In Part I last week I mentioned the undiplomatic and mischievous action by President Trump in relocating the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, an action against UN resolutions and international agreements.
As I said, we have come to expect anything from President Trump (nuclear war not exempted) as we did from President Bush. It is also painful to have to accept that the conference held in Turkey, which was called by President Erdogan, achieved nothing. “They came, they sat down, they talked, they ate and they dispersed”, to use the words of the famous Iranian poet, Firdausi.
The cunning West managed to cheat the Arabs after World War I. The Arabs had been promised an independent, unified Arab country after the Turks had been pushed out of Arabia. Instead of the promised independence, they got Israel planted in their midst, which the West then proceeded to arm to the teeth and let loose like a bull in a china shop. The Arabs were no match for the Israelis thanks to the latter’s massive armaments. All subsequent wars resulted in the defeat of the Arabs.
Throughout history, Palestine has been a hotbed of intrigues – wars, crusades, murder and massacre. After Salauddin defeated the Crusaders, the region witnessed peace for a long time and under the Turks it developed. But the advent of easy money has spoiled the Arabs. Look back in history at the periods of Hazrat Umar (RA) and of Amir Muawia (RA). Their suzerainty ranged over an area almost eight times larger than Pakistan. Western kings and emperors were in awe of them and fearful lest the Islamic forces turn towards them. They presented many precious gifts to them through their emissaries. We also know that these ‘mighty’ caliphs and amirs lived extremely simple, religious lives. What we must remember is that, while we can, and should, have friendly, mutually beneficial trade relations with many nations, we should always safeguard our national interests. This means we cannot become their stooges or mercenaries for their causes or stand in front of the world holding a begging bowl. The moment you lose your independence and self-respect, you become a beggar to be kicked around at will by all. This we see in the American attitude towards us every day. We are being threatened, insulted, bullied and blackmailed. Compare this with their attitude towards India. For the last 17 years our country has been bleeding and paying a very heavy price for the follies of a dictator. Had he not bowed down to President Bush, we would have been a peaceful nation and a relatively prosperous one.
We should not have any illusions about Western attitudes. In the 1980s, the then British PM Margaret Thatcher openly said that now that communism was no longer a threat, the only remaining opponent (read: enemy) was Islam and that it had to be dealt with. During the Gulf War, George Bush is on record as having said: “We are fighting a Crusade”. It looks like the Almighty has sealed the hearts, the eyes and the minds of Muslims for their wrongdoings. The results/consequences are obvious.
On the one side we have Israel, armed to the teeth with nuclear and modern weapons, and on the other side we have luxury-loving rulers with no guts. The occupation of Al-Quds and the West Bank is not the end of the story. Gaza, south of Lebanon and north of Syria, will fall in due course and Israel will be the winner in the end game. The political situation for Muslims in the Middle East is bleak. The Saudis are being seen as having chosen to stand with the West when it comes to dealing with Syria, Yemen and Iran. Don’t be under any illusions. Our number can come up too at any time. We saw what happened in Spain and Central Asia.
UN resolutions (128 vs 9) to condemn the US move are no more than lip service, which won’t have any affect. Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN Dr Maleeha Lodhi made a very good speech but, unfortunately, good speeches have never, on their own, given positive results. If the horse is lame, the jockey can’t help it win the race. The whole of the Western world, whether covertly or openly, fully supports Israel. The indifferent attitudes of the Saudi Arabian and Egyptian government have added to the situation. Being very good friends of the US, they could have been instrumental in getting this problem solved a long time ago for the sake of peace in the region.
Had the Arabs had the insight of Z A Bhutto, they, with all their money, could have become a nuclear power with a lot of clout. But they lacked foresight and did not bother to make the effort. The consequence is a bleak future for the Palestinians.
PS: Former PM Nawaz Sharif and his associates are continuing with their unwise talk. Many people wish them well, but they should show maturity and fight legal battles, not verbal ones. Let us pray for patience, courage and wisdom to get through the current unpleasant situation. It is painful, but the law is the law and the judges know what they are doing. Even if you have 90 percent votes but do something wrong, the law will still get you.
Concluded