This article has a few good points. He is correct in pointing out where the "eastern" cultures have identified the importance of spirituality and family life. His understanding of why Christian enlightenment went on overdrive is also very informative. But he loses it when he start stereotyping people based on hemispheres.
For one, he seems to have seen a few cities in the west and generalized it for the entire country. People in the small towns of US (especially the southern Bible belt) are extremely religious and conservative. They have family values just as strong as ours. Their marriages are "arranged" within family friends and at church meetings. Imran might be glad to know of the existence of Mormons in Utah and the pacific north west. Their (retrograde) practices are pretty aligned with beliefs in our part of the world.
The shocker was his take on the theory of evolution. I wonder if Imran believes the earth is only 5000 years old and that god "put dinosaur bones" on earth to test our faith. It might also to worthwhile to ask him if the earth revolves around the sun or if he believes vice-versa.
He then resorts to typical rhetoric of "ours better than theirs" by trash talking concepts of freedom of religion, freedom of choice, equality of mankind and such. I love the dialog from Swades where SRK says we always use phrases like "Hamari Sanskriti" to gloss over our inadequacies as a nation like lack of professionalism, aimless politicians, corruption and social intolerance. That argument extends to all people who have the literal "holier-than-thou" attitude. The first concept of all religions is to not judge, or have an ego based on your level of religious belief. Imran seems to miss this fact, and I believe most subcontinental people fall into this trap.
The culture of the west is theirs and it their right to live by it. We have chosen faith, religious sayings and holy books to shape our cultures, while they have chosen reason, logic and hard evidence for theirs. I don't think we have an opinion on one being better than the other. To each his own.
For one, he seems to have seen a few cities in the west and generalized it for the entire country. People in the small towns of US (especially the southern Bible belt) are extremely religious and conservative. They have family values just as strong as ours. Their marriages are "arranged" within family friends and at church meetings. Imran might be glad to know of the existence of Mormons in Utah and the pacific north west. Their (retrograde) practices are pretty aligned with beliefs in our part of the world.
The shocker was his take on the theory of evolution. I wonder if Imran believes the earth is only 5000 years old and that god "put dinosaur bones" on earth to test our faith. It might also to worthwhile to ask him if the earth revolves around the sun or if he believes vice-versa.
He then resorts to typical rhetoric of "ours better than theirs" by trash talking concepts of freedom of religion, freedom of choice, equality of mankind and such. I love the dialog from Swades where SRK says we always use phrases like "Hamari Sanskriti" to gloss over our inadequacies as a nation like lack of professionalism, aimless politicians, corruption and social intolerance. That argument extends to all people who have the literal "holier-than-thou" attitude. The first concept of all religions is to not judge, or have an ego based on your level of religious belief. Imran seems to miss this fact, and I believe most subcontinental people fall into this trap.
The culture of the west is theirs and it their right to live by it. We have chosen faith, religious sayings and holy books to shape our cultures, while they have chosen reason, logic and hard evidence for theirs. I don't think we have an opinion on one being better than the other. To each his own.
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