Adil Najam
PIA print advertisement from the 1960s (Originally uploaded by PakPositive.com which is a blog that highlights the positives aspects of Pakistan).
Let me continue with the ‘Image Pakistan’ theme in choosing the picture for today. I find this advert for PIA absolutely fascinating; both for what it says about how PIA (Pakistan International Airlines) saw itself and how it saw Pakistan (or wanted Pakistan to be seen).
Was this the reality of Pakistan before theso-called ‘darhi wallahs’ took center stage? Or was this ‘image’ of Pakistan as much out-of-sync with the reality of what was Pakistan then, as the image of the bearded-gun-totting-bomb- throwing-jihadi-Pakistani is today?
Speaking of ‘image’ and ‘brand’ the Association of Pakistani Professionals (AOPP) has recently launched an initiative on the subject and held a thoughtful and thought-provoking event on he subject in New York on June 3. I was asked to moderate part of the program, and found the discussion to be mature, reasoned and reasonable–something we should have more of.
Fascinating. Having been raised under Zia, I couldn’t imagine this coming out of Pakistan.
Needless to say, am highly ambivalent about the use of women’s bodies – still, it is an interesting sign of those times.
Back after a while. Good to see you guys are growing and doing well. This picture seems to have become icon and symbol for this site. It is striking. I do not think this is real Pakistan. But there are many Pakistans and all types should exist together. WHy should this version replace other. Or any other version replace this.
[quote post=”96″]ignorance[/quote]
Yes it’s really ignorance when one mix polyethism with monotheism and assert on a statment. The topic was about PIA and it was converted into to pagans and Islam and gods. I wouldn’t say further to make this topic further off the topic. That was my mistake that I had forgotten that you were same person who once was giving me lecture about secularism on other thread by equating it with a religion.
“Where ignorance is bliss, it’s folly to be wise”
[quote post=”96″]The pagans of Arabia had several gods and godesses like Al-Laat, Al-Uzza, Al-Manaat etc. but the high God was called Allah,[/quote]
Please don’t pollute and degrade my statment by injecting your own thoughts which you would have learnt from websites like this
The name you mentioned were idols of pagans and they NEVER used to believe in any god which was named ‘Allah’. I hope you are not one of those who believe in theory that Allah was old crescent god. Allah, Almanaat and others were not same anyway because those pagans didn’t used to believe in monotheism and ‘Allah’ is pure monothestic unlike pagans who used to worship several gods.
The term Allah is more closely related with old Hebrew terms ‘Elah’ or ‘Elohim’ or “Eli” in greek which was found in greek version of Mathew. I never said and believed that pagans’ gods and muslim/jews/chrisitan’ GOD were same and I was definately talking about those other Abrahamic religions but not idiol worshipping.