Are we the true ambassadors of Chitral?

It is shameful that some people are making fuss over nothing. Sometimes we use social media for the purpose of the good of the people but sometimes it is used, nay, we foolishly use it for bad purposes. Especially, we – Chitralis – always use thing without knowing what will be the consequences. I don’t know whether we are innocent, foolish or ignorant people. We are the ambassadors of Chitral but sometimes we misuse it. Today one of our Chitrali friends posted something very controversial related to the girls, nay daughters of Chitral. By Chitral it means they are the sisters or daughters of any individual of Chitral. I don’t know how a student, someone educated, could do such a foolish thing with the honor of Chitral. The problem with the youth, nowadays, is we do not mind our own business. We interfere with the problems or issues of others. If we look within ourselves we can find how corrupt we ourselves are? We, being men, think that whatever we feel, whatever we think, whatever we act, and whatever we dictate is perfect. While what the women (the oppressed creature on earth) feel, think or act can’t be right, because they can’t think or they aren’t as intelligent as men are? What’s the point in it? Is it right? Does Islam teach us this? Are these the values taught us by Allah and His Prophet (PBUH) and our elders? Where we are going and where will this attitude lead us? Students, whether male or female, who come to university are mature people. They know what is right and what is wrong. If they do not understand the difference between right and wrong, it’s the fault of their parents or their schooling or the environment in which they have been brought up. I am not favoring anyone, any individual, nor am I against any boy or girl. The point is, no one has the authority to dictate anyone. Is it right, being a boy I can do anything – good or bad – because I am a boy. Being a boy I can drink, can make an affair with lots of girls, while a girl has to veil herself all the time, she can’t speak to anyone, BECAUSE she is a GIRL – an oppressed creature. Chitrali boys and girls studying in universities are the ambassadors of Chitral. They are in the institutions to represent our culture. It is our duty to represent our culture with honesty, dignity and loyalty. Some do it loyally while others fail to do so. But the point is: is it only the class of girls to be blamed? Why do we always make fuss over the issues related to girls? Boys too, involve in bad deeds, but, we never mention that. Why? Is it because girls are weak and boys are strong? I am not favoring girls or boys. The point is: We must think before we speak. In universities, it’s the class of boys, belonging to Chitral, who are involved in unethical deeds. When we come to university we forget our values. We start smoking. We become addicted to different kind of drugs. Our students start drinking alcohol and feel proud, saying it’s a part of our culture. And we try to represent our culture through cultural nights, but fail. Why? Because some of our friends try to represent our culture by drinking alcohol and they piss in front of the audience and thus it creates a mess and fight starts, so, we fail to represent our culture. While talking about things like these, I feel ashamed, because, being a boy—strong creature – we, the boys fail to represent our culture. But the girls, being the weaker ones, sometimes, do such things that a boy from Chitral can’t even imagine to do so. Being the stronger one, we have made a mindset that the only purpose of our life is to look for a chance to see the fault of a girl and make a fuss over it. But, if someone favors girls, and points out the fault of a boy, we would say: oh we are boys BUT they are girls. It’s our duty to protect them. Protection! Are we protecting them or are we making them prisoners or are we trying to show them our power and let them know how Boys are STRONGER than the girls? Ihtisham Ur Rehman is a student at the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI).]]>