Zahra Khozema reflects on her childhood experiences of nationalism in Pakistan, where she participated in chants against India without fully understanding their implications. She describes how tensions between India and Pakistan peak during cricket matches or negative portrayals in Bollywood. A recent militant attack in Kashmir has escalated these tensions, making them particularly dangerous given both countries are nuclear powers. As conflict simmers, Khozema faces the complexities of her current Canadian life, feeling the effects of rising anti-South Asian sentiment and pressure to represent her heritage in conversations about the conflict.
War is always devastating, but what makes hostility in this region worse is that India and Pakistan are both nuclear powers. Despite a fragile ceasefire, tensions remain high.
Nationalism like this always would typically peak in Pakistan during cricket matches with our neighbour or when a new Bollywood movie, yet again, portrayed Muslims and Pakistanis as a bloodthirsty villain.
#nationalism #india-pakistan-conflict #cultural-identity #nuclear-powers #anti-south-asian-sentiment
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