Related post: A critical analysis of the MWM resolution at the Karachi Shia rally
While we welcome the increasing wave of awareness amongst Pakistan’s Shia Muslims in response to their ongoing genocide by Jihadi-sectarian terrorists (ASWJ-SSP, Taliban), it is important to offer some advice to the organizers of the Quran-o-AhleBait Conference (Karachi, 25 March 2012) particularly the leaders of Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM).
We are worried that some of the discourse being used by at least some Shia speakers and religious scholars seems to be directly inspired from the official policy of Pakistan army and intelligence agencies and is not very different from the Xenophobic and conspiracy theory discourse of the ISI-sponsored Difa-e-Pakistan Conference.
Here are some extracts from the speeches at the conference reported in Pakistani media:
The News
‘US, Israel threat to Pakistan’
Fasahat Mohiuddin
Monday, March 26, 2012
Karachi – The Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen has said that the US and Israel are a threat to Pakistan. The MWM also condemned all kinds of sectarianism, extremism and terrorism in the country.
The MWM also urged sectarian harmony and unity and asked the people to join the MWM for preserving the integrity of the country.
These were the highlights of the Quran Wa Ahle Bait Conference held under the aegis of the MWM at Nishtar Park here on Sunday. Through a resolution, the MWM paid rich tributes to all those who gave sacrifices for the defence of the country.
Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri, secretary-general of the MWM, said that Shias had given a clear message to the relevant quarters that Pakistan could not become a den of US imperialism.
He said they would vote for only those candidates who rejected the US agenda. “We want unity among Muslims and invite all the Muslims to join hands with us, and we join hands with each other,” he said.
The MWM chief said that the children of the founders of Pakistan had gathered at the Nishtar Park to reject the killing of Shias at the behest of foreign masters.
He said that the country’s stability was linked with saying no to the US agenda.
The MWM chief said that US imperialism wanted civil wars and instability in all the Muslim countries.
Allama Jafri said, “We are sure Pakistan will prosper without the United States.”
Sabil Hussain Mazahari from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter said that the US stooges and terrorists posed a serious threat to the country’s stability and unity.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-4-99487-US-Israel-threat-to-Pakistan
…….
Business Recorder
MWM urges government not to reopen Nato supply routes
MARCH 26, 2012
MONITORING DESKMajlis-e-Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen (MWM) on Sunday urged the government to end foreign interference in domestic affairs of the country and not to reopen Nato supply route, Aaj News reported on Sunday.
General Secretary Majlis-e-Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen, Allama Nasir Abbas, while addressing participants of ‘Quran and Ahl-e-Bait Conference’ at Nishtar Park, said that Pakistan was on the verge of collapse due to flawed policies of Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement.
He further said that the US ambassador Cameron Munter had no right to meddle with Pakistani policies, the channel added.
Speakers said that people of the country were fed up with the corrupt politicians.
http://www.brecorder.com/top-stories/0/1169008/
……..
Dawn
People urged to unite against sectarianism
Our Staff Reporter
Metropolitan > Karachi
26th March, 2012KARACHI, March 25: Demanding concrete steps to bring an end to the killing of Shias in different cities, Majlis-i-Wahdat-i-Muslimeen leaders on Sunday declared that they would foil foreign conspiracies aimed at fomenting unrest in the country.
Opposing the restoration of supplies to the US-led Nato forces in Afghanistan, they said the imperialist forces wanted civil wars in all Muslim countries, let alone Pakistan, to exploit their resources.
“The World Bank and other financial institutions are also pursuing the US agenda to enslave the people of developing countries across the world through loans and borrowings,” they said.
Pakistan could prosper and achieve political, social and economic stability if the people rejected those following the US agenda, said the MWM leaders.
Other MWM leaders said that conspiracies were being hatched not only against Palestine or Afghanistan but also against Pakistan and other Muslim countries. They said that the US, the UK and Israel had been supporting extremism in developing countries to incite unrest there and occupy their oil resources. They said sectarian killings in Pakistan were part of an international conspiracy.
