I Should Have Honor: A Memoir of Hope and Pride in Pakistan

by Khalida Brohi

In fighting for women’s rights, we had forgotten to involve the women most impacted in the change-making process. Our method of activism, to insult the cultural values of our tribes, had been wrong. So they got angry at us, defending their identities and the only world they had ever known.

One thing I knew: globalization was becoming a hot topic of discussion among the tribal cultures, even if they did not understand it as such. They could see that tribes were losing their unique identities and that everyone was beginning to look the same. Once I asked my father what globalization was. He looked at me thoughtfully and said, “It means we will all wear jeans and eat hamburgers.”

As exciting as my travels in America had been, the hectic nature of American life struck me as slightly hollow, almost lonely.