Blindfolded by Muslim brotherhood

By
KK Shahid
-
39
209

It’s a lopsided love story

And as is the norm, Pakistanis seemed to be more worried about the killing of Palestinian ‘brothers’ than the Pakistani ‘brothers’ that were biting the dust on a daily basis. No one’s bothered about the turbulence in Karachi and Balochistan. Until Wednesday’s blast, nobody was taking notice of the Shia killings and there is no coverage of the siege and massacre in Parachanar, which is dubbed the ‘Pakistani Gaza’, where more people are killed in a day than the Palestinians over the past week. Deaths in Gaza make the front page headlines, while the turmoil Pakistani Muslims are facing is just another run-of-the-mill story. It’s like fretting over the ailment of your second cousins, while your own siblings are on the deathbed.

Let’s also recall how we treated our ‘Muslim brothers’ in East Pakistan until 1971 did us part. That abhorring treatment is being matched by our treatment of our ‘Muslim brothers’ in Balochistan. Let’s acknowledge the hate speech spurting out of speakers of mosques of different sects targeting ‘Muslim brothers’ of other sects. Let’s realise that as you read this Saudis are upping the ante on their oil production, helping the US and Israel up their sanctions on Iran – our ‘Muslim brothers’. Another manifestation of the Arab concept of ‘Muslim brotherhood’ is how they never seem to speak in favour of Pakistan internationally and that there isn’t even as much as a murmur in the Arab countries about the ‘Muslim brothers’ being killed in Kashmir and Myanmar. And then there are 165 Muslims on average being killed by Syrian Army in Syria on a daily basis since August this year, and yet no protests or condemnations are witnessed in the Muslim media or social media against these atrocities, while the 20 that were killed in Gaza last Friday grabbed the limelight and sympathies.

Oh but of course, a non-Muslim killing a Muslim is obviously a more heinous act than a Muslim killing a Muslim. Since everything is centred round the Muslim brotherhood, the bond of Islam that binds the Muslims and non-Muslims don’t really have much of a say in this. And hence every Muslim being killed by a “kafir” is the collective responsibility of the Muslim Ummah who should fight tooth and nail to bring the infidels down to their knees. Yup, that mentality is a nail on the solution for peace.

How about condemning the act of killing regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, nationality, or any other discrimination whatsoever? How about condemning the killing of Jews that fall to Islamic extremism as well? There is no yardstick to gauge the comparative innocence of victims in the Gaza conflict. Israel has more militaristic wherewithal as things stand and is hence doing more damage compared to Hamas. When Muslims had more military power they were the ones conjuring more destruction. How can you criticise Israel for its annexations in Palestine and then conveniently forget that it was the Arabs that annexed the area in the 7th century in the first place.

We need to realise that the Palestinian conflict existed before 14 May 1948 as well. The holy city of Jerusalem has been captured and recaptured 44 times over the course of the past 4,000 years, by the propagators of the three Abrahamic religions. It is both historically and logically unfair to highlight the brutality in the region over the past 64 years without acknowledging the cruelty served out by all concerned parties over the past four millennia. The atrocities by the Jews are well-documented in our neck of the woods but we need to understand that Muslims haven’t exactly been saints either.

Arabs once famously trapped a Jewish tribe in a fort and decapitated their men. There is the Granda incident of 1066, Fez incidents in 1033, 1276 and 1465, Damascus Affair of 1840, among many other such noteworthy examples where the Jews were subdued by the Muslims. Even after Israel’s formation you’ve had examples of Arab countries instigating aggression and suppressing the Jews that were present in their countries initially. When the establishment of Israel was announced, Egypt, Syria, Transjordan and Iraq all attacked it the very next day, instigating the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, and Egypt expelled over 25,000 Jews and sent thousands in detention following the Suez Crisis of 1956.

Again, who has committed more atrocities over the course of history depends on which ‘brand’ of history you read. The guilty party has always concealed their violence by tampering historical narrations, shrouding aggression in the garb of “self-defence” or simply justifying everything obnoxious as religious duty. There is absolutely no way of getting a seamlessly balanced account of a conflict that spans over almost 1,500 years. Therefore, from both the Muslim and the Jewish point of view, clamouring for justice every time followers of their religion die and unyieldingly justifying the massacre of other party, adds more fuel to a conflict that requires massive compromise on both sides.

The first thing that the Muslim countries need to do is to recognise Israel as a sovereign state – you can’t talk to, accuse or negotiate with someone you don’t even claim exists. Muslims need to realise that Jews inhabited the region before Islam came into being, and as holy as Jerusalem is for both Christians and Muslims, it is the holiest city for the Jews. If hypothetically at a time of global reshuffle, where nations are being carved, boundaries being adjusted and people are being displaced left, right and centre you had to pick one region to earmark as the only Muslim-majority region, you’d pick the Arabian Peninsula – you’d pick Mecca and Madina. How hard is it for us to accept a 22,000 square kilometre region as the world’s only Jewish country, when around a quarter of the world is constituted by Muslim-majority areas?

