Should Pakistan recognize Israel?

Should Pakistan recognize Israel?

Just as 'India' and now 'Modi' are triggering words in Pakistan, Israel is also another. Particularly, the religious community does not hold favorable views towards Israel, primarily because of the latter's forced occupation of the Palestinian land, including the Aqsa Mosque, the first Qibla of the Muslim, in Jerusalem city. Forcibly, our political leaders who listen little to the popular opinions are also in the same queue. In the recent past, when the news of Israeli plane's landing in Pakistan was rumored, the same opposition that claims to be liberal in outlook bombarded harsh words against the government's any possibility of a thaw in diplomatic relations with Israel. Such an attitude convinces us to believe that all mainstream political parties of the country are more or less right-wing parties on the face. Over the years, this question, whether Pakistan should recognize Israel, is playing hide-and-seek. As a matter of principle, not accepting Israel as a state is costing us very dearly. We had some opportunities in the past -most recently during the Musharraf government- but were constrained by the religious lobby and political scoring by pseudo-liberal parties. Given the paradigm shift in global politics, it is in the best interest of the country to address this question.

  

Also Read: The confrontation between Muhammad Shahab ud din Ghori and Prithviraj Chauhan

Why Pakistan need to recognize Isreal? One needs to understand this matrix in a broader perspective. Firstly, it will benefit us to extract the USA's favors. It is said that the US Congress is the occupied territory of Israel. Recent Trump administration is brimmed with Zionists, as has always been the case in the US history that most of the statesmen happen to be Jews. The USA is a superpower country. Islamabad can ill-afford to run away, on the excuse of China. Politically, we are subordinate to the USA. The thaw in relation will greatly help us to attain some strategic interests. Secondly, Islamabad has a lot to gain from this diplomatic relation for its economic needs. Isreal is a tech giant, excelling in cybersecurity and Agricultural fields. One can estimate, how its efficiency in cybersecurity can endanger our digital financing in the future, thus harming our economy. Moreover, its tech-based agricultural methods such as drip and sprinkler can assuage our water woes. Thirdly, the rapprochement can mitigate Indian threat, considering Tel Aviv's bonhomie with New Delhi in the recent past. India is very much interested in buying its state-of-the-art defense equipments. Pakistan has the ability to change this equation by throwing diplomatic overtures to Israel. Moreover, the lingering worry that Isreal will come to aid of India in case the war between Pakistan and India is waged will also be nipped in the bud. Lastly but most importantly, under such a scenario Pakistan will earn a bargaining position vis-a-vis the Palestine issue. Being a sole Islamic Nuclear State, Pakistan will have much to bring to the negotiating table. No country has more advocated the Palestinian issue than ours. Through the formation of diplomatic channels, Pakistan can become the voice of the poor Palestinians.  Sitting idle and protesting on the streets will never do miracles.  It is time to take pragmatic steps.

- burning Israeli Flag

Pakistan can no longer sacrifice its national interests on the behest of other nations. Most importantly, almost all Muslim countries have built more or less ties with Isreal, excluding the few including Pakistan, Malaysia, and so on. As for Saudi Arabia, it's silence over a number of issues and harsh words used by Muhammad Bin Salman for PLO's leadership, clearly testifies the intention of the Saudi Kingdom. The kingdom's actions allude that it has tacitly approved the burial of two-state solution and the Trump's "the deal of century". Oman is the latest country to fall into this clandestine orbit of Israeli influence. This major shift tells us that Isreal is no more a common threat to the Muslim community but Iran and its Shia ideology. Moreover, the formation of the Islamic Military Force gives credence to this claim. 

Also Read:  Accountability in Pakistan and the role of National Accountability Bureau (NAB)

The political landscape of the Middle East is evolving fast with new alliances, some overt and covert ones. Pakistan's rigid stance in this domain is good for nothing. In fact, it is harming our national interests. Sadly, we are still dwelling in the romantic illusion of Muslim brotherhood, which has continually been disenchanting us; but we never paid heed. For example, the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC), on which our leaders pinned many hopes regarding the Kashmir dispute, has proven itself defunct. In the words of ex-Chairman Senate, Raza Rabbani, "the bubble of an Islamic ummah had burst". Therefore, it is a crying need of time to comprehend global politics through the lens of Realpolitik, as it is the best way forward. Taken together, Pakistan must revisit its policy towards this issue, and take into account the larger national interests. 

