Pakistan’s Casual Antisemitism Problem and Israel

Posted on November 27, 2020 by Haroon Riaz
Source: Middle East Eye

Pakistan is a country that conveniently got rid of its Jews, among the most of its “non-Muslim” minority groups when it was created by the British to divide India on communal lines in 1947. The rationale behind the creation of the kind of conditions that made this exodus possible provides a hint to understand the passionate refusal to accept the idea of a country for the Jewish people.

While the socialist camp in the country, now greatly marginalized and suppressed, has been solidly fixed with the Palestinian cause, not even abandoning it when they resorted to the most brutal terrorist measures, it would be incorrect to attribute the more sinister causes underlying the opposition to Israel. That problem can only be understood if the casual Muslim antisemitism is understood, which shapes the imagination of common Pakistani citizens, as well as its nationalist conservatives, even among its elite. It is perhaps not an anomalous observation to find these tendencies in many of the supposed Muslim liberals and progressives.

Islamic eschatology heavily focuses on the negative role of the Jewish people, with an understanding that the Jewish Meshiach might be the character of Dajjal, or the Muslim antichrist. The Muslims and Christians are supposed to fight together under the returned Jesus Christ against this evil, eventually slaughtering all Jewish people. While Prophet Muhammad had concluded treaties with the Jews of Medina, he also ordered violent battles against them, such as the Battle of Khyber. Other than the Quranic decree in the verse 5:51 that warned against befriending Jews and Christians, there are countless traditions that reinforce the hate against Jews. According to one tradition, near the Day of Judgment, all Jews will be killed and if one tries to hide behind a tree, the tree will reveal, that one is hiding behind it. Apart from these classical traditions that have built the bigotry over centuries, the political occupation of the Jewish people of the Dome of Rock in Jerusalem solidified this bigotry on a religious level in modern times. Of course, occurrences such as Saladin engaging Maimonides to become a member of his courts did little to undo it. Now, killing the Zionist Jew is a common aspiration of righteously Muslim zealots from Palestine to Bangladesh. Except that a majority, fortunately making up not-so-righteous Muslims, would not bother themselves about killing or dying for Israel.

After all, it is no coincidence that denial of the Holocaust and admiration of Nazis and Adolf Hitler are rampant among most Pakistani Muslim fundamentalists. Casual antisemitism is a part of everyday conversation, jokes, and political discourse, in which every other evil and conspiracy in the world are attributed to the Jewish people. “Jew” and “Jewish agent” are popular slurs. Even Prime Minister Imran Khan, whose first wife is Jewish, has been frequently referred to as a “Jewish Agent” by the opposition, especially Islamist Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman.

This might not necessarily be the case with all of Pakistan’s progressive left and liberals. However, their support of Pakistan’s foreign policy stance toward Israel certainly suggests such tendencies. Considering the socialist leaning of the Arab Republics at odds with Israel, other than the Kingdoms tied with the bonds of Islamic Brotherhood, Pakistani Muslim socialists never felt the need to move over to Israel. But while there has been contemplation in recent years, the chances of that happening have been very slim. But to be fair, they have never been instrumental in forming Pakistan’s foreign policy, except under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in the 1970s probably. But about Israel, there is an almost unanimous agreement among progressive liberals, conservative nationalists, and Islamists.

Antisemitism lies at the very heart of the foreign policy of Pakistan, as it has been the main driver of those of most of the Arab nations over the last seven decades. This also made Pakistan’s foreign policy slightly paradoxical, as the Islamic Republic enrolled itself solidly into the American camp, like Israel, during the Cold War Years. With the rumors of President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto sending pilots to fly Syrian jets against Israel during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, it culminated to a new scale. However, after Bhutto’s assassination by the Pakistani state, General Zia-ul-Haq, the new dictator had to find himself with the awkwardness of using Israeli manufactured weapons during the Afghan-Soviet War in the 1980s. His policy of greater Islamization and Jihadi narrative would also be in direct contradiction of an endorsement of Israel as a possible ally. Even though he should not have found the contradiction particularly troubling as he was the general the Kingdom of Jordan had imported to massacre Palestinian refugees in the middle of the Black September terrorism controversy. Interestingly, Pakistan has arguably the blood of more Palestinians on its hands than Israelis for all its moralistic somersaults.

Pakistan maintains that it will not recognize the existence of the State of Israel until the two-state solution is reached. While Pakistan recognizes Palestine as a member of the United Nations, it does not recognize Israel as a sovereign nation, contradicting its commitment to accept a “two-state solution.” There is no two-state solution with the acceptance of Israel. It also includes the unrealistic demand of Israel moving back to the pre-1967 borders, especially when the talks at hand are about discontinuing the annexation of the West Bank. Pakistan hypocritically continues to insist that its refusal to recognize Israel is a “moral stance,” while it has established deep diplomatic relations with countries with arguably far worse offenses against humanity such as China as far as their treatment of the Uighur Muslims and the Tibet issue is concerned. Pakistan’s own treatment of the tribal Pashtun and Baloch people in their native territory is also not very different from the Israeli treatment of the Palestinians.