When you are not recognising Israel as a nation, when Hamas’ official charter has ‘Israel’s destruction’ written in its goals, when Muslim leaders like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad openly manifest anti-Semitism and talk about eradicating Israel, how can you say that the Muslims want peace and Jews don’t. Sure Benjamin Netanyahu is a bit of a nut-head, but then again so are most of the Arab leaders. None of them actually wants peace; they just want to assert the superiority of their religions and nations at the cost of the rivals, much like their predecessors did.

For peace in Palestine, and pretty much every other part of the world, you need people of every religion, ethnicity and nation to condemn the act of killing, period. Regardless of who the killers and victims are. We need to stop recreating the horrors that mar the legacies of our ideological predecessors, and realise that no ideology is worth killing another human being for. And as for Pakistan, we really need to rethink our lopsided love-in with the Arabs, and focus instead on getting our own house in order.

Author’s note: 10,000 bucks say, this column would be declared by most readers as US/Israel funded. Is anyone up for a wager?

The writer is Editor, Business and City (Karachi) Pakistan Today. Email: [email protected], Twitter: @khuldune

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39 COMMENTS

  2. While writing this article – the writer was in mood of telling the truth – alas correctly said – "The first thing that the Muslim countries need to do is to recognise Israel as a sovereign state".

  4. Most of our world's problem will be solved if more and more people think and write like you. I am surprised and pleased that you don't get any backlash from Religious Fanatics

    • My dear Raj,

      About your last line, I must say that the wearer alone knows where the shoe pinches.

  5. I always wondered why the Pakistanis loved the Arabs when the Arabs look down on them.Ask any worker in UAE,Saudi etc.

    • It is very true. Ask any Pakistani drivers in UAE. They all unitedly say one thing, Arabs are cruellest and the Palestinians are the most cruellest and most hated. They all say, that ISRAEL is right in doing this to Palestinians as they deserve it. So, this is the reality. Go and visit Middle east countries and ascertain how pakistanis (i mean all non-arabs including Indians, Bangladeshis etc-other than westerners) are treated like slaves and you will keep on cursing arabs and praising israel. This si the reality.

    • My dear Paul D,

      Perhaps you are extremely innocent. My dear, beggars cannot be the choosers and the beggary penetrates deep into our blood when we fail to resist it at its beginning

  7. Very well written and to the point…thank you for elucidating the truth about how the regional powers are not interested in peace just in asserting their religious beliefs over another's…the insanity that is the Palestinian jihad has caused nothing but pain for the Palestinian people and will continue to do that until they rid themselves of their militant Hamas leaders who promote constant war with israel…

  8. The paradox that is Pakistan. Malala gets mauled for wanting education for girls while you write with impunity what would be considered blasphemy and treason in one stroke.Thank God, nobody translates your thoughts in local dialect or you would publicly be martyred like Benazir without EVER finding the perpratators!

    • Dear A R Khan

      Because they are at least 20% of the world population. We must try to channelize this huge misguided mob.

  11. Give you few glimpses of Pakistan contribution in Muslim genocide

    On September 15 1970, King Hussein declared martial law. The next day, Jordanian tanks (the 60th Armored Brigade) attacked the headquarters of Palestinian organizations in Amman; the army also attacked camps in Irbid, Salt, Sweileh,Baq’aa, Wehdat and Zarqa. Then the head of Pakistani training mission to Jordan, Brigadier Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (later Chief of Army Staff and President of Pakistan), took command of the 2nd division. In addition, the Iraqi army in Jordan after 1967 war serving as a reserve forces supported the Jordanian army.
    Arafat later claimed that the Jordanian army killed between 10,000 and 25,000 Palestinians.
    Brigadier Zia ul haq, who was at that time heading the training mission to Jordan and headed the 2nd Jordanian Division, when came back to Pakistan his name was suggested for Court Martial due to his role in Black September and for the killings of Palestinians.
    The General Naseer ullah Babarwas a covert warrior in Afghanistan. He advised Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to train Islamist militants in Afghanistan starting in 1973 – 6 years before the Soviet invasion. Later as Benazir’s interior minister he was the largest proponent of backing the Taliban in Afghanistan. Under his command operation of killing anti taliban was swiftly carried out in 1980s in Kabul when Faisal Shezad’s father Vice marshal Bharulhaq was posted in Kabul as military Attache of Pakistan.Young Faisal Shezad learn his basic lesson of jihad in the embassy compound of Pakistan where all time plans were made to provide supremacy to newly built force Taliban under Pakistan army guidance.

    continued below'''……..

  12. Musharraf's regime is height of Muslim genocide within Pakistani territory
    Swat operation that displaced 10 million IDPs within Pakistan along with Lal masjid , Waziristan, bajur, Mohamannnd all area/agencies were first come under attack of Pakistan army then all were eventually handed over to US and NATO forces spreading their military networks in all over Pakistan with the consent of Musharraf, a chief executive of Pakistan following the motto of Pakistan’s first for all kind of US mercenaries.
    Pakistan has lost more than 40,00 people including 4000 army personal and displaced millions due to uncontrolled expansions of war in all major parts of Pakistan.
    Technically the burden of this genocide which is still continued in our soil is put on Musharraf’s shoulder under whom leadership whole nation was ditched in to unseen deadly war of western fronts

  13. What ever is being done on the name of drone attack is known to childern of Pakistan now
    So keeping this in our mind , how can we raise a voice against Israel or in favor of poor Palestinian.
    i think in this regard our leadership is correct in stance to act like ostrich instead of raising voice against Burmese or Palestinians.