Also read: The transformation of Maulana Abul A'la Maududi

The confrontation between Muhammad Shuhab ud din Ghori and Prithviraj Chauhan still goes on

-Muhammad Ghori (left) and Prithviraj Chauhan (right)

The confrontation between Muhammad Shuhab ud din Ghori and Prithviraj Chauhan still goes on

It has been more than 800 years now since Muhammad Shuhab ud din Ghori and Prithviraj Chauhan fought the battle at the plains of Tarain. The former is the legend of Muslim history, hailing from Ghor, Afghanistan. And the latter is the hero of Hindu history. Both are massively revered in the Muslim and Hindu communities respectively . However, it may sound ridiculous that after the passage of so many years, the aftershocks of that battle are still felt in contemporary times, if we take a look at the political and cultural landscape of Pakistan and India. The ghost of that rivalry is still haunting us.  

Also read: Accountability in Pakistan and the role of National Accountability Bureau (NAB)

I don't know that someone but he rightly said, "Let the dead past bury its head". This phrase not only guarantees peace at the present moment but also get us rid of the past wrongs. It is a blueprint for a refreshing start. But scenes are not such when we analyze Pakistan and India relations. It seems like both have been carrying their past luggage for years. Someone may say, their animosity is as old as the partition of the sub-continent or as 1965, 1971, and 1999 war. But the seed of hatred was planted when Shuhab ud Din Ghori routed the invincible forces of Prithviraj Chauhan at the second battle of Tarain in 1192. So it is the late 12 century's events that are a precursor to recent jingoistic mindsets -not all but some- prevailing equally on both sides of the border. 

Ghori was first defeated by Prithviraj Chauhan. Ghori was on an adventurist invasion at that time, having already conquested a vast swathe of Punjab. His troops were three times smaller than that of Prithviraj Chauhan. Hence, it was a foregone conclusion that Ghori was destined to be defeated also considering the valor of the Rajputs. The Rajputs, the subject of the ruler Chohan, were invincible at that time. On the other hand, the soldiers of Ghori were equally determined. After thumping defeat from Prithviraj Chauhan, Ghori vowed to take revenge, and promised not to change clothes until he defeated Chauhan.

Also Read: The transformation of Maulana Abul A'la Maududi

Chauhan mistakenly took Ghori for granted the second time. While his troops and subjects were celebrating the victory, then came the Ghori's troops like a storm and ravaged everything. Its effects were so much so that its social, cultural, and political impacts are deeply felt to this day in the form of not only rivalry between Pakistan and India but also communal politics in India to a considerable scale.

The states of Pakistan and India were so much inspired by their respective heroes that even missiles are titled after their names- Ghori and Prithvi Missiles. 

Ghori Missile (left) and Prithvi Missile(right) 

Not only this, the innocent Muslims of India are enduring the wrath of extremist Hindus in India. Some rogue elements in India have not yet stomach the atrocities happened to them by the Muslim rulers. Therefore, their animosity is driving them to coerce the Muslim minority in India. The intellectual circle of Indian Muslims chastises Pakistani Muslims when they try to glorify the heroics of Ghori or Ghaznavi. They claim that such glorification invites the wrath of Hindu nationalists, and it is they who have to suffer at their hands. 

Also Read: The Message of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai

All this scenario lead us to believe that we have not yet learned from the past. The legacy of Ghori and Prithvi still continues in one way or another, and no wonder that it is also causing a rift between the two communities. It is better to forget such events which only freshen wounds.

Accountability in Pakistan and the role of National Accountability Bureau (NAB)

Accountability in Pakistan and the role of National Accountability Bureau (NAB)

‘Accountability’ (in Urdu, Ehtisab) is the buzzword of the current government, and it was the slogan of the ruling party before the 2018 elections. It is for certain not the first government that has embarked on this ambitious agenda. We had many Prime ministers and presidents in the past that dreamed of corruption-free Pakistan. But all in vain. Some argue that they did that only for solidifying their political positions, just as Imran khan is doing nowadays. Well, it is an undisputed truth that in the past such endeavors were mainly aimed at harassing political opposition leaders and seeking out their submission, as history suggests as well. Can the same be said for the recent political leadership? What is the role of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in all this? Is there any nexus between the Government and NAB? Does this law (NAB ordinance) act like its predecessors? Let’s find its answers in the succeeding paragraphs.

