Sorry…those are for men
Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal had a front page story about the fledgling class of entrepreneurs in Pakistan trying to reconcile modernity and religiosity. Sometimes orthodoxy has to be turned on its head. Here is a short blurb from the article:
A new class of entrepreneurs is emerging who, in small but significant ways, have challenged the religious orthodoxy. They provide a stark counterpoint to the rising Islamic radicalism that the U.S. and others view as a threat to Pakistan’s position as a staunch Western ally. And with many importing ideas from abroad, they are contributing to Pakistan’s 21st-century search for itself.
“Can you be modern and Muslim? How is Pakistan going to link into the global economy?” asks Ali Cheema, an economics professor at Lahore University of Management Sciences, who has researched Pakistan’s entrepreneurs. “These people are posing important questions.”
By sheer demographic weight, the younger generation will determine Pakistan’s direction. Of its 160 million people, 100 million are under the age of 25. Many are rural, poor and unprepared for a role in the global economy. But fast economic growth has also drawn more men and women to the cities, propelling some up the income ladder through education and new jobs.
On a recent summer afternoon, clerics from a Muslim seminary here walked across the street to a new boutique, which purports to be the first couture store in Islamabad. The bearded men, clad in white cotton tunics and trousers, were patrolling the neighborhood for signs of moral laxity. Upon entering the store, they walked over to a rack of slinky shirts.
“Our women don’t wear such clothes,” declared one of the visitors.
“You’re right,” replied Yasser Anees, the boutique’s 26-year-old co-owner. “Those are for men.” The patrol soon departed.