Peace with Jews irritate some

For a country that has been more hostile to Israel in the past than many Arab countries, recent developments in Pakistan must alarm extremists. Pakistan is no ordinary Muslim country. Most Middle-Eastern regimes view Pakistan as a Sunni counterbalance to Shia Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Saudi Arabia, especially, has been quietly gnawing over Iran’s alleged nuclear program. Enmity between the House of Saud and Shia go back a long way, with Saudi ulema (religious authorities) relentlessly denouncing the Shia as apostates.

Pakistan’s diplomatic provocations began with high-level talks between the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Israel, an action that angered many Pakistani religious groups. That the meeting was hosted by Turkey, another Muslim nation that recognizes Israel, was a fact few missed.

Then came the casual handshake between Pervez Musharraf and Ariel Sharon in the labyrinthine halls of the United Nations, gleefully arranged by the Senegali President, Abdoulaye Wade. Shrewd observers will no doubt note that Abdoulaye Wade  is not only a devout Muslim, but also a committed Sufi. Not surprisingly, Saudi ulema have a low opinion of Sufis too.

In a landmark address to Jewish leaders of the American Jewish Congress, Musharraf’s ’scandalous’ call to "revive the historical ties between Islam and Judaism" was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The floodgates of skepticism were thrown wide open.

Mr Nihad Awad of the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) promptly issued a statement:

“I strongly believe that there should be no relations with the state of Israel before a comprehensive peace settlement is established, which is satisfactory to Palestinians and after Israel adheres to all United Nations resolutions and international law…Otherwise any effort to move toward establishing relationship with Israel will undermine the Muslim world consensus on this very important and sensitive issue…”

Nihad’s Muslim world consensus is eroding, as far as Muslim states beyond the Middle East are concerned. The Jewish Telegraph reports that Israel’s foreign minister Silvan Shalom is also talking to Indonesia; the world’s most populous Muslim country.

Militants are naturally spooked. Omar Shallah, brother of Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, pleaded with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Saudi King Abdullah to deny media reports that they gave the green light for Pakistan to normalize its ties with Israel. So far, both men are holding the cards close to their chests.

Under Ariel Sharon’s canny watch, the so-called damage to universal Muslim antipathy toward Israel seems likely to intensify. After almost half a century, Israel knows that her neighbors are a lost cause. The Jewish nation serves as too useful a stand-in for complaints about the economic privation, social inequality and political repression under which most Arab peoples live, and as a way of deflecting resulting anger.

Israel’s shift of focus is also concurrent with the maturing of Muslim societies outside the Middle East. Muslims in Malaysia, Turkey and Bosnia, for example, do not use Israel as a bogeyman, though they disagree with its Zionist policies. Mecca and Medina will always remain dear to Muslims all over the world, but it is clear that the intellectual flame has passed into the hands of those who live outside it.

You should check out these posts:

• Pakistan and Israel court each other Recent overtures by Musharraf’s government to Israel must have proved...
• Usama bin Laden’s bedtime story "The unluckiest man in the world is he who...
• Positive hatred You would think that Pat Robertson is a unique individual;...
• All things being equal With the closure of Prince Sultan Airbase, Saudi Arabia has...
• Baghdad Jews must run for their lives Baghdad Jews must run for their lives Eight Baghdad Jews...
• Democracy for Muslims? Think again… People have quite certain ideas about democracy- a society where...
• Israel’s secret weapon Of course, everybody has lost sight of why this war...
• Mesquita politics A Muslim friend once told me that the word mosque...
• The Prophet’s family makes a stand Daniel Pipes once posted a series of questions on his...
• Three flavors of Salafism Neo-Salafism has no coherent fiqh of its own- it...