Why Gaza matters to Pakistanis

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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There seems to be this lament that Paksitanis worry about Gaza a great deal. And some how that is unnatural and wrong. I will attempt to answer that query as best as possible.

  1. It is natural to feel for someone who is getting bombed to hell for the actions of another. More importantly it is rather natural to feel a sense of injustice when women and children are indiscriminately targeted.

Of course the average Pakistani doesn’t care if the child is American or India or Palestinian. A child is a child. would however deem the color of the skin necessary and require a national ID card before they feel any sympathy.

  1. Pakistani’s equate the freedom struggle in Kashmir with what is happening in Palestine. The land was forcibly taken without just cause. UNSC resolutions prove that withou a doubt. If you disagree feel free to look up the statements of the US government when it agreed to Israel vacating all territory taken in the 1967 and 1973 wars.

It something those of us who have grown up in Pakistan, lived there and seen understand far more greatly than others. Since Kashmir is an issue dear to the hearts of the average Pakistani, Palestine and the actions in Gaza have a resounding similiarity.

  1. The concept of the Islamic Ummah. It is something that nearly every muslim feels is rather important and connects us in away that really can’t be described. This is not in just day to day affairs but also in Geo-politics. Just sit in a meeting of the OIC or any corner shop where muslims from various nations sit. The views are the same, the discussions and worries are the same.

Be you arab, african, south asian or south east asian, they all feel the pain of muslims suffering as acutely as their own. I have seen this with my own eyes considering I have lived in Indonesia, Egypt, Pakistan and now Sudan.

Any questions?

NOTE: No nick twists allowed (saying for umpteenth time).

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Re: Why Gaza matters to Pakistanis

^Point one and two are corollaries of point one. It boils down to the same thing - A religious war!

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Re: Why Gaza matters to Pakistanis

Which aspect from the Indian and Israeli side is religious?

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You know CM.

What you say is nothing new. British-Indian Muslims (now Pakistanis and Indian Muslims) had always had this emotional side, and it drove them mad many a times, and with horrible consequence to their own-selves.

Three particular regions in the British India stood out for their Pan-Islamic madness: One was dirt poor Bihar, the second was poverty stricken UP, and the third was urban areas of relatively well off Punjab (shows the disease afflicted many levels of socio-economic groupings). There were off course sprinkling of madness in E. Bengal, and some parts of Southern regions too. But Bihar, UP, and Punjab urban (Lahore and Pindi) took the proverbial cake. It was for these regions that Iqbal said so eloquently:

Masjid to bana dee shab bhar main, eeman ki hararat walon nain
Mun upna puraana paapi hai, burson main namazi bun na saka

The gist of this verse is that Musalmaan is ready to kill and maim in the name of Islam, but heavens forbid if he ever practices the fundamental tenants of Islam. What are those fundamentals you ask, well the same that Mohammad pbuh practiced BEFORE ever talking about Allah and Gibraeel. And those fundamental tenants are?????

Iqbal wrote this verse after a "mini" Gaza took place in Lahore over a dilapidated building, that Muslims called Masjid Shahid ganj, and Sikhs owned the building. Or may be instead of Gaza, we can compare Lahore's shameful incident to Babri masjid fiasco but in reverse. In Lahore Muslims claimed "historical" ownership like Hindus did for babri. But the Sikhs had the "current or most recent" ownership like Muslims in Babri case.

And CM just like you are at pains listing all these wonderful points, back then firebrand Mullahs like Bukhari were making the same sort of crazy lists. So now you know the historical linkage between 1940 Indian Musalmaan, and 2008 Indian/Pak Musalmaan. The same craziness, and the same emotional outbursts. I guess time does not heal afterall.

So yes the Pashtoons, the urban punjabis, and the Urdu speaking from Pakistan would love to slash and burn in the name of Gaza, but no one will ever try to douse the flames and ask Palestinians to respect Israelis and expect Israelis will protect and accept Palestinians. Thus the jingoism and intolerance will go on and on like it had for the last 60 odd years.

With respect and message of peace.

p.s. And off course it is important to repeat:

The gist of this verse is that Musalmaan is ready to kill and maim in the name of Islam, but heavens forbid if he ever practices the fundamental tenants of Islam. What are those fundamentals you ask, well the same that Mohammad pbuh practiced BEFORE ever talking about Allah and Gibraeel. And those fundamental tenants are?????

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Re: Why Gaza matters to Pakistanis

burqa while we are at it, we should show respect to every occupier BECAUSE they are capable of bring havoc to their subjects.

And darling after we convert in non-muslims you think out fate would be any different???
Look at africa/south america.

