Pakistan’s Principled Stand for Peace in the Muslim World

As war once again engulfs the Middle East, Pakistan stands out as a calm voice of reason, calling for peace, diplomacy, and justice for the oppressed. When Iran and Israel are facing more and more dangerous confrontation in the military aspect, and the citizens of Gaza face the brutal blockade and constant bombardment, leadership of Pakistan is exemplifying to the rest of the world what it is to be a global citizen. The fact that the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar traveled to Istanbul to participate in the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is not a mere diplomatic expression, but it is an emphatic declaration of the determination of Pakistan to stand firmly behind the Muslim world and support its stand on issues concerning them.

Reckless Israeli militarism and complete disrespect to international norms have been again demonstrated during the current crisis. The last week invasion of Israel on Iran nuclear facilities and senior military officers has put the region on the edge of a bigger war. This assault, launched during an already urgent situation in Gaza, indicates that Israel is acting with impunity insulated by a one-sided outrage and deafening silence of its western confederates. Instead of diplomacy, Israel has resorted to upsurge and is threatening millions of people in the region.

In a sharp contrast, however, Pakistan has assumed the moral high ground. In criticizing the aggression of Israel, Islamabad has not only sided with the downtrodden, but also put the world in place that peace can never be permanent by utilizing violence at all cost. The stand of Pakistan is evident: the sovereignty of states has to be addressed, and all the conflicts have to be solved with the help of diplomacy and international law, but with the help of no military adventures and secret assault.

During the OIC holding in Istanbul Dar is expected to request concerted effort among Islamic nations to de-escalate the Iran-Israel war as well as that of the long-running humanitarian disaster in Gaza. Pakistan has always defended the Palestinian rights and claimed that the Israeli occupation should stop and there should be an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem) being its capital. Such a principled stand has given Pakistan the respectability of the Muslim world and illustrates how bankrupt in terms of morals is the Israeli policy which is founded on apartheid, decimation and military subjugation.

Gaza is now in shambles. Overtaken by more than a year of tireless Israeli airstrike, blockade of goods, and ground troops, the number of civilians killed is huge. Schools, hospitals and houses have been crushed into rubble. As children are dying because of hunger and disease the world is silent. Most western powers instead of condemning these war crimes have been purchasing arms and financing Israel. This hypocrisy has just given Tel Aviv more confidence to act with more starkness and impunity.

The role of Pakistan in this bleak scenery is made ever more critical. Other than giving humanitarian support to Gaza, Islamabad has also demanded accountability of the international community. Pakistan has urged the termination of Israeli war crimes, investigation of war crimes and imposing sanctions against the Israeli illegal settlement activity and the use of excessive force in the United Nations and multilateral organizations such as OIC.

The place that Pakistan holds relies on the fact that it has long been advocating peace and has been trying to unify the Muslim world. The fact that Ishaq Dar is in Istanbul is a greater part of a greater diplomatic plan to mobilize the concerted action of Muslims. The OIC needs not only to speak but also to act concretely in the form of economic and political pressures against Israel and assistance to the Palestinian resistance struggle and moves in international legal forms to prevent aggression by Israel. Pakistan has made an offer to mediate between Iran and the neighbors to avoid a catastrophe in the region and it is not something that the western powers have been ready to do without biases.

In addition to the Middle East, another serious challenge that Dar is likely to portray in his speech is the emergence of the Islamophobia phenomenon. The number of discrimination, violence and marginalization targeting the Muslims are on the rise in India, Europe and the United States. This is facilitated in large part by the same ideologies that justify Israeli occupation and deplore Muslim resistance. A worldwide coalition to fight this ugly trend is well deserved and Pakistan is demanding it on behalf of the Muslim community and the world that believes in practicing tolerance and coexistence which are much needed to solve the global issues.

Moreover, Dar will highlight the other problem that surrounds the global north, which is climate change. Whether in Pakistan due to catastrophic flooding or North Africa due to water shortage, Muslim majority countries are at the receiving end of environmental catastrophes. However, such voices are shut out in climate negotiations. The leadership of Pakistan is already advocating climate justice, which is yet another point of acute contrast to the behavior of Israel that involves destruction of environment of Palestinian territories and systematic natural resources destruction in the occupied lands.

At a time of such serious crisis Pakistan is opting to take the high way, to be principled rather than powerful, diplomatic rather than destructive and united rather than divided. The world needs to see the distinction between bombing a hospital and building one, of dropping a missile and an aid. This can only be in form of showing the Israeli policies of militarism and apartheid as a menace not only to Palestinians and Iranians, but also to peace.

Pakistan is today not only with Gaza or Tehran, but with all those people, who strive to have dignity into their lives. The voice in Istanbul echoes history, the dream of the Muslim world and the message to Israel that aggression cannot bring security and occupation can never bring peace.