Behind the Chairman’s Door

What have I done? About 2 weeks ago, I started a harsh look at my home country of Pakistan. No holds barred. Take no prisoners. I got a lot of emails, phone calls and comments about the postings and the discussion that I had started. Now, when I started this series, I knew that I would get a lot of negative reaction to what I had to say, and I was not disappointed. Over the past week, while writing the final installment of the “I Don’t Wear Glasses… Rose Colored or Otherwise,” I was insulted, degraded and told that I am wasting my time with “a people that not only don’t want to change, but can’t do it anyway.” Some even said that the points were trivial and too general to me personally to be taken on a national level. I just wanted to say one thing to all of you doubters:

Thank you for giving me another reason to take this another step further.

As a result, we have started “Take Back Pakistan,” a citizen’s-only initiative to change Pakistan for the better by doing the things that we, as citizens, can do, without government intervention and financial support.

We would like to have ALL Pakistanis join and contribute with their ideas, thoughts and suggestions on how we, as individuals, can change this nation.

Each of the items that I have discussed in my posts will become action items on the Take Back Pakistan website, with a clear analysis of the problem, economic and social effects. Most importantly, it will have simple steps that you can do BY YOURSELF to change your mindset, start to change a nation. Take Back Pakistan is not about protests, rallies, or membership fees.

It’s about us, the citizens of Pakistan, and how we can effect change in our home country by doing something, rather than waiting for the government to do it for us.

It should be clear that this is not a “rant-and-rave” website to complain about the government, political parties and other things that have caused the problems that we face.

This is about taking the conversation out of the drawing room and doing something about it, without protests, rallies and public speeches.

Again, I can’t stress this enough.. the direction of this mobilization and initiative is with you.

I can’t make anyone do anything… only you can decide to take part and make change.

In terms of awareness and letting people know, please tell everyone about Take Back Pakistan. We need Pakistanis to take charge and bring the pride back home! I have already started talking to friends and associates around the globe about this and am seeing a fantastic response from everyone, minus the few that say “Pakistan can never change.”

“The Bill of No-Rights” was written by Lewis Napper, a Libertarian candidate for the United States Senate, and can be found here, as a response to American’s “true rights were eroded, always in the name of giving everyone some new imaginary ‘right,” during the Clinton Administration.

This “Bill of No Rights” garnered over 30,000 signatures, was read by millions globally as a “do-it-yourself” position for everyone.

What I have done is modify it to fit Pakistan and give us a framework for the Manifesto for Take Back Pakistan. Some things that I need to clarify before you start reading:

The Draft Manifesto for Take Back Pakistan

“We the sensible people of the Pakistan, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior, and secure the blessings of debt free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, delusional, and other liberal bed-wetters.

We hold these truths to be self evident:

I do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any other form of wealth gained. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.

I do not have the right to never be offended. Pakistan is based on freedom and that means freedom for everyone — not just me! I may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc.; but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.

I do not have the right to be free from harm. If I behave like a thug, flaunt my wealth and make others feel lower than me, it is pure stupidity to think that I will continue to be safe.

I do not have the right to free food and housing. We are quickly growing weary of tolerating generation after generation of professional elitists who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional elitists.

I do not have the right to tell you how to practice Islam. We may both pray in the same mosque & read the same Holy Quran; Allah gave everyone a brain to reason out what is and is not Islamic. I don’t need to “educate” you on morality; rather you need me to practice what I preach (for once).

I do not have the right to physically harm other people. If I kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don’t be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.

I do not have the right to the possessions of others. If I rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don’t be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won’t have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.

I do not have the right to a job without merit. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful, not using Dad’s connections to get a job that I think I deserve

I do not have the right to happiness at any cost. See articles above for definitions of “any cost.”

This is an Urdu speaking country. We don’t care where you are from, Urdu is our language. Learn it or go back to wherever you came from. This includes our domestic Pakistanis that would like to make regional languages more prominent than our national language.

I do not have the right to change our country’s history or heritage. This country was founded on the belief in one true God and his Prophet. And yet, I am given the freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, or no faith at all; with no fear of persecution. The phrase Allah -U-AKBAR is part of our heritage and history, and if you are uncomfortable with it, TOUGH!!!!

