Biography of a perpetual immigrant
I spent my childhood life and teenage dreaming about UK. I come from a small village in Pakistan, where life was limited and basic. We were poor yet happy. I did not understand politics in Pakistan or UK. I was born in the year when Popular leader prime minister Zulfikar Bhutto was hanged by military dictator Zia in a military Coup, same year Russian forces occupied Afghanistan, later in life these two events helped explain a lot of politics for me, like most of Pakistanis born in dictatorship my childhood was being fearful of zia and yet fascinated by his proclaimations of his brand of Islamisation, which turned out to be nightmarish for large population of poor, but the islamisation did not effect the military and land lord elite of country.
A country of broken dreams My escapism was UK through my day dreaming, thanks largely to my Cousin frequent visits from North of England, his accent, his music , videos helped me improve my English and politics, I became aware of human rights, class struggle, apartheid ,racial discrimination, etc etc.In my naïve utopia UK was the heaven on earth, I aspired to become a equal citizen of the first world. with its democracy and individual rights blah blah…..
By luck or otherwise I was able to escape in reality and arrived in London to see New labour Tony bliar come to power with lots of hopes, and stars in eyes.UK opened its arms to me where I found my first paid job as a checkout operator, little by little I became political ,intellectual debates began to have meaning and make more sense, but with its racism London closed other doors, with time euphoria evaporated and harsh reality took hold.
But general populace in UK still lives the utopia of tripartide politics, the gap between the elite political leadership and common people is enormous. The elite leaders like bliar, Cameron and mark oaten(rentaboy) seem to be in a cocoon of space ships, speak a language and mannerism so alien to commoners ,very far away from reality.
I happen to be a foreigner or more precisely “ Muslim”. UK or Bliar and Co cannot deal with these”” inverted commas community, and do little to integrate them in society, their half baked half hearted hypocritical measures alienate more and more foreigners in our midst .islam is the second religion in UK, yet British establishment cannot speak intelligently to its 2 million plus muslims it calls us all “muslim community”, as if there was one monolithic block of people, stereo typed and boxed in labels modern liberal or orthodox. etc. UK is on cross roads on economic fronts, it needs cheap labour and immigrants to fuel future growth, but each attempt it make is copying xenophobic racist neo con lobbyists of Republican party and Bush & Co USA. Tony bliar is a lame duck frightened of change.Society is divided in two distinct classes rich and forgotten living in council estates and majority of poor nighbour hoods of coloured people , falling house prices , lack of jobs and opportunities if you are on wrong side of divide, xenophobia, racism and islamphobia becoming more acceptable and norm in the society.That’s the country of broken dreams , disillusionments, liberty and freedom, terrorism stately or otherwise what is our future bliar, Cameron and oaten…..and Blood sucking Dracula nick griffin
I still donot know the answerThere shall be love!!!
dilnawaz