The US stooges spreading terror in the country posed serious threat to Pakistan’s unity, they said.
http://www.dawn.com/2012/03/26/people-urged-to-unite-against-sectarianism.html
Looking at the resolutions passed by the 25 March conference, at least some points in the resolutions and some messages conveyed to Pakistani Shias are not much different from the ISI-backed anti-Shia Difa-e-Pakistan Conference.
Out of the 16 points of the resolution passed by the conference, at least 8 seem to be directly taken from a a Difa-e-Pakistan Conference or ISPR press release with minor edits or tweaking:
قرار دار کا مکمل متن یہ ہے
1.
۔ پیروان قرآن و اہلبیت کا یہ شاندار اجتماع تحریک پاکستان سے لیکر دفاع پاکستان تک دی گئی تمام قربانیوں کو خراج تحسین پیش کرتے ہوئے وطن کی سلامتی کے لیے ہر قربانی دینے کا عہد کرتا ہے۔
2.
۔ قرآن و اہلبیت کانفرنس کا یہ عظیم الشان اجتماع مکتب قرآن و اہلبیت کے تمام پیروکاروں کو اتحاد کی دعوت دیتے ہوئے ہر اس عمل کی مذمت کرتا ہے جو مومنین کے درمیان افتراق کا سبب بنتے ہیں۔
3.
۔ قرآ ن و اہلبیت کے پروانوں کا یہ عظیم الشان اجتماع مسلمانوں کے تمام مکاتب فکر کو عملی وحدت کی دعوت دیتا ہے، اسلام دشمن تفرقہ پرست تکفیری گروپوں کی مذمت کرتے ہوئے تمام مسلمان بھائیوں کو ان کے خلاف اتحاد کر کے ملکی سلامتی کو یقینی بنانے کی دعوت دتیا ہے۔4.
۔ ہم پاکستان میں فرقہ واریت، دہشت گردی اور عوامی استحصال میں ملوث عالمی دہشت گرد امریکا، اسرائیل اور ان کے حواریوں کے نفوذ کو پاکستان کی سلامتی کیلے براہ راست خطرہ تصور کرتے ہوئے امریکی عزائم کے خلاف کارروائی کا مطالبہ کرتے ہیں۔5.
۔ ہم عالمی اسلامی بیداری کی تحریکوں بالخصوص فلسطین، یمن، بحرین، تیونس، لیبیا کے عوام اور شام میں امریکا اور اسرائیل کی ایما پر ہونے والی دہشت گردی کی مذمت کرتے ہیں اور شام میں جمہوری عمل اور اصلاحات کی حمایت کا اعلان کرتے ہیں۔6.
۔ اجتماع میں شریک لاکھوں شیعیان حیدر کرار پاکستان میں ڈرون حملوں اور نیٹو سپلائی کی مذمت کرتے ہوئے افغانستان میں قرآن جلانے اور بے گناہ لوگوں کا خون بہانے کے امریکی اقدام کی شدید مذمت کرتے ہوئے افغانستان سے امریکی انخلا کا مطالبہ کرتے ہیں۔12.
۔ یہ عظیم الشان اجتماع جمہوری اسلامی پاکستان میں مغربی ثقافت کو پھیلانے کی شدید مذمت کرتے ہوئے میڈیا کو اسلامی و پاکستانی ثقافت کی ترویج کی تلقین کرتا ہے۔14.
۔ وطن عزیز میں غربت مہنگائی اور معاشی بدحالی کو حکومتی بدانتظامی اور عالمی اداروں کے متعصبانہ رویہ اور کرپشن کا براہ راست نتیجہ قرار دیتے ہوئے مجلس وحدت ان مسائل کو حل کرنے کے لیے ملکی سطح پر بھرپور کردار ادا کرنے کا عہد کرتی ہے۔
We suggest that MWM must refrain from recycling and reinforcing the Difa-e-Pakistan’s discourse on NATO supplies, US-Israel conspiracy in Shia genocide etc. Why can’t they plainly hold the Saudi funded, ISI supported Jihadi-Deobandis responsible for Shia genocide in Pakistan?
