Pakistan: A Nation Divided

Which is its location? What countries does it border with?
Pakistan is located in Eastern Asia. It borders India, China, Afghanistan, and Iran.
What does the geography say about the country?
To the North there are the Himalayas and to the south there is a dessert. The climate varies from cold winters and hot summers to the North, and mild climate to the South.
What is the dominant religion? Which other exist?
The major religion is Islamism while there is also Hinduism, Christianity, Parsi, Buddhist, and others.
What are the different ethnic groups?
Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun, Baloch, Muhajir
Which ones are the main customs and traditions?
Pakistan has a rich cultural and ethnic background going back to the Indus Valley Civilization. There are differences in culture among the different ethnic groups in matters such as dress, food, and religion, especially where Pre Islamic customs differ from Islamic practices. However, over 60 years of integration, a distinctive "Pakistani" culture has sprung up especially in the urban areas. Education is highly regarded by members of every socio-economic stratum. The traditional family values are highly respected and considered sacred.



















How is this his life different from yours?
The greatest difference is the religion. The problem comes when he is living in a society in which he is the only one, while in my society everyone is like me or almost like me.He has rules to follow as well as I do, He goes to school as well as I do, etc.


Which custom caught your attention?


He can´t eat Starbursts.


How does his religion affect his way of acting?


He has to stop doing many things to follow the rules stated by the Koran, which is the book of the Islamic religion. He cannot eat pork nor things that contain enzymes that come from pork, he cannot drink alcohol, he cannot do a lot of stuff involving girls; so he acts according to it.

Name: Borat

Age: 15

Religion: Sunni Muslim

Ethnic Group: Pashtun

How often do you go to a religuous service? Where? Waht happens there?

I go to a religious service every Friday which is the sacred day and we call it Jumu'ah. We go to the mosque just after noon and it begins with the call to prayer the muezin makes; then the adhan, which marks the beginning of jumu'ah. Once the khaṭīb has given his speech, he concludes with a du'a, which then leads the muadhin to make the iqama which is followed by the two rak'at prayer.

Do you know anyone of a different religion? How do you get along?

Yes I know some people from different religions. In the area where I live, most of the population is muslim but I rarely find a buddhist or a hindu sometimes. When I someone of another religion, I just keep doing what I am doing. It is like seeing any muslim pass by.

Do boys and girls hang out socially? Do you go to parties?

All our celebrations are in families. We go to weddings that can last over three days, but I don not go to parties with friens because my religion prohibbits that.

How many people live in your house? How do you interact?

5 people live in my house. my parents, my sister and my brother. We interact a lot, as in our religion and traditions family is basic for education.

Who goes to school in your family?

In my family my brother and I go to school. My sister doesn´t go, but many girls do.

How do you dress?

I dress with clothes that cover from my knee to my navel, if I don't it is against my religion.

Which ones are your daily chores?

My daily chores are to go to school, go to my home and be with my family, because of my ethnic group. I also have to say the daily prayers to Allah.

What does it mean to be belong to your ethnic group?

To be a Pashtun doesn't mean just to live in a place with people like us, besides following the rules of our religion we are also born with the Pashtunwali code in our education. It is a code of hospitality and freedom of our ethnic group, to be part of us you need to be like the code.

Where are your relatives from?

My relatives are from Pakistan and some from Afghanistan. We are all Pashtuns and we get to see each other once in a while.

Do you hang out with people of other ethnicities? How do you get along?

I don´t hang out with people of other ethnicities, as here in my village only Pashtun people live. I do not know a lot of people from other ethnicities, but we get along well if they treat us well and are our friends.

Do you have to marry someone of your same ethnicity?

I do not have to marry someone of my ethnicity, but I am almost sure that I will.

Describe a typical tradition.

The most important date for us the Pashtun people is the Ramadan, which is a Muslim festivity, and because the great majority of us are Muslim we celebrate that and is the most important date in which families get together.