Pakistan at this difficult hour should not be presented as dark or evil, rather it needs the support of the international community to overcome the difficulties it faces now (responding to the article “Voices from the Darkness,” News, Oct. 1–7). The main goal of most media and newspapers seems to be showing as many bad aspects of Pakistan as possible, making the world believe it’s another Iraq or Afghanistan. The media have shown and described a one-sided story, damaging Pakistan’s image and calling it a haven for terrorists. How many ordinary people know Pakistan and its people? Pakistan is a Muslim country, and Islam does not teach to kill in the name of God. Those advocating and preaching such things are not real Muslims. They are willing to cross all boundaries to eliminate whatever gets in their way. It does not mean one person or one country; it can be anybody of any nationality. These people do not act in the interests of Pakistan the country. As the historian Ahmed Abdulla writes in his book The Historical Background of Pakistan and Its People: “Looking back in history, it was in the land that is contemporary Pakistan that the Indus Valley … Continue reading Problems of perception: Western media distorts what Pakistan is all about