Understanding Pakistan: Cultural Event

Last week was International Education week and one of the events I went to was “Understanding Pakistan”. It was a very interesting discussion. The speaker was Mahan Mirza who is a professor hear at Chico State from the department of religious studies. The speech took place last Tuesday, April 29^th in Holt 170.

Professor Mirza talked a little bit about the terrain. When I think of Pakistan and what it is like I think hot and arid terrain, but come to find out there are a few key rivers, there are mountainous areas that even get some snow. I thought this was very interesting because I had no idea that Pakistan was so diverse in its geography.

Professor Mirza talked about things like the type of place Pakistan was, a little bit about the history and politics. He talked about how Pakistan is a very religious based place and how religion affects everything from a person’s daily life to the way the government is run. Their laws are called the Shariat and these laws are based on Islamic law. So their way of living in society is based on religious beliefs. Another key player in the way of politics and people’s lives are the Pakistani military. They have been an influence in the government for a long time.

In conclusion I thought the speech was very informational. I learned a lot about a country that I see all the time in the news and media, but I guess I know little about.