I had spent the better part of two days meticulously editing music. I needed a bit of a break. I spoke to my wife in India. She asked if I had read the news. I had not. I checked and after a bit of searching, read about an attack on a police station in Gurdaspur, Punjab in India. As always it is saddening and frustrating to read about violence anywhere and particularly near the Pakistan and India border.On top of that there is a lot of fear that I have to dissuade. My wife’s relatives tell her all the reasons why she should not go to Pakistan and to not call on the phone any more. Then, here in Pakistan is the other side of things. There are bigoted ideas flying around on both sides. It drives me mad. I feel like we play into these ideas of people of different religions and countries having particular human characteristics or flaws. I have not found it to be that way, but this is a popular narrative and to speak against it is absolute heresy.When people make bigoted statements, it is difficult for me to remain silent. Uncorroborated hearsay is treated as sacred fact. Dare I laugh at someone’s statement or question it, I am quickly cut down to size as not being Pakistani, or not being Muslim or if in the US, not being American. It is a tiring game to be told when convenient that you do not belong and have not association or validation in a particular context, not by strength of argument, but by cutting you down to size via your identity.Patriotism isn’t blindly following the status quo of your military establishment. Nor is it like cheering on a sports team. To me, it is about justice and not jingoistic nationalism. Justice for one people is not at the expense of another. If we gain from the subjugation of others, then realize that the system that mistreats one group today is unlikely to grant the rights of others tomorrow.It was a frustrating and disappointing day. At times like this, I just want to leave, but there is nowhere to go, where you are not followed by bigotry and people’s blind support for their country’s military it seems. All I ask is that people question. Your enemy is not a particular race or religion. It is those who take advantage of the masses with lies meant to divide us in the pursuit of power and profit.