Also Read: The transformation of Maulana Abul A'la Maududi

A Brief History of Accountability in Pakistan.

Under the supervision of then Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali khan, the government promulgated ‘Public Representative Offices Disqualification Act’ (PRODA) on January, 1949. It was meant to check corruption and misuse of authority with effect from 14^th August 1947, along with holding the common people and politicians accountable.  As it always happens in the country, this act proved a death warrant to the careers of many seasoned politicians. The then chief minister of Punjab, Nawab Iftikhar Hussain Mamdot was prosecuted against this act. Soon his government was sent packing on the charges of corruption. In a similar attempt, Pir Illahi Bux, then CM of Sindh, was also sent to home. What is more, East Pakistan's chief minister, AK Fazal ul Haq, also met the same fate. In this way, the main political figures came under the ax of accountability.

PRODA could not live much after its creator and subsequently was repealed in 1954. But in 1959, President Ayub khan replaced it with a new law called Public Offices Disqualification Act (PODA) and then Elective Bodies Disqualification Order (EBDO). Ayub khan’s PODA and EBDO were also infamous for the same purposes. Initially, PODA got a great success, and the country got control of corruption. Many bureaucrats were prosecuted under this law. There was a state of terror regarding corruption among the office-bearers. But the EBDO tarnished its gains. After the introduction of the basic democracy system, it was massively used against political leaders on similar patterns of PRODA. It targeted many politicians across the parties that were opposed to “One Unit”. As many as 7000 individuals were EBDOed, as per the estimation.

Also Read: The Message of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai

The role of National Accountability Bureau (NAB)

Much similar to the refrain everyone presently hears, General Parvez Musharraf promised to get back looted money stashed abroad. In this context, he set up the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to probe and prosecute officials involved in corruption. On account of its charter, that is, NAB ordinance 1999, this institute was presumed to be an autonomous entity. Contrary to this, it was largely staffed by serving and retired military officials. Even bizarre, the heads of NAB under Musharraf were all serving generals. To add more, national and international human rights groups often accused this dog-watch institute of only going after those who were in the opposition camp and reluctant to cooperate with it. The International Crisis Group (ICG), in its 2002 report on Pakistan’s transition to democracy, termed the Musharraf government’s accountability process the ‘marred and selective targeting of the government’s civilian opposition. It has also been alleged that NAB pressurized some of the politicians at the time of 2002 elections, using its threat of investigation to force them into joining pro-government parties. Not surprisingly, some cases were withdrawn after the accused agreed to join the government. The names of two seasoned politicians of PPP, Aftab Sherpao and Faisal Saleh Hayat are conspicuous in this aspect. Against this background, one may also relate some of the events happening before the general elections of 2018. So suffice it say that anti-corruption drive simply became a handy tool to tame politicians and muster support for the regime.  Under this situation, the role of NAB in eliminating corruption is heavily under question.

What is Now?

-National Accountability Bureau (NAB)

The same Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) that are crying hue and cry against the ongoing campaign of accountability were once ardent supporter of accountability in their respective ruling times. If one can take the notice of the 1990s decade politics, one will surely know how dirty politics was reigning the supreme. But once their positions switch from opposition to treasury benches, they blame each other for the “selective accountability”. One may also hear the same complaints from both parties. This time not against each other but against another party. No matter what the time, this cycle is unabating and it is anybody’s guess how long it will continue? Will this drive spearheaded by NAB subdue with the passage of time, as was the case with PRODA, PODA, and EBDO? 

Also Read: 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t do

But one thing is for certain here, those who are being prosecuted would never cherish the idea of accountability. Though NAB operates somewhat aggressively because of its overriding authority, to which opposition call the ‘black law’, its performance over the past few years has been extraordinarily phenomenal. Unlike Musharraf’s government, its heads are now chosen by a broad consensus of the government and the opposition. Most recently, it is headed by a retired Judge. I,n the current scheme of things, it can be implicated that NAB is an absolute devoid of any ghost intervention. Its style of working is mandated through its ordinance. If the opposition had reservations, it must have amended its ordinance when it was at the helm. If China got rid of the corruption, it was primarily because of its bold measures and repressive tactics. If history is any guide, the only way forward to phase out corruption is ruthlessness, zero-tolerance policy, and across-the-board accountability, which at the moment are lacking on the part of PM Khan’s government.  