      • it is not restricted to Muslims only but all who wanted to be uncivilized, pretend to be more religious or intoxicated with family rules followed/following acts of barbarism on the name of religious struggle

        • nazia — wonderful sense of historical facts you have !! islamics must move to SPIRITUALISM AWAY FROM MERE RITUALIMS ..THEN drones attacks shall stop worldwide !!!!drones attacks aerial bombings are MOST COWARDLY WARFARES !!! FIGHT MUST BE MAN TO MAN !!! ANYOTHER FIGHT IS ALL HARAAM !!! AND HALAALS MUST FIGHT ALL HARAAMS !!!!

    • Dear Krypt Lord,
      Religious fanatics generally do not know English. Many of them hate English. They are against Computer knowledge and most technical scientific inventions. Once upon a time they were against Loudspeakers and Railway trains. Iqbal says,

      Aain-e- nao say darna , tarz-e-kohon peh arna,
      Manzil yehi katha hey Qomon ki zindgi main.

      ( to resist the new ideas and to stick upon the old ones, is the most difficult turning point in the lives of the nations. )

  16. Dear Kunwar, I am a Myanmar citizen from yangon. I support you as Pakistan must put his house in order. Pakistan made a hue and cry for Illegal Immigrants Bengalis living in our country who started killing of local Buddhists and later violent brokeout. Less than 100 people died, 60 percent are muslims and 40 percent are local buddhists. Even your Senate demand immediate inquiry of so called brutal killings in Myanmar but no one talk about 40 percent of Buddhists got killed by Illegal Bengali Muslims.
    In Karachi about 28 reported killings everyday, think about un-reported.. total should not be less than 100 including Baluchistan everyday.
    Our Pakistani brothers, please wake up.. think about your own country. You really need a leader like Mr. Musharraf.

  17. excellent…to the point…All of people are thinking on similar line and you have given shape to this argument.

    • Dear Jon,
      It is not enough to say such words. It is time to think what to do and unite the like minded people at one platform. Shape this idea for a better future.

  20. Ask any Pakistani drivers in UAE. They all unitedly say one thing, Arabs are cruellest and the Palestinians are the most cruellest and most hated. Even ohter arabs are termin Palestinians as most argumentative and violent and rude fellows. They all say, that ISRAEL is right in doing this to Palestinians as they deserve it. So, this is the reality. Go and visit Middle east countries and ascertain how pakistanis (i mean all non-arabs including Indians, Bangladeshis etc-other than westerners) are treated like slaves and you will keep on cursing arabs and praising israel. This si the reality.

  21. Wow,Is the writer of the article for real?
    I have never read such a frank and impartial assessment of the Israeli -Palestine conflict in any of the English language news website ( and I do visit few about six or seven of them regularly)
    Hats off to you Mr.Shahid !

  22. Is it right that a palestinian who has lived in the region for his whole life should be turfed out because the city of jerusalem doesn't "mean as much" to him as it does to a jewish person? that is downright SHOCKING behaviour! i cannot believe the injustice of your statements kunwar!! it is clear that you are just an extremely narrow minded person blinded with hate for islam and hate for muslims. the way that you are going, soon we won't need rush limbaugh to guide the right wing hotheads that job will be for you. to you, there is no humanity, there is only good atheists, good white people who are stupid for having religion but we can handle their silly religions, and then bad bad derpa derpa muslims. muslims are bad mmmkay.

  23. i've said it before and i'll say it again: unoriginal. let me ask you something kunwar, you are well off, you have a nice house, a good wage supplemented by your hateful writings of islam, you probably don't have a partner but that can't be helped but you have a good life. you have never felt poverty like palestine, you've never been told that at 7 years old, your childhood home where memories are yet to made, is about to be crushed to dust because so-and-so is building a block of condos for rich white folk to live in, you've never felt despair like that, you are a priveliged little child and thats what your writing sounds like: ME ME ME, WAAHHHH NO NOT THEM….ME!!!! ME AND ME AND MEEEEE!!!! YAAYY ME! NO WAAAAHHH MEEEEEEEEE'. come and live in south east london for a bit, come to peck-nam as we call it, you will experience one tenth of the life of a palestinian person living in poverty in an ILLEGAL APARTHEID STATE.

  25. The whole point of this write-up is "STOP PROTESTING AGAINST ISRAEL'S AGGRESSION"… lolzzzzz..
    The author, Kunwar Shahid, seems to be BLIND-FOLDED by "Islamo-phobic Brotherhood"". .. Yes they are plenty around the world and they have their BROTHERS in Pakistan too, mostly in Pakistan Today, Tribune, and The News….. and in Ajkal. .

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