Pakistan, a country founded in the name of Islam, has proved to be the worst enemy of Muslims. Even Israel, which is supposed to be perennially hostile towards Muslims, although actually it is the other way round, has not as brutal a record as Pakistan in going against the Muslims or the Muslim countries and collaborating with their enemies.
As Field Marshal Asim Munir decides to “collaborate” with the United States and by implication with Israel, against the Islamic Republic of Iran, it will not be for the first time that Pakistan will be collaborating with someone against an Islamic country.
Munir, for sure, must be nourishing his personal ambitions as well to follow the path of another Field Marshal Ayub Khan and two other Pakistani military dictators, Gen Zia ul Haq and Pervez Musharaf.
US President Donald Trump has already recognised him as the de facto head of Pakistan by negotiating a deal about Iran directly with him, instead of the elected and established political leadership of the country.
Pakistan has a long list of betrayal against the Muslims, whether they be the Bangladeshi Muslims, the Afghan Muslims, the Chinese Muslims or the Palestinians. Not only has Pakistan badly betrayed them, but had either brutalised them or has been a collaborator in the process. Iran is only one in the series.
And it has mainly been Pakistan’s military leaders who have compromised on the Islamic principles. So much so that Munir, an avowed Muslim having memorised the entire Quran, going against Iran, an Islamic country, although a Shiite one, should come as a shock to Muslims across the world in general and Pakistan in particular.
Also read: Why New Delhi refrained from condemning Israel
In his hostile war-like rhetoric against India, ahead of the Pahalgam terror attack, he invoked Islam, saying Islam and Hinduism are two different civilisations and they can never meet. In hindsight, it is now possible from where did he speak as he seemed to have already had negotiated a deal with the US.
Like Munir now, former military dictator Gen Zia ul Haq was also ‘ultra-fanatic’. Although he had not memorised the entire Quran like Munir, he would carry a small copy of the holy book always with him. He is known to be the architect of extremism and radicalism that has crept deep into Pakistani establishment, particularly the army. Munir is the product of that extremist and radical thinking that Zia mainstreamed in the Pakistan army.
Zia was also known as the ‘butcher of Jordan’. In 1970, the King of Jordan sought Pakistani help to crush the pro-Palestinian movement in his country. Pakistani army deputed its personnel in Jordan under Zia’s command. He crushed the Palestinian movement so ruthlessly that about 20,000 to 25,000 Palestinians, all Muslims, were butchered and Zia led the genocide. Since then he was known as the ‘butcher of Jordan’.
Palestinians enjoyed better relationship with India. The Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) and its famous leader Yasser Arafat were close to India. Arafat used to say, India is his second home and would treat former Prime Minister Ms Indira Gandhi like his sister.
In the aftermath of the 9/11-terror attack, when the US tracked down the masterminds to Afghanistan, it was ruled by the Taliban. They were the protégés of Pakistan. The US gave a choice to Pakistan, ruled then by another military dictator Gen Pervez Musharaf. He was bluntly told by the US, ‘you are with us or against us’. He took no time to collaborate with the US against the Taliban, who had been propped up by Pakistan and installed in Afghanistan as its rulers. For Musharaf, it was a double delight. It accorded legitimacy to Pakistan in its war against terror. Besides, he managed to consolidate his own position.
Pakistan, as its stated policy, has completely turned a blind eye towards the Uyghur Muslims, who are being brutalised by China in its north-west province of Xinjiang. The entire world knows how China treats the Muslims there. They are not allowed to observe their faith and even force-fed pork, which is forbidden in Islam. China happens to be the closest ally of