cannot exhibit their limbs on the stage or swim with foreign tourists in the sea. We feel apologetic explainin~ why we do not have liquour saloons all over the country. We have accepted the Western view of our own society which has been nurtured over centuries of prejudice and propaganda of Christian missionaries. It is the slave mentality, the same sense of inferiority, the same lack of confidence in. our own cultural heritage that foreign service officials are discouraged from’ appearing in Pakistani national dress, observing abstinence from alcoholic drinks and pork, or acting like Pakistanis. In our parties and dinners, especially at diplomatic functions, our major effort is directed towards eliminating any traces by which we might be mistaken for Pakistanis or Muslims. Homage to our servility to the West continues to be paii:l in the ballroom, the cocktail lounge, the swimming pool, the dinn~r hall and club gatherings. When a Western man ‘:Years his suit, he is never aware of it. He does so out of necessity. The Western man lives as he does because he is not aware of a suitable alternative. When an Oriental wears Western dress, he is doing it to upgrade his social standing. A Pakistani cannot dare wear his native dress to his office or club. Western dress is mandatory for boys’ school uniforms. The Oriental adopts Western culture because it will distinguish him from the natives, establish his social standing as a superior and lltake him superior-looking in his own eyes. In short, it stems from his sense of inadequacy, his lack of confidence and his feeling of inferiority.
It is also based upon his contempt for the natives and their culture.
A common. excuse offered by westernized Orientals is tha