Wht r u doing ?
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item 2- Pakistanis should thus feel some empathy for Israel as well, after all its a new country, like pakistan, carved out for a specific group based on ideology.

item 3 and the closing points- Hate to say this, but ppl simply dont give a damn about Sudan remotely close to how they do about palestine. This has more to do with regional politics with the religious tone than just concern for ummah.

I dont disagree with you, but wanted to note that a large portion of the outpouring of support for palestine is based on geography, who the other side is, and the usage of tha as political currency by regimes, the religiously portrayed political entities and media who knows it will sell.

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Re: Why Gaza matters to Pakistanis

I Agree with CM, mulims feel the pain of other muslims, no matter what color or race they are from.

Ther are few amoung us and other muslim societies who tries to kill the concept of Muslim Ummah and base every thing either on MONEY Matters or maybe are dumb enough to believe each and every word MEDIA has to say...

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Re: Why Gaza matters to Pakistanis

hanibal- speaking of ummah, how many major rallies for darfur have taken place in other countries?

Sing a Song according 2 Ur Mood !!!!!
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Re: Why Gaza matters to Pakistanis

^ the 'why no darfur shafor' arguement doesnt hold water when trying deflate attention away from palestine

anyway thats another thread
..............

pakistanis can feel what they want but the pakistani government is rather lame in addressing the issue although it does cause the country immense problems.

pakistan will get involved only when its interests are already lost, ie too late

its perhaps better for pakisan to help another nation who has beef with israel, but this route is slowly being closed. its true to say the nations which does take on israel will be 'gihadi' in nature because it is a very dangerous situation to be in and it requires a very offensive approach

~~Foodie Food~~
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Re: Why Gaza matters to Pakistanis

We have to look at the root of the problems we are facing today, lets go back to 250 years what happened to Muslim Ummah. Sorry their is no Ummah its just bunch of rats running their and here.

Lets accept the reality, we can't fight west today for all of their hideousness crimes against Muslims , we have to wait, we have to rebuild. I am very moderate in thinking and take very lightly Islamic rules & regulations. But let me speak up, what is happening in Gaza is just killing me from inside, i wish i have the power to defend my sisters & brothers their. InshALLAH we will take revenge of every drop of blood, one day ..

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I have two choices here: Side with "terrorists" (Arabs both Muslim and Christian) who have nothing OR with the genocidal maniacs (Jews) who have everything.

I'll side with the "terrorists".

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Re: Why Gaza matters to Pakistanis

**

NOTE: If you are terrorist then check with your local police station or call CIA.
**

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indeed it does not because its answering the assertion that it is due to ummah. an assertion which does not hold water, so its an answer to a weak premise to begin with.

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well..you have more than 2 choices, you have the maniacal isareli govt, you have the idiotic hamas/hizbollah folks and then you have innocent palestinians stuck between them.

so you dont have to side with israel or hamas, and can side with the palestinians.

i support niether israel nor hamas/hezbollah/their bank-rollers in this conflict, but the innocent people caught in between.

Wht r u doing ?
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And how do you do that, thats the million dollar Question

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all palestinians are innocent including hamas

'Kiya Karon' Ki Smartness
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true say

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This is a very ignorant and naive argument because all Palestinians are Hamas (even Fatah has said this) and about 80% of Lebanese are Hezbollah. Do not forget that Hezbollah is Lebanon's second largest employer.

You have to pick a side, there's is no middle course.

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Re: Why Gaza matters to Pakistanis

^^ He cannot pick a side, he have to check either what MEDIA has to say on this or he have to see where more MONEY is.... i think thats the middle ground he might be talking of.

Hamas are fighting for cause, they'll fight and they may win back Bait-ul-Muqadas one day, may be we don't live that long to see it happening, Hats off to the courage of the Palestinian muslims that they have not given up their struggle to claim their right on the Bait-ul-Muqadas despite the fact that they have lost millions of lives.

Religion might be something of fun or evening-discussion-topic to some, but Islam is religon which give the concept of Ummah, a group of people Worship the same Allah, and follow one Book.

I know, today or let say from last 300 years we have not set the example of best people amoung the people, we are not practicing our religion as it should be practised and yet we pose a threat to Merchant of Death, i.e. the westerns. Imagine if we unit...

Nonetheless, there are rats amoung us, who will laugh at this imagination, but yes there were big number of fools who laughed at the very concept of Pakistan.

Gazans or Muslims anywhere in world, are our brothers, the least we can do is express our soladarity with our brothers in Gaza.

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Re: Why Gaza matters to Pakistanis

I agree with you CM but why doesnt any other muslim country feel anything when Pakistan is in trouble???