They must not forget that the US’s actions, of course shaped by its own priorities, served to save Shias of Afghanistan from Taliban and Shias of Iraq from Saddam Hussain. Yes, US’s role on Iran, Israel and Bahrain is based on hypocrisy yet politics is the art of possibilities. Nobody is killing Shias in the USA, UK or India, they are being killed in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain by Jihadi-Deobandis and Jihadi-Salafis.
By its very nature the US is neither pro-Shia nor anti-Shia. The US is only pro its own commercial and strategic interests. In contrast, Saudi Salafis and Jihadi-Doebandis are anti-Shia by their very design and ideology.
This fact that “US will do anything for its own interest” is being very cleverly used not only by Israelis but also Saudis. Convergence of interest is important in the currently uni-polar world. Saudi-Ikhwan lobby is spending millions of dollars to influence the US strategy and foreign policy. Same could be done from the opposite camp. Idealism is all good, pragmatism demands that Shia genocide and all genocides must come to an end. As followers of Hussain, Shias must support all persecuted communities including Sunnis, Christians, Jews and Hindus. We must not be a part of any form of Xenophobia, anti-Semitism or racist or sectarian discourses.
We must not ignore the fact that the current, anti-Iran fever is, in the main, manufactured by Saudis and other tiny Sheikhdoms of the Persian Gulf. Saudis own the capital and the lobbyists, US is serving as a willing mercenary not only for Saudis but also for Israel. US is being well paid!
We must not under-estimate the political influence of Saudis. They were responsible for the 9/11 attack but were able to quickly retract their other ‘assets’ from the US immediately after 9/11. See what Salafis and Ikhwans have recently gained in Egypt and Libya. Now they are about to take over Syria. Here are some links to show the growing influence of the Saudi-Ikhwan lobby:
http://criticalppp.com/archives/59181
http://criticalppp.com/archives/64365
https://pakistanblogzine.wordpress.com/2011/12/10/a-rebuttal-to-mufti-edward-luttwaks-anti-shia-article/ http://criticalppp.com/archives/74002
http://criticalppp.com/archives/60345
http://criticalppp.com/archives/67049
Of course, Shias have to rely on their own shoulders to defend themselves. This self-defence also includes lobbying in the media and also in power centres of the world.
Here is a report of the conference from Iranian news agency IRNA. We could have easily replaced Raja Abbas Jafri’s name with Maulan Samiul Haq without much change in the content.
http://www.irna.ir/News/Politic/Pakistani-Shiite-alliance-to-announce-political-strategy/80051935
Let’s hope that MWM leaders will review their Xenophobic and DPC style discourse. Xenophobia comes cheap. It is expected of the DPC (whose heroes, Taliban, are being killed by the US, hence their stance on NATO supplies), not by MWM. Unless MWM wants Taliban to take over Kabul to enable more massacres in Bamiyan and Mazar, is that what they want?
On a closing note, religious scholars are respectable and may be consulted in religious matters. However, any suggestion of scholastic hierarchy of religious scholars in political affairs is problematic. Pakistan’s Shias have already suffered a lot because of such foreign concepts and agendas.
At the same time we acknowledge that “there are no worthwhile secular leaders.” Secular parties and leaders have failed to protect Shias and other persecuted communities in the country. Yet, this does not mean we are to uncritically accept the political hierarchy of religious scholars.
MWM must steer clear of the MMA and DPC style Xenophobia and conspiracy theories. Focus on the ASWJ-SSP (Jihadi-Deobandis) and those financing them (Saudi Arabia) and those supporting and protecting the killers (Pakistan army). Do not confuse the already confused and most target killed community, please!
