EU's Hostility
By Shireen M. Mazari
We Pakistanis are certainly not
without our many faults, most of which we admit
to but fail to rectify as a collectivity. As for
the state, its shortcomings have been only too evident
in recent months. In terms of faith of the majority,
we have never been in any doubt as to the commitment
to Islam but we are a diverse and homogenous nation
and have undertaken our religious commitments in
our own way having had the advantage of not needing
a formal -- and hence doctrinal --church or clergy.
That is why when the state decided to takeover the
function of zakat, it not only had to make exceptions
for some sects but also failed in performing zakat
distribution effectively without favor. Instead,
a new avenue was opened for politicization and corruption.
In the same way, blasphemy laws promulgated by the
state have been abused in such a manner that they
are simply indefensible. They have become a tool
for repression, discrimination and terrorization
not only of minorities but Muslims as well. That
is why in our now almost receding vision of enlightenment
and moderation, given the ever-increasing absurdity
of the state's continuing indulgence of the Jamia
Hafsa-Lal Masjid extremists, we should not even
attempt to defend this law in any manner whatsoever.
Why do we doubt our own people on their commitment
to Islam? And are any of our upholders of "the
cause" on morally sounder grounds than the
average citizen? Now that personal mud raking and
sleaze are becoming an integral part of our political
culture, much in the way that the Nazi party used
such tactics in Germany, it will be difficult for
any member of the ruling elite to sustain the impeccable
high moral ground, since all of us are human beings
endowed with human failings.
The point I am making is that we do have failings,
but that is no reason to constantly be put on the
defensive by our external detractors who have equal
vulnerabilities. The most recent case in point is
the growing hostility being displayed by the EU
towards Pakistan -- a hostility that is becoming
ever more irrational and shows the continuing anti-Islam
thread that still runs through the white European
psyche. Behind the high moral ground the EU tends
to adopt of human rights and freedom, there is an
underlying political duplicity and hypocrisy at
work. For instance, where was the voice of the EU
when the massacre of Muslims happened in Gujarat,
India? Also, we see no mention of the persecution
of minorities in India despite attacks on Churches
and missionaries. Nor has the EU ever sought to
condemn the caste system for its discriminatory
nature. In any event, such issues have certainly
never been raised in discussions on economic issues.
Undoubtedly it is our own fault. Take the case of
the EU on Kashmir. First, no one in Pakistan sought
to use pro-activism to point to the EU Parliament
that in the highly politicized dispute of Kashmir,
an EU Rapporteur, who heads the India caucus, can
hardly be balanced. Instead of raising valid objections
at her appointment, and simply refusing to work
with her, we thought we could "charm"
her through some of her so-called Pakistani friends.
Even here we were then not prepared to pay the price
she was seeking, so at the end of the day, her Report
on Kashmir is a bizarre document that seeks to pass
judgment on Pakistan's internal dynamics as much
as on Kashmir. Unfortunately, she basically submitted
a document that was as Indian in content as anything
the Indians could have produced.
Yet even at that time, our decision-makers thought,
rather naively, that we could rationalize with the
EU parliament to see the bias and distortions in
her draft. Again, our strategy, flawed as it was
to begin with, failed miserably and the final Report,
which the EU Parliament approved earlier this month,
basically reflects the Indian posturing on Kashmir.
This is unfortunate and perhaps the Kashmiri and
Pakistani Diaspora in Europe can now begin to become
a more effective force in EU politics -- aside for
once.
That Baroness Nicholson is fast turning into a mouthpiece
for the Indian state is becoming ever more abundant
if one looks at her response to the letter written
by Pakistan's ambassador to the EU on May 8, 2007.
In fact, the whole debacle of the EU Report on Kashmir
is one of the clearest reflections of a complete
failure of our policy in this regard, but will we
accept this reality and learn from it? When mid
rank diplomats proclaim that they do not read newspapers
because they get misguided since there is no correct
information in them, then one can only wonder at
the level of information and awareness that prevails
in the overly-sanctified atmosphere of Scherezade
Hotel! As for belittling the media, it seems to
have become the favorite pastime for officialdom
at large.
With our diplomacy seemingly in a state of strange
suspension -- or at least lethargy -- the EU feels
it can attack Pakistan at will. It is no wonder
then that the EU Parliament's resolution of 24 May
2007 on Kashmir: present situation and future prospects,
makes a totally out-of-context reference to the
CJP issue and the internal politics of Pakistan!
The reference is not only incongruous but reveals
the innate hostility that still dominates white
Europe's thinking on the only nuclear Muslim state,
Pakistan.
This growing hostile trend towards Pakistan has
been there within the EU for a while now. After
all, we have had the EU decide to have an FTA with
India but not with Pakistan and then we have been
told that this will not impact us! Are we really
taken to be such fools? More recently, we have just
seen the ludicrous situation of an EU delegation
coming to Pakistan for trade discussions and then
raising unrelated issues like demanding the sending
of observers for the elections.
It is not that Pakistan would object and the EU
has always sent observers -- including the hostile
Mr. Cushnahan -- but was an economic forum the place
where this issue should have been raised? Especially
since we in Pakistan have yet to be told of the
date for the elections!
Is there a logic to the EU hostility? Not really.
Instead, there are two main factors that may be
generating this hostility -- other than our nuclear
capability, of course and the historic legacy of
the crusades which continues to underlie the discourse
of the EU even with Turkey and of the Vatican with
the Muslim World. There is the growing and increasingly
assertive Muslim population of Europe -- in some
countries comprising primarily of migrants with
Pakistani ancestry. The EU is unable to accept that
it has a bias against these migrants, especially
the Muslims. Some of these biases are actually reflected
in laws -- others are reflected in practices.
So when EU representatives choose to discuss our
indefensible Blasphemy Law, let us accept its shortcomings
and instead seek a discussion on their discriminatory
laws and practices against Muslim minorities (earlier
columns have cited a few). Why should only Pakistan's
internal dynamics be up for discussions in what
is supposed to be a bilateral dialogue? We have
our faults and our problems and we need to face
up to them, but let the EU move beyond its duplicity
and hypocrisy and also accept its shortcomings.
(Dr Shireen M. Mazari is director general of the
Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad. Courtesy
The News)
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