Source: dailylahorepost

Much has been said (and done) about the Veena Malik-Bigg Boss controversy. Newspapers, online blogs as well as TV shows have cashed in on the public interest on this issue. The entire matter hit an international level after the appearance of Veena Malik on Express News’ show, “Front Line,” was put on the Internet. Malik appeared twice on the show–first to answer insults against a Muslim clergyman and then appeared along with Syed Noor and Attiqa Odho to discuss the same issue.

Although Malik can be seen defending herself in her country, it is important to note that she received criticism in India as well.

The bad boys of Shiv Sena, a far-right Indian political party that previously became infamous for threatening to boycott Shahrukh Khan’s movie, were on the scene yet again, this time demanding the Pakistani actress to be evicted from the house.

But this was not the only obstacle Malik had confronted. She endured what happens in almost all reality TV-shows: politics and drama. Footage can be found on the Internet with Malik being harassed, gossiped about and even shunned by some of the other contestants on the show. This seems like déjà vu, as a similar issue was seen in another reality TV show with an identical format that involved Bollywood actress, Shilpa Shetty. However, unlike Shetty, who got worldwide support as a result of Jade Goody’s comments on her, Veena Malik did not enjoy a similar feedback from her viewers.

Malik made a strong case for herself on both episodes of Front Line, arguing that she had not done anything worse than the other Pakistani stars that have gone to India. Malik is right to an extent and as any Pakistani who owns a television can tell us, Pakistan’s elite can be seen sporting the latest Versace and Chanel dresses on red carpets for events that vary from Halloween parties to restaurant openings. However, let us not be ignorant and say that western clothing is the root of all evil. Anyone who has ever had the misfortune of stumbling across a stage show while channel surfing can tell you that there are ways to act vulgar even without having to wear western clothes.

That being said, it was not this matter that was the hot topic of the controversy. Rather, it was about Malik’s interaction with a member of the opposite gender—Ashmit Patel.

Internet footage shows how the two have bonded over the course of the show and became good friends. Malik can be seen snuggling and pecking Patel, as well as making food for him and giving him head massages. Furthermore, Malik has been seen to drink on Ashmit’s birthday out of what looks a lot like a champagne bottle.

Personally speaking, I was very surprised to see the footage myself. After all, Malik went as an ambassador of Pakistan to the show. She knew that she was going to be judged as a “Pakistani.” How dare she behave so irresponsibly…right? Wrong. This is exactly where I do not concur with the entire craze that has been going around this issue. Although I understand the hype that has caused all this mess, and do not approve of some Malik’s decisions and actions on the show, I also know what Veena Malik was before she went on the show and quite frankly, I would have been more surprised had Malik not behaved the way she did.

Let us not forget Malik’s work in Lollywood before she chose to go to a different platform. Malik was not a clergywoman on the television, nor was she a symbol of chastity or a representative of the ideal Pakistani woman. She was and still is an entertainer. Despite belonging to a conservative Islamic society, Veena chose a field that is not known, in any way, to be the recruitment agency for priests but rather, a field that is called the entertainment industry. Think about that for a second: an industry dedicated to entertain its audience.  Malik said this herself in an interview that the Pakistani government had not sent her and that she, an individual, chose to go to India.

The thought that intrigues me is widely shared by many: in a country that has been plagued by terrorism, drone attacks, floods, earthquakes and unjust Islamic laws (am I missing anything?) we still choose to whine about a matter such as this one. Come on, Pakistan. I know that you have been given the opportunity to pick and choose your battles (literally); can’t you pick an issue that can help our nation with its immediate problems?

Veena is doing nothing she hasn’t done in Pakistan. Isn’t it just a tad bit naïve (or even delusional) of us to think that she would have turned around to become a holy nun just because she went on to a different platform? Granted, she could have thought about the consequences before she did some of the things she did (knowing that the cameras were rolling) but let’s face it—she didn’t. So are we going to keep on crying about this? Or can we just stop saying that she was the representative of Pakistan and move past this issue already? No? Okay, I kind of guessed that. We Pakistanis can’t get closure that easily…fine. How about we tackle some of the other issues our beloved Pakistani citizen had to endure and defend her on those grounds before we pull her aside to throw fatwas at her? How about the fact that she kept her composure and didn’t portray herself as a village idiot as some women did on that show? Or what about the fact that Pamela Anderson commended Veena’s humanitarian efforts? How about we denounce the people who castigated her on live television? Good or bad, she is a Pakistani. Her so-called incorrect portrayal of our country should not be reason for us to leave her fighting on both sides. She may not have the best judgment in the world but darn it, she’s a Pakistani. And I will claim her as a fellow citizen over some crazy security guard freak or even Mr. twenty-percent himself any day.

I am always fascinated by the way us Pakistanis pick and choose which men or women we want to award the “Pakistani” title or even the “Muslim” title to. Yes, we have that power, haven’t you heard? The most notable example that comes to mind is that of the Ahmadis . We Pakistanis will openly spit out words like “kaafir” or “non-Pakistani” to anyone who we don’t think portrays the Pakistani that the Quaid or Allama Iqbal envisioned. Quite honestly, if I were asked to describe the image of the average Pakistani, I couldn’t tell you. Not only do we have people of different tribes and cultures, but also we have people belonging to different social classes and mindsets. There is no perfect stencil of the average Pakistani and this is exactly the reason why we need to stop scrutinizing any Pakistani that gets the slightest bit of international coverage. Face it, guys; we can’t just pick and choose people we want to see in our country. Every family has a crazy cousin, an embarrassing aunt, a cranky uncle and a ill-behaved child. It’s about time we see our nation as one big family and, instead of castigating our family members, try to work with them without disowning any more Pakistanis. Now is not the time to point fingers and drive our people away from our country. We need as much help and dedication that we can get to steer our nation unto a path that does not lead to self-destruction. We have got to accept that some of the citizens of our nation are not going to be exactly what we would like—but then again, does any country get to choose that?

It is not the time to blame each other and be like scattered moths—that is exactly what our enemies want from us, who do not want to see Pakistan as a nation in the future. Growing up, I was taught that someone very important had once said, “united we stand, divided we fall,” perhaps you’ve heard of this person too?

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