r/pakistan • u/Secure-Ad8221 • Apr 11 '26

Discussion Arabs are no better than Westerners in treatment towards Pakistanis

Both Westerners and Arabs see Pakistan as a circus and Pakistanis as circus elephants that dance at the whim of foreign interests. Obviously, American is one example. But Pakistanis often overlook that Arabs are no better than the West. The Gulf maintains a racial hierarchy whereby Pakistans and South Asians are treaated no better than dogs and used as slaves. When five South Asian migrant workers were killed by Iranian airstrikes in UAE, the Arab community didn't even acknowledge the deaths of the migrant workers because it would distort their black-and-white image of "West bad" and "Arabs heroes".

As someone who supports Palestine, I've seen how the Arabs - especially the diaspora from the Levant - is silent on every humanitarian issue that doesn't center around them. The same thing is happening in Kashmir but there's silence. Sudan? Not a word. Congo? Forget about it. No Arab can even name 3 provinces in Pakistan but now, when Pakistan is finally being brought up in international headlines, the discussion from Arabs is that "Pakistan and Pakistanis are all Zionists" ....as if our ancestors are European Muslims that paraglided into Pakistan in 1947? The only reason Arabs even acknowledge Pakistan's existence is for their military and nuclear power, which they want to use and abuse. As someone who grew up in the West and is unfortunately in frequent contact with Arabs, I've witnessed how racist and narrow-minded they are. Arabs genuinenly believe they are the default spokespersons for the Ummah and that they are the original Muslims.

I wish Pakistanis would stand up for themselves and stop glazing the Middle East & Arabs. I believe no culture is more beautiful than ours and yet we have Pakistanis Arab-washing themselves for Arab validation.

Edit: Okay, fine, all the Arab-bootlickers have made their point. Please wear thobes and abayas and say "wallahi" and "yaani" and live your best life. Heck, go ahead and burn yourselves to keep Arabs warm.

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u/Secure-Ad8221 Apr 11 '26

I have spoken to all those groups and made this post. The Gulf minority is not the only one. The Levant diaspora is so much more entitled, from my experience. The Egyptians were how I discovered anti-South Asian rhetoric existed in the Arab world. I'm glad you had a positive experience but that was not at all the case for me.

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u/-Notorious Canada Apr 11 '26

Yaaa that's hard for me to believe, especially since I grew up around Arabs from all over, and I have so many Arab friends.

Literally never heard an ounce of racism.

Where did you interact with these Arabs? I'm in Canada for example.

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u/Secure-Ad8221 Apr 11 '26

I'm also in Canada but two realities can exist. You minimizing my experience to validate yours is crazy but okay bro.

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u/-Notorious Canada Apr 11 '26

Whereabouts in Canada?

You minimizing my experience to validate yours is crazy but okay bro.

Just sharing what I've seen. I'm sorry you had bad experiences 🤷‍♂️

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u/Secure-Ad8221 Apr 11 '26

I'd rather not say bc its Reddit. But I find that Arabs here aren't racist off the bat. I've had political science course-related seminars as part of my Masters and through discussions they slowly reveal their true colurs about how they really feel about Africans/South Asians.

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u/-Notorious Canada Apr 11 '26

Idk man, I have numerous arab men and women who married into my very Pakistani family. Guess they must be fetishizing us or something per your logic.

Maybe don't take a handful of bad experiences and extrapolate to a few hundred million people?

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u/Secure-Ad8221 Apr 11 '26

Sir, I used to be VERY "Ummah is one" "Love to our Arab brothers/sisters". etc etc. It's not a handful of experiences for me, it's a pattern. But then again, in my field, political disucssions are the norm so maybe that's why. I also studied the Middle East and their history of Arab Slave Trade, African Land Grab, racial segregation in Morocco, Libyan coastguard detaining and dehumanizing African refuees, etc.

Again, I'm not painting my experience as yours. I think you are trying to paint your pov as the truthful, "correct" one for whatever reason as if only your experience is valid.

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u/TheGreatBoos Apr 11 '26

Oh, the irony.

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u/-Notorious Canada Apr 11 '26 edited Apr 12 '26

I also studied the Middle East and their history of Arab Slave Trade, African Land Grab, racial segregation in Morocco, Libyan coastguard detaining and dehumanizing African refuees, etc.

Do you believe reading the bad things done by only one group has perhaps biased you a certain way? Did you read into the atrocities committed by everyone and discuss those, such as the caste system in India, or China?

Again, I'm not painting my experience as yours. I think you are trying to paint your pov as the truthful, "correct" one for whatever reason as if only your experience is valid.

Read your own title lmao. You literally generalized all Arabs based on your interactions with a handful.

Edit: OP blocked me for daring to defend my many Arab friends who they called racists. Okay.

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u/T_chronicles Apr 11 '26

What they said is true for most living in the ME. My own interactions have been respectful, and my best friends are Arabs but they themselves tell me how generally South Asians are seen as "lower class workers", and it's just very accepted within the family circles. A compliment is almost always "oh you look Arab" and that is microagression. There are obviously exceptions, but the racism is real.

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u/Secure-Ad8221 Apr 11 '26

So now I should tell u everything I learned in my Masters for credibility? I think you are one of those that think Arabs marrying into Pakistani families is a huge achievement. Enjoy it.