I do not have the right to judge others, regardless of what family, region or background I come from. Just because I received advantages due to finances doesn’t allow me to stand, sit or kneel in judgment of anyone.

I do not have the right to disrespect Pakistan. Many have come before me that have given their lives to give us the country that we have; what we made of it is our own fault. If you can’t be respectful of my home country, LEAVE! There are 180 other countries that will be more than happy to judge you on the color of your skin and the religion you practice. I believe that Israel is looking for more bigots.

I do not have the right to pass the responsibility of raising, educating and training my children to anyone. They are my responsibility, not the state’s, not the private school’s, not the tuition instructor’s, and never the mullah’s.

I do not have the right to demand that your children risk their lives in so-called “jihads” to soothe my aching conscience of a “religious leader.” We hate oppressive governments and we hate religocrats, as they are one and the same.

I do not have the right to blame the government or anyone else, until I have done my part as a citizen of this nation. As long as I am part of the problem, it can never be solved.

I will not follow political leaders that scream for democracy in Pakistan without instilling the same democracy in their own political parties. “Lifetime” doesn’t exist in the democratic dictionary.

I will not tolerate, support or follow any religious leader that demand Shariah or Islam by stick or armed rebellion.

I do not have the right to break the laws. Just because the police are corrupt does not mean that we are stupid.

I will treat our national symbols with respect. Our flag does not touch the ground. Our flag will not be burned. Our flag is our Flag!

I will stop paying bribes to any government or public servant and demand that they change or get out. Each and every rupee that I give in bribes and gifts; it is another reason why Pakistan is still corrupt.

I will learn that there is dignity in work, regardless of the type of work. Everyone has a family and dreams; stop trampling on them!

I will stop participating in foolish protests about stupid things while the White Elephant is left untouched.

I will demand that the media is independent & free, but, in the same respect, I will demand that the media actually give us the story without providing a soapbox for “blind critics” that forget what their governments did while in power.

I will not be socially irresponsible. Trash does not belong in the streets, the sewers or empty residential lots. Education means civility, not stupidity.

I will stop allowing Pakistani companies to provide 3rd rate products and services to our citizens, while looting us for everything that we earn.

I will demand accountability for all, regardless of status, position or wealth. The laws apply to us all equally.

I will cooperate with government initiatives to stop crime, violence and injustice, even if it inconveniences me personally.

I will stop paying street beggars. This does not count as Zakat and only encourages the Beggar’s Mafia to expand, kidnap and maim more people.

I will take the time to teach my family, nuclear and extended, values and more importantly, I will live these values as an example that it can be done.

I will not treat the women of my family as property. Women have rights in society, law and religion and I do not have the right to question why they have so many, only why they don’t have more.

I will stop indulging my children and teach them the value of money. If we are made to work from a young age (I had chores as a child in the US), many values are ingrained by the time they become an active part of society.

I fully understand that absolution of sins is ONLY Allah ’s domain. No matter how much I give, how many mosques I build, or time I perform Hajj/Umrah, this fact doesn’t change. If you have been a bad person, no amount of money can buy you absolution.

I will learn to become an example of what it means to be a Proud Pakistani and only then can I hope that the opinion of the world will change about our home country.

There is no check and balance for how you follow this Manifesto. This is up to you and you alone to make the difference. Start with yourself, then your family.

Tell everyone! Encourage everyone! It’s time that we Pakistanis took back our homeland and made it into what we are proud of.

The best way to implement this manifesto is to take one point at a time and as it becomes habit, select another point. We are not expecting this to happen overnight, in a month, or in a year. This is a long term process that needs to start and continue from the citizens level to achieve any success.

Can this be done? Yeah, I firmly believe that there are a few Pakistanis out there that want to make a difference but don’t want to join politics or behave like an idiot. Let Take Back Pakistan be a silent revolution in our own homes to bring Pakistan out of the darkness of 60 years of mistreatment by everyone. We are the educated of the country and if we can change, then the whole country can change.