THE CULTURE OF PAKISTAN

THE CULTURE OF PAKISTAN: TEN THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW

By Kristal Read

You’ve probably heard of Pakistan, but how much do you really know about the South Asian country? Chances are, not a lot. What people don’t know is that Pakistan is a staple in Asian culture - with delicious food, colourful festivals and inspiring faith.

Pakistan is the fi fth-most populated country in the world, with a population of almost 242 million people. It has the world’s second-largest Muslim population. Pakistanis all over the world often face the dilemma of explaining what their culture really entails, thanks to years of news-media exaggeration and agenda-setting. Let’s clear a few things up.

1. FOOD Food is very important in Pakistan culture. Pork is forbidden under Islamic tenets, so the animal proteins of choice are lamb, mutton, chicken, beef, and fi sh but there is a wide and delicious variety of vegetarian foods which often are more popular than the meat dishes. Food ties in with family time and celebrations, making it an important part of culture. 2. DIVERSITY Pakistan is home to multiple ethnicities based on region, religion, language, and culture. A few of the existing ethnicities include Baloch, Brahui, Sindhi, Punjabi, Muhajir, Saraiki, Memon, Kalashi, Balti, Wakhi, Afghani, Kashmiri, and Hindkowan.

3. RELIGION Pakistan is an Islamic Republic, meaning Islam is the offi cial religion and laws are written to be consistent with its teachings. The state religion is central to daily life in Pakistan; Mosques are located in almost every neighbourhood and the call to prayer is heard throughout urban areas fi ve times a day.

4. LANGUAGES The official number of languages actively spoken in Pakistan is between 73 and 76. While Urdu is the most widely spoken, within hours of travel between the country’s districts you could be hearing multiple languages and dialects.

5. WEDDINGS No matter the religion, weddings are a big deal in Pakistan. The celebrations usually start with a day dedicated to henna application, followed by a musical night and a night of traditional rituals to bless the couple. Then, there are receptions that last two days, thrown by the bride and groom’s side of the family.

6. FAMILY Family comes first in Pakistan due to religious, cultural, economic and societal values. Families are often brought together by marriage and nonblood relatives quickly become just as important as those from birth.

7. SPORTS Pakistan is famous for cricket. The sport may have been introduced to Pakistan by the British, but today, the country has not only made its own but has also raised one of the world’s best cricket teams.

8. TEA Pakistan is the third-largest importer of tea, although some tea is grown locally too. Pakistanis make their tea strong and sweet in either milk or diluted milk depending on their preference. Sometimes cardamom and other spices are added to tea on special occasions. Chai is a popular beverage in Pakistan and can be found in most Asian supermarkets and restaurants in the UK too! 9. POETRY Sufi poetry is widely read in Pakistan. Sufis show their devotion through many means like dance, poetry, whirling, meditation, etc. Some of the country’s most spiritually advanced and unifying messages of love are found in Sufi poetry.

10. CLOTHING The national dress in Pakistan is shalwar kameez (pronounced shalvar-ka-meeze) and is worn by men and women. Shalwar kameez refers to loose trousers and shirts. Wearing this attire is great for hot weather as the material is light and breathable. Each region has its own twist on the shalwar kameez, with many examples being brightly coloured and patterned.

VIEWS ON VIDEO GAMES:

VIOLENCE OR SURVIVAL?

Some video games are made out to be violent games that infl uence the behaviour of the player, but can survival games actually teach you how to survive in a real-world situation?

Surreal games - Can they be applied to the real world?

Games such as “Call of Duty” are mainly based around war and fi ghting with other people, which could be good to learn some tactics. However, most of the Call of Duty games are based in the future with more advanced technology, which is far from what we have in the real world. Some parents tend to see it as a game that could infl uence violence in their children and refuse to let them play most games, even though some can teach good survival techniques. Games based around the genre of survival could actually be applied to real-world situations, “Stranded Deep” is a good example of an educational game. The story is based on a plane crash only you have survived, you are then taught how to maintain your health and hunger, while also learning how to create a shelter to survive until you are saved. It teaches you to hunt and cook food to stay alive, and how to boil seawater to make it drinkable.

There are many different arguments about games. One being, how they can potentially infl uence bad behaviour, in contrast to the suggestion that they teach you life skills which could help in the real world. Not everyone can be convinced that some video games could actually be good for you, but you can’t view them all the same. Why not give some a chance?

By Rebecca Brown