 

The transformation of Maulana Abul A'la Maududi

The transformation of Maulana Abul A'la Maududi

Maulana Abul A'la Maududi was one of the most influential and famed Islamic scholars of the Muslim world. He was a prolific author and thinker of his time. With his ideas, he gave birth to the term, “Political Islam”. Though this term was coined by another man after his demise but Maududi’s ideas were exactly centered on what that man defined in this term. However, he described the political expression of Islam as “Islamic Ideology”, insisting that politics was inherent in Islam, and therefore could not be separated from the faith. This vision nonetheless contradicts with that of Ibn Taymiyyah (the thirteenth-century Islamic scholar, who had had a great influence on Maulana Maududi)  which says that both can be separate entities. Not only Ibn Taymiyyah, but Muslim modernists also oppose this blend on account of its more propensity for totalitarian theocracy. All in all, to many, Maulana Maudid is largely considered a conservative Muslim scholar, not well-known for modernist views regarding Islam.

Also Read: 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t do

Transformation in Maududi- as a person

Maududi was born in 1903 in Aurangabad, then British India, into a family having relations with Sir Syed Ahmed khan, a famed Muslim modernist. Professor Irfan Ahmed in his treatise, 'Princeton Encyclopaedia of Islamic Political Thought', writes that Sir Syed convinced Maududi's grandfather to enroll his son ( Maududi's father) into Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College (MAO) in Aligarh. Maududi's father became an ardent supporter of Sir Sayed's Modernist ideas after spending some time in MAO. But that rankled the grandfather, as he had abhorrence towards liberal and westernized lifestyle. In this way, Maududi's father had to retreat and became fervently religious under his father's supervision. It had had its impact on his son (Maududi) as well, who was to be tutored at home rather than traditional madrassah. He continued his high school, and later on his father's death, he became a journalist. Though he worked in the newspaper owned by JUI-Hind, but he never showed his liking for the religion. 

Also Read: The Message of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai

Further, Professor Irfan tells that Maududi was moderate during his adolescence, he would go cinema and love music.  What is more, Vali Nasr, in his book 'Maududi and the making of Islamic Revivalism', asserts that Maududi's wife, Mahmudah Begum, was quite liberated. She didn't observe purdah (Veil) and rode a bicycle in public. Moreover, according to Leonard Binder's 1961 book 'Religion and Politics in Pakistan', Maududi translated many Arabic books into Urdu books, one of them was critical of purdah. Besides this, Leonard maintains that all of a sudden Maududi developed interest in reading Islamic books and history. At that time, he was also disturbed by the surge of nationalist sentiments in the subcontinent, and was bothered by the way in which Muslim modernists had interpreted 'Jihad' merely as an internalized personal struggle. Soon in 1932, Molana Maudidi wrote his first book named 'Towards understanding Islam', and chastised those Muslim modernists for their vague interpretations, giving an impression of orthodox scholars. And this is how he went through the transformation- the journey from a moderate Muslim to a rhetoric. 

-Towards understanding Islam

 

 Transformation in his party Jama’at-e-Islami  

Maulana Maududi laid the stone of his party, famously known as Jama’at-e-Islami (JI), in 1941. Though the party initially opposed the creation of Pakistan, later on, played a substantial role in the politics of the newborn state. Molana Maududi argued that Islam was a universal religion not subject to national boundaries. It is also said that Molana Maududi had not favorable views about Muhammad Ali Jinnah and dubbed him as ‘kaafir-e-Azam”, instead of Quaid-e-Azam. But this stance soon changed. Nowadays,  Jama’at-e-Islami is the most popular religious party in the country. Unlike other religious parties, it has a wide mass support in the lower and middle class of Urban Pakistan. it also remained a dominant political force in Karachi before the rise of the Mutahida Qomi Movement (MQM). Perhaps it is the only party in Pakistan that holds intra-party elections on a regular basis, thus sticking to the fundamentalism of democracy.  

-Maulana Abul A'la Maududi

The JI envisions a Pakistan governed by Islamic Shariah where Westernized-born capitalism, socialism, and the banking system has no place. At the moment, Jama’at-e-Islami is heavily dependent on the slogan of "Pakistan ka matlab Kia? La Illah Illalah". All its politics encircles on this slogan. Ironically, the same party that categorically opposed the idea of Pakistan soon became its so-called contractor. By and large, Maudid's JI got ideological transformation, just as he got himself.

