Don’t Cry Palestine

It was not the first time that the Palestinians had hit out in frustration. The Israelis too have always hit back with their full military might. Condemnations of, and expressing support for, either side follow a predictable pattern. Hamas may have sprung a huge surprise – yes, even the best Intelligence systems can be so deceived – and executed the first phase with elan and meticulous planning, but if it had also thought through and has some more tricks up its sleeve for the expected aftermath; I’ve no idea. Moreover, there is little chance that the countries that were expected to have the credibility and clout to intercede – China, Russia, Egypt, Qatar; even Turkey and Saudi Arabia – could do very much to prevent the escalation. The Israeli past tried and tested ways, but more so its present domestic environment and support from its patrons, would blunt any such attempt. 

 

Another aspect that again was predictable – governments of the Islamic World and organisations like “Oh I See” would not go beyond some symbolic statements. In this round, even that would have been rather lame – what with all these Abrahamic Accords (mercifully stalled, if not buried), and the fact that most Arab governments are so scared of the likes of Hamas that they would rather seek help from the Jewish state than come in its way. Iran would certainly like to do something but then Qum’s ways remain a bit mysterious. 

 

I don’t think I’ve any business to tell other countries what course would serve their interests the best. If they were not paying any heed to the sentiments of their own people, they were unlikely to be impressed by my advice. I could however rightfully take my own countrymen to task, but still had no intentions to waste my time and breath – except when an old friend shook me out of my blissful resignation. “Look man, don’t you find it a bit odd that while even in some western (read non-Muslim) countries people were on the streets to show sympathy, even solidarity, for the besieged Palestinians, there was hardly a squeak from a country that was once known to have its fingers in many sacred pies”.

 

The question is legitimate. We were once known to have responded to all the SOS calls. It’s quite possible that we have now come to the conclusion that helping extinguish faraway fires was not doing us much good, and therefore have stepped back from foreign ventures. No harm reviewing our worldview as long as we keep in mind that though all countries take their own course in pursuit of their national aims, over the long run only those succeed who took their people’s will and traditional traits into account.

 

America is believed to have reached its unprecedented power through a free entrepreneurial system. If we can follow that model, by all means do so – only remember that it’s mercilessly capitalistic, in which the state would ultimately be run by Big Money. In case of the US, it’s dominated by the Jews. Overtime, its Israel policy may have lost support amongst the public but remains in the clutches of its Deep State. No wonder, America is now called a “dysfunctional superpower”.

 

The British Empire was built upon the pirating spirit of a see going community, most of it were non-state actors, who nevertheless remained in the service of the Crown. They all may have gone home to roost but the country hangs on to the aprons of its successor state to preserve its imperial immunity – and because both are under the influence of the Christian Zionists. Incidentally, the Brits can also claim credit for leaving behind a number of bones of contention and especially as the founders of Israel – what with all those Balfour Declarations. That it may have cost them nearly a hundred dead when its creation carried out its trial strike on the King David’s Hotel, was merely a minor matter. 

 

Germany offers the classic case of ultimately finding the prescription that suited its genius. It tried the colonial path chartered by its European neighbours but gave up since it lacked the right temperament. In pursuit of Lebensraum, it became militaristic but burnt out when it went ballistic. Post WW2 Germany was served well by its inherent strengths like hard work and system building – but is now in trouble because it follows the dictates of the Big Boss against the wishes of its own people. 

 

China and Japan may not have worked from the same blue print but their respect for Eastern Values helped them create sustainable systems. After the Cold War, containing the Japanese economic power was, according to Huntington, America’s foremost challenge. In due course he did come up with a better target: Islam and Confucianism. He was right. It was a Muslim country that by bringing the US and China together created the real threat to the superpower that was to survive the East-West rivalry. Moses grew up in Pharaoh's house to one day drown his forces in the Red Sea, and Peking (now Beijing) was wooed by the US to counter Moscow. Now if the Chinese Red was breathing down Washington’s neck, it may well be the latter’s Pharaoh Moment. 

 

Closer home, India finally stabilised when it shed the façade of secularism, which required an occasional display of a Muslim or a Sikh turban in the show window, and submitted to the prevalent Hindutva sentiment. Afghanistan’s strength was in its tribal and family cohesion. It helped the country frustrate foreign invasions, but also all efforts to restore stability in the days after.

Pakistan’s algorithm must be quite complex. If it’s because the upstarts have landed in the corridors of power or due to our collective failure to recognise the national ethos, is for our social scientists to decode. All that I know is that the country made its mark only when its various elements of rational power acted in unison. Afghanistan, Kashmir, Yemen, Kosovo, Bosnia, Chechnya and lately Azerbaijan were some of the places that needed humanitarian intervention. Even before the Independence, Muslims of the Subcontinent sent a contingent to support the Khilafat Movement. The tradition of ties with Umma might have had historical rationale. Their number was so small that even when ruling in Delhi Muslims sought spiritual cover from the Holy Lands. Owing allegiance to the Centre was also very helpful when the British colonisers kept their links with London.

 

Nothing wrong per se with changing paradigms to become a moderately enlightened state, and if it hasn’t happened so far, there might be some genuine problems. But ever since we started being good boys, Pakistan has lost the spine to stand up for the causes it held so dear: wouldn’t go to Kuala Lumpur because MBS wasn’t too happy; couldn’t accept Moscow’s invitation for an Afghanistan Conference or work with Iran on the Peace Pipeline lest the mighty US got annoyed. Can’t even fulfil our religious and neighbourly obligations towards a country that has been protecting our western flank for decades. In a civilised country that we want to be, Afghan refugees would have been granted citizenship long time back. Many Infidels have been more generous to the Muslim asylum seekers than the country that had Azan recited in its ears when it was born. 

 

Maybe one should have another look as to why it was created – certainly not for the sake of Islam that didn’t need our help to survive; even to protect the Muslims of the Subcontinent whose good number, inevitably to remain in India, were inevitably to become more vulnerable. Quaid’s acceptance of the Cabinet Mission Plan clearly proved the thesis of Ayesha Jalal, Steven Cohen, and Jaswant Singh: Pakistan’s demand was a bargaining chip to get a better deal for the Muslim minority in the post British India. But its birth seems to have been pre-ordained. The Almighty used the medium of Nehru and Patel to ensure that a country would come into being to fulfil a Divine Mission: to be a voice and the arm of the downtrodden.  And then there was Iqbal, our poet philosopher, who tried to teach us what the real independence meant:

 

دل کی آزادی شہنشاہی ، شکم سامان موت

فيصلہ تيرا ترے ہاتھوں ميں ہے ، دل يا شکم

 

Palestine beckons. Time to defend our raison d'être.

 

Asad Durrani

Lt Gen retd

 

 

 

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