The casual antisemitism of Pakistanis manifests into apologies of its supposed intellectuals. Each time the deep state or other more conservative liberals bring up the thought of evaluating relationships with Israel, the abomination of recognizing Israel irritates and offends them greatly. The impunity with which hate is spewed against Israel makes the antisemitism very hard to hide. While it is a disgrace that such opinions have been normalized to this degree, seeing anti-Israel protests chanting “Death to Israel” by Jamaat-e-Islami affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and other religious parties make those comments come across as an enlightened narrative. In a country sandwiched between Hezbollah-like Islamist parties and BDS warriors, Pakistani liberals who support Zionism indeed have an uphill task at hand.

The reason I am writing about this is that these days the talks of Pakistan reconsidering its diplomatic stance have been revived in Pakistani media by pro-military journalists following recognition of Israel by UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan. Normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia is also expected. These pro-military journalists usually condemn the civilian opposition and dissidents by using tropes such as “agents of RAW and MOSSAD” and assign labels such as patriots and traitors on air. Certainly, the military establishment is behind them speaking so openly about possible relations with Israel as an anti-establishment civilian would immediately be condemned as a traitor for doing so. The military probably tests the waters of public sentiment every now and then about the issue to see how far they can go after the Israeli media recently reported a Pakistani army plane landing in Jordan where the military officials were rumored to have met Israeli officials. But what the Pakistani military does not realize that for such a reversal, it would have to undo its own mess of hypocrisy.

This has been the greatest problem with the Pakistani military in the first place, and one that caused a headache for even Republican administrations that did not mind a military dictatorship in Pakistan as long as it served their strategic goals. The Pakistani military has not favored Pakistan to be a secular nation and has instead been using both religious fundamentalists’ and terrorists for manipulating both domestic and foreign politics on both the eastern and western border. The launching of Tehreek Labaik Pakistan to influence the 2018 election being their latest dangerous masterstroke. They have remained central in building and propagating the Jihadi narrative that flourished the anti-Zionist and antisemitic sentiment over the years. They simply cannot turn the tide in a day, even if their propaganda mouthpieces such as Kamran Khan, Moeed Pirzada, Mubasher Lucman, and Ahmed Qureshi may try their best to convince the military-obsessed conservative nationalists.

Naturally, there was a massive backlash to the conservative nationalist efforts of reconsidering relations with Israel, both from Islamists and progressive liberals, who are passionately pro-Palestinian. Many of these Pakistani commentators downplay and almost make fun of the potential benefits of engaging with Israel with the exception of Mosharraf Zaidi. However, the Pakistani military might not wait for such irrational criticism to get into the way of the potential defense benefit for long. Israel currently has no reason to care for the balance of power in South Asia. Following the revival of diplomatic relations with Israel under Prime Minister Modi, The bonds between Israel and India against terrorism supported by Pakistan also became stronger following the Mumbai Attacks in 2008 in which 9 Jews, mostly Israelis, were killed. Since then, Pakistan has not made any effort to reach out either to the aggrieved parties or to mend its fences with Israel. Nevertheless, Pakistan reaching out to Israel can deescalate the current security situation with respect to the links between India and Israel.

All arguments aside, the most important reason to recognize Israel is simply to accept the right of the Jewish people to have a homeland. Unfortunately, many in Pakistan who support denying it would rather have Israel annihilated as a state the very next moment because they are against the very foundation of the State of Israel. If this isn’t antisemitism, then I don’t know what is. And in the modern context, indeed antizionism amounts to antisemitism. And no, this does not mean that criticizing Israel is being presented as antisemitism. Far from it. I am a critic of Israel myself, am against the Netanyahu regime and the Likud party, as well as against the brutal policies of Israel against the Palestinian people, especially the inhuman policy of dismantling the homes of suspected Palestinian militants and criminals. Israel is a democracy, albeit flawed, and without freedom of criticism, it will cease to be one. Although its current trajectory with the right wing’s continued influence is certainly not healthy.

Though, after recognizing Israel, all kinds of criticism, which includes closure of embassies, recalling of ambassadors and diplomatic staff, and a hundred other ways of protests could be employed to make Pakistan’s protest heard. With established bilateral relations, there will be greater gravity to Pakistan’s voice and more substantial diplomatic leverage that can be used to influence the Middle East crisis for the better rights of the Palestinian people. But is Pakistan sane and rational enough to understand that with a strong chokehold of Islamists in its society?

What is amusing is hearing Pakistani commentators calling Israel an “apartheid project” and throwing around terms such as “apartheid state.” It is certainly rich coming from people who have no problems with Pakistan’s status as a constitutional theocracy and pledging allegiance to a discriminatory constitution that has excommunicated an entire community and essentially offers state support of their killing. If there is a competition for being an apartheid state, surely Pakistan will score far greater than Israel ever could.

