From: sherwani@sol.cs.wmich.edu (Naveed Sherwani)
Subject: Re: Awami Disco Party - a Statement on Naveed Shervani's behalf
Summary: USA allows you freedom of speech AND freedom of thought
Organization: Western Michigan Univ. Comp. Sci. Dept.
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 18:59:06 GMT

In article <1992Oct14.201430.19278@tamsun.tamu.edu>, gagrawal@cs.tamu.edu (Gopal Agrawal) writes:
> In article <1992Oct14.034125.3263@sol.cs.wmich.edu> sherwani@sol.cs.wmich.edu (Naveed Sherwani) writes:
> >
> > I guess I never learned how to question when I was in Pakistan. I give credit
> 								^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > of this type of thinking to american education system. I am very happy that I 
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> >have learned to question my beliefs and my ideas. How to teach others this
> >method of questioning is one of the greatest challenges in my teaching career. 
> >I hope my students will not blindly follow what I will tell them, but question,
> >test it and follow it as long as they think it is correct. This is the only 
> >way they may find new ideas.
> >
> >-Naveed
> 
> While not disparaging your ability to question, I seriously doubt
> that this ability has been introduced in you because of American 
> educational system. If that was the case then we wouldn't have 
> netters (who have also been studying for some time in US) issuing 
> fatwas, and refusing to accept new concepts.  Even in US, a lot 
> of Americans have extrememly conservative outlooks. It most probably 
> was the environment in which you were brought up.  If you have lived 
> in a very conservative environment even after you have crossed 
> adoloscence, then I believe that such a person can never be taught
> to be receptive to new ideas or rational logic.  
> 

In NED, I was a member of Progressive Students Front (PSF). Which
included (at that time), all religions. We had party members, who
were communists, then we had some socialists, and we also had some
muslims. I categorized myself as a left-wing liberal. In PSF, many
times, our discussion would focus on questions on Islam and why it
is unfair to have a state supported religion, but that was not debated
at any great length. It was like discussion under hush-hush environment.
Still, it was not possible to discuss it outside NED. It was quite
clear (from reactions of some of my cousins) that I may endanger
my life, if I asked some serious questions about validity of claims
in Islam. This combined with the pressure to get positions and do well
in NED left little time for pursuing these serious questions.

> However, if you have lived in a more liberal environment, then that 
> ability to question may have been introduced, but not necessarily 
> enjoyed the freedom to practise it. I am sure you must have asked 
> such questions several times to yourself in pakistan too but were
> afraid to speak out against the establishment. The only credit that 
> US can be given is that we enjoy the freedom to voice our skepticism. 
> 

Gopal, I agree with you. This environment allowed to me to
speak against the establishment. But I dis-agree with you that this is
the only contribution it made, (if that is what you implied). I think
enviroment here has allowed me to think, read, and  debate the issues without
the restrictions of Islam or Pakistan. Which has led to more involved
issues. In other words, it is not just a matter of freedom to expression, 
this environment has also encouraged me to think more openly as
well.

The first thing that struck me, when I arrived in USA, was the availability
of all kinds of literature. For the first time, I could make up my own
mind by reading it first hand. I use to spend days after days in Love
library (in Nebraska). I read books, which nobody had checked out since
1935. It become clear to me that Pakistanis are told stories about
our independence, separation of Bangladesh, Islam and many other topics.
I came to realize that most of the stuff doled out in Pakistan is not
half-true, some of it is plain and simple FALSE.

Thus there are two aspects in USA, which are as important as 
freedom of speech: Freedom of thought and free access to information.

Freedom of thought is not possible without free access of information, 
so in fact these two aspects are really one.

regards,

-Naveed
Newsgroups: soc.culture.pakistan