- The flag of Jamaat e Islami

Book Review: 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t do

13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t do

In this digital age, almost every one of us is suffering in one way or another. The principal reason behind this suffering is our volatile nature, and our tendency towards emotional vulnerability. Technologically, we may have been advancing, but mentally, we have been regressing. Progress in one direction and regress in another is having a heavy toll on our mental health. This is why, every third person has a psychological disorder, as per reports. To address these issues, this book, “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t do”,  is an antidote. This book helps in building up an invincible character that cannot be easily exposed to harmful things that have their effect on the mental being of an individual.

 

The author’s experience through hard times.

In this book, Amy Morin gives a brief account of herself: how she went through a tragic journey. As a therapist, she got great success professionally. Soon got married, and bought house. Life seemed a bed of roses to her until she got a call from her sister, informing about her mother’s critical condition. She rushed to the hospital along with her husband, only to hear her mother has been expired due to Brain aneurysm. Amy was so devastated at the sudden demise of her mother. Soon she started to heal. After 3^rd death anniversary of her mother, she was invited along with her husband to a basketball game by her close friends. Amy Morin had a great time with friends there in the same hall where she saw last time her mother. Shortly after reaching home, her husband collapsed due to a heart attack. At the age of 26, she found herself a widow. It was a very painful period for her. It was then she realized good habits are not enough when someone is going through tough times. It takes only one or two small bad habits to hold you back. Through that period, she held out hope that someday life could get better. And eventually, it did when she met Steve, fell in love with him, and later on married him. Again, she got a fresh start in her life. But that did not continue for long either, as Steve’s dad suffered from terminal cancer. She started to think, “Why do these always have to keep happening?” “Why do I have to keep losing all my loved ones?” “This is not fair”.  If she learned anything from all that was that way of thinking would hold her back. She knew she was going to need as much mental strength as she could muster to get through one more loss. Hence she sat down and wrote the list of all things that mentally strong people don’t do. All these were things only a reminder of small habits that would stuck Amy Morin. Her journey taught her that the secret to being mentally strong was that she had to give up her bad mental habits.  Following is the list of those 13 things that mentally strong people don’t do.

 

List of 13 things mentally strong people don’t do.

1.       They don’t waste time feeling sorry for themselves.

2.       They don’t give away their power.

3.       They don’t shy away from change. 

4.      They don’t waste energies on things they cannot control. 

5.      They don’t worry about pleasing everyone.

6.      They don’t mind taking calculated risks.

7.      They don’t dwell on the past.

8.     They don’t make the same mistakes over and over.

9.     They don’t resent other people success. 

10.   They don’t give up after the first failure.

11.   They don’t fear alone time.

12.   They don’t feel the world owes them anything.

13.   They don’t expect immediate results. 

Three destructive beliefs that hold us back.

According to the author, Amy Morin, there are three types of destructive beliefs that make us less effective and sap our mental strength. The first one is certainly unhealthy beliefs about ourselves. We often tend to feel sorry for ourselves. Well, it is fine to be sad when something bad occurs. Self-pity goes beyond that. It is when you start to magnify your misfortune. This kind of thinking keeps you stuck, and resist you to find the solution. Even when you fail to find the solution, you can always take steps to make your life or somebody else’s life better. But you cannot do that when you are busy hosting your own pity party.

-Amy Morin 

Next, the other destructive belief is our unhealthy beliefs about others. We think other people can control us, thus giving away our power to them. If you say, “ I have to work late”. In doing so, you give away your power. It is possible that if you don’t work late, there may be severe consequences. But the truth is, it is still a choice. Or when you say, “My boss drives me crazy”. Basically, you are giving away your power. So it depends totally upon you how you respond to these matters.

-Amy Morin

The last belief that holds us back is unhealthy beliefs about the world. We tend to think the world owes us something- a sense of entitlement. When I say, “ I work really hard, therefore I deserve success”. Expecting success to fall into my lap will only lead me to disappointment.

Reviews of other books

 Book Review: Pakistan Under Siege: Extremism, Society, and the State by Madiha Afzal


Book Review: The New Silk roads: the present and future of the world by Peter Frankopan

Book Review: "The Battle for Pakistan – The Bitter US Friendship and a Tough Neighbourhood" by Shuja Nawaz