While antisemitism remains a major factor in determining Pakistan’s foreign policy toward Israel, it is surely the least of its moral problems.

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When Aurat March was Attacked by Islamists in Islamabad

Posted on March 12, 2020 by Haroon Riaz

Source: Reuters

On March 8, when progressive and liberal women were marching for their rights in Islamabad, and the Islamist parties decided to march alongside them. No, hell did not freeze over. The “Haya March” or the “Honor March” was meant to counter the agenda of the Women’s March on International Women’s Day. And the ingenious Islamabad Capital Administration, which had to be convinced to allow space to Aurat Azadi March, thought it necessary to allow the Islamist rally to be held right next to it at the National Press Club.

A natural consequence of this disastrous setup was chaos, indiscipline, and violence resulting in multiple injuries. Fortunately, nobody lost their life, even though the savage mullahs almost ensured it. And many of us, the citizens of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, were there to witness it.

While I have not favored the idea of attending the women’s march for years, primarily because I believe that men should not occupy women’s space on the occasion. Especially when a lot of enemies of the march had infiltrated just to harass women, as a few cases came out. However, I knew it was different this time because it was more like an ideological battlefield and we had to show up to show solidarity, other than covering it for a documentary. And the protest plot outside the National Press Club sure looked like a battlefield alright.

The March day afternoon was partly clear after a rainy morning and the assembly area was all wet and muddy. A tent fence divided both sides of the road by the Press Club leading to the F6 market and on the far side, the Haya March and its rally were to take place. Before any activity would begin on the progressive side on the assembly area, the Jamaat-e-Islami women were done marching as bus after bus with Jamaat-e-Islami flags would transport workers to the venue. However, the burka-clad women stuck around, apart from the Hijabi types who were also leading a rally, for the speeches by the “Ulema” or religious scholar leaders of the three Islamist groups organizing the march, Jamaat-e-Islami, Sunni Ittehad, and JUI-F.

Throughout the day, inflammatory speeches were heard from the other side. In just about any given speech, women in the Aurat March, just a few meters away were condemned as prostitutes, as women who would sell their bodies to the highest bidder. Despite all the venom, which was left unnoticed by the Islamabad Capital Territory Police, apparently already bracing for a riot by the looks of their gear, no reaction came from the progressive side. Meanwhile, the police did not bother to intervene to stop the hate speech and did not think for a minute what consequences it could possibly have. It is funny how the Islamabad DC was having a hard time allowing the Aurat March but did not lift a finger when the participants of the reactionary Islamist March showed up.

However, after all the speeches of the high officials of the Islamist alliance were over, their women participants, very few of who got to even speak, were ordered to exit the venue. Once they were gone, all the “political workers” positioned themselves to attack the fragile tent curtain partition separating them from the Aurat March. They started throwing large stones, bricks, canes, and shoes at the Aurat March and finally stormed on, barely controlled by the cops.

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A few people even got injured during the assault who were taken for medical help. But perhaps the most dangerous instance was Women Democratic Front leader Ismat Shahjahan who led the fight in Islamabad getting hit by a stone in her head. This could very easily have resulted in anything and the goons from JUI-F, Jamaat-e-Islami, and Sunni Ittehad did not consider the possible consequences of their actions for a moment. They indeed carried out the threats of their leader made a few days ago.

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The most condemnable bit was that Islamabad Police, always pandering to the violent religious forces, had refused the Aurat March participants to go ahead on the agreed-upon route. Ironically, the ICT Headquarters building was right next to the Press Club. Led by Tooba Syed, the march stopped in front of the building and vowed to block the road until the march was permitted to follow its route all the way to D-Chowk near the Parliament House. She, along with many other women activists of the Women Democratic Front, showed immense courage in the face of threats to their lives and had their voices heard.

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Since the Lal Masjid controversy, Islamabad has essentially become a battleground for secular political elements and the established theocratic fundamentalists in the country. Perhaps nothing manifests this conflict better than this single incident during the Aurat March, one which could have so easily resulted in the loss of life.

However, the courage displayed by the women in the face of violence and intimidation, especially the leadership of Women Democratic Forum under Ismat Shahjahan and Tooba Syed, gave anyone witnessing those scenes goosebumps. So many had tears in their eyes on the way forward and on the way back, not because they were afraid, hurt, or intimidated, but because they were proud to be a part of history.

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This is why Aurat March looks like a revolution and perhaps without its moment, it would not have proved so iconic. Bold, confident, emancipated women pissing social conservative mullahs and their allies off so much that they can barely hold themselves back from attacking them. It is simply shocking but that is what defines gender relations in Pakistan today.

The women have spoken up. They are marching and nothing can stop them now.

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