All the way from Pakistan to Denmark (5)

Education beyond borders

Pakistan and Denmark are important countries and have a lot to contribute to the world. We need to understand that both countries have a common enemy and that Taliban culture in Pakistan is only confined to a small area where the current military operation is going on. All terrorists involved in the attacks in the main cities of Pakistan mostly come from these tribal areas. Pakistan has certainly done and is doing every thing to root out extremism and terrorism from the country. It must be known that thousands of Pakistani soldiers had embraced martyrdom during the ongoing war against terrorism, and thousands of soldiers have been wounded. While in Afghanistan, the soldiers of allied forces who had been killed during the last eight years are significantly far lower. There is no country of the world that has arrested leaders of Al Qaeda other than Pakistan, yet the perception of Pakistan in the west is far from this reality.

Pakistan and Denmark are important countries and have a lot to contribute to the world. We need to understand that both countries have a common enemy and that Taliban culture in Pakistan is only confined to a small area where the current military operation is going on. All terrorists involved in the attacks in the main cities of Pakistan mostly come from these tribal areas. Pakistan has certainly done and is doing every thing to root out extremism and terrorism from the country. It must be known that thousands of Pakistani soldiers had embraced martyrdom during the ongoing war against terrorism, and thousands of soldiers have been wounded. While in Afghanistan, the soldiers of allied forces who had been killed during the last eight years are significantly far lower. There is no country of the world that has arrested leaders of Al Qaeda other than Pakistan, yet the perception of Pakistan in the west is far from this reality.

Amidst these perceptions, flying all the way from Karachi, Pakistan, I descended at the Københavns Lufthavn, Kastrup Airport on 19 January, 2011. In the serene Humlebaek, forty minutes from Copenhagen, I am here for a semester in Crossing Borders Global Studies. Little did I know that Denmark has much more to offer than what I already have read, heard and knew about.

I was honored to receive a full scholarship from a pool of five hundred applicants from across the Muslim world to come to Denmark. However, I had to climb a monstrous mountain before I could finally cross the borders of this Scandinavian country. Having applied for the visa with all perquisite documents well before time, things were still gloomy. It was an arduous time, a time of uncertainty, and a time of incredible patience for me. Indeed, there was a long wait before I was cleared to get a visa. Still, I was asked to send some extra documents and wait for few more days. Had there not been continuous support in the visa process from my institution, I would have surely missed this opportunity.

Yes, an opportunity to talk about world peace and building bridges of friendship between

Pakistan and Denmark. For example, in merely few weeks, study here has provided young people like me an unprecedented platform to know Danish culture, history, and people more closely.

But it is not only Denmark that has this visa policy for Pakistanis. It is lamentable to know that the Norwegian embassy in Islamabad has denied visa to most of the fellow Pakistani talented youngsters. They were selected to attend an international youth peace festival in Norway which took place in the mid of February 2011. They refused me the visa in the year 2007 for the same event. Their reasons for the refusal of visa to attend a peace event, an event that has the objective to bring youth from around the world at one platform for peace were absolutely absurd, hilarious and illegitimate.

Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs should raise this issue at diplomatic levels with the respective countries. It is pivotal that both the governments of Denmark, Norway and other countries from the west review their stringent visa policies in order to make botheration free visa process for the peace loving youth of Pakistan. Other than business trips, to further deepen the relations, it is time when there should be more people to people cultural exchanges like educational trips for students, scholars, and journalists.

In my opinion, such cultural experiences are pivotal for the youngsters of Pakistan who are more than sixty percent of the country’s population. It not only inculcates the spirit to appreciate other cultures, but it also teaches you how to be independent, how to deal with people from different countries, how to manage your conflict, the importance of setting a goal for your life, and how to get involved in the civil life.

What brings us together is that we all are human beings, we all believe in universal human values, peace and we all are part of the global community. By crossing borders of different countries, I have found that traveling is the best learning experience. It helps remove misunderstanding that unfortunately prevails today. It enhances what we learn in the class room.

Danes are fun loving people and I have met with youths here who have all the ingredients to be the future leaders of Denmark. In Pakistan, I know there are number of young people who are doing remarkable voluntary work and despite various impediments, in situation of conflict, they are standing together for peace loving society. This is the young generation that we don’t talk much about. They are the silent majority, they are the ones who will take our countries to new heights and will open new chapters of our friendship.

In my childhood, I always enjoyed reading literary fairy tales like The Ugly Duckling and The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. Not to forget the Tragedy of Hamlet by Shakespeare, but never did I know that I will be visiting the land from where Hans or the story of Hamlet belongs to. Similarly, youth from Denmark should also know about Allama Iqbal as the famous poet of the east and read popular tragic romances like Sassi Punnun, Sohni Mahiwal & Heer Rangha. I am hopeful that especially the youth from Denmark will also one day visit Pakistan. From the southern seas and deserts to plains and mountains in the north, they will meet the vast majority of Pakistani people who are peace loving, very hospitable and certainly not ‘terrorists’ as mostly perceived in the west. This is the best way to see the ground realities, know about Pakistani society and understand it as an important country in the world.

Clearly, if Pakistan will be peaceful, the world will become more peaceful. Thus we need to promote the message of peace and friendship, but to do so, will it be possible one day for the youth from Pakistan like me to cross the borders freely.

Note: This article is soon to be translated in Danish language and will be published in local newspapers in Denmark and English version later in Pakistani newspapers/magazines as well.