Worrying remarks
THESE are ominous words from Gwadar. Maulana Hidayatur Rehman, chairman of the Gwadar Haq Do Tehreek, has warned that his supporters will not hesitate to take up arms if their demands remain unmet. At the moment, it is unclear whether Mr Rehman’s patience has actually run out or whether he is simply jockeying for public attention ahead of the general elections. Striking a comparably softer tone in the same press conference, Mr Rehman also said, “We will continue our peaceful, democratic struggle within the Constitution as it directly concerns the survival of the local population.” It is hoped, both for his sake and the people of Gwadar’s, that he will stick to the latter path. Violence is never a solution to matters that can be decided with reason and negotiation. If the state has indeed failed to keep its agreements with the HDT, the latter should keep pushing to secure its rights through legitimate means. It has ample capability to do so, as demonstrated by its well-attended protests and demonstrations in the past. Turning to unlawful means now would only result in the movement losing the positive momentum it has gained over the years.
At the same time, however, the state also needs to reassess its approach to addressing the legitimate concerns of Gwadar’s people. The HDT movement has consistently been asking for locals’ livelihoods to be secured against rapacious commercial fishing operations; for the menace of drug smuggling to be eliminated; and for the removal of unnecessary restrictions on their trade and movement, which usually take the shape of army-controlled checkpoints. These demands do not seem unreasonable, and it is understandable why the HDT feels slighted by the authorities’ failure to deliver. This is a regrettable situation that must be remedied at the earliest. In a region wreaked by violence, the HDT has offered the state a chance to demonstrate that politics can be a viable medium through which solutions can be found for the problems faced by the Baloch people. Both the caretaker prime minister and the interior minister hail from the province. They are expected to demonstrate a greater responsibility towards its welfare. They should do everything in their power to prevent what has so far remained a legitimate political movement from turning into yet another armed struggle against the state.
Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023
More desecration
THE far right, particularly in Europe, has been carrying out a sustained campaign of desecrating Islam’s holiest symbols.
Over the past few months, there have been numerous instances where the Holy Quran has either been burnt or desecrated in European states.
While earlier instances occurred mostly in Sweden and Denmark, the latest outrage took place in the Netherlands on Sept 23, when the leader of the Dutch wing of Pegida, a notorious pan-European hate group, desecrated the Holy Book outside a number of Muslim embassies.
These included the missions of Pakistan, Turkiye and Indonesia. Before the Quran burnings, there was a wave of offensive caricatures, and if one is to travel back in time, there were Orientalist tropes demeaning Islam and its sacred figures in the name of ‘scholarship’.
Clearly, these attacks on the Islamic faith are not motivated by an attachment to free speech, but by raw hatred. It should be noted that many of the hatemongers involved in these heinous acts belong to the same violent white nationalist ideological spectrum that spawned the killers who massacred Muslims in Christchurch, Oslo and Montreal.
Islamophobia is, therefore, not about intellectual notions of free speech, but about condoning and advocating real-world violence against Muslims. And it is not just Western extremists who use Islamophobia to target Muslims; the Sangh Parivar in India has been indulging in anti-Muslim violence for decades, now apparently with the state’s blessings.
But one positive development in this regard was witnessed at the UN General Assembly last week, where leaders from the Muslim world — showing rare unity — spoke with one voice to condemn Islamophobia.
Turkish President Recep Erdogan said “a plague” of racism was afflicting the West, while Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi commented that the acts of desecration were “not worthy of human dignity”. Pakistan has also consistently spoken up against Islamophobia at global forums.
Beyond condemnation, practical steps are needed, particularly in the states where repeated acts of desecration have occurred, to put an end to these provocations.
Both Denmark and Sweden are reportedly considering banning the desecration of religious texts on security grounds. These steps should help curb this menace and need to be ratified at the earliest.
Just as Europe has taken a consistent approach against anti-Semitism — after millions of Jews were massacred on European soil over six decades ago — so too must Western states take a firm stand against Islamophobia. Just as questioning the Holocaust is a crime in many Western states, similarly, acts of hatred targeting Islam or any other religion must be outlawed.
A new compact is needed between civilisations based on mutual respect and tolerance. This cannot be achieved if the most sacred symbols of one of the world’s largest faiths are constantly attacked and desecrated.
Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023
Justice or vendetta?
ONE wonders whether all pretence of the state as a democracy has been whittled down to a point where it has simply faded away. In a democracy, where the rule of law should reign supreme come what may, the ongoing rearrests of PTI members certainly point to such a situation.
The most recent episode involving four women activists being rearrested immediately after their release from Kot Lakhpat jail demands not only scrutiny but also introspection. This is but a snapshot of a far larger narrative.
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has been arrested 12 times since the May 9 protests that led to the crackdown on the party. The septuagenarian’s continuous entanglements with the law, most recently in a graft case involving alleged land value manipulation, underscore the intense pressures that PTI leaders face.
Last Saturday, an anti-terrorism court granted bail to several members of the party, including women activists, in connection with the Jinnah House attack case. The rearrest of these women, right outside jail, despite the court having ordered their release, raises many questions regarding the motive behind such a move.
While a police official cites another case pertaining to the May 9 attacks as the cause behind the fresh arrest, one cannot help but ask: is it a genuine pursuit of justice or does this smack of political vendetta?
Such events only serve to undermine the public’s trust in the criminal justice system, fostering perceptions of misuse of power. For the sake of democracy, transparency, and justice, the authorities must clarify their stance on what appear to be, since May, arbitrary arrests.
The nation deserves to know why the court’s orders seem to only be momentary effective, with individuals granted bail finding themselves in custody almost immediately. The way forward is clear: an unbiased, thorough investigation into the cases, while ensuring that the rights of PTI members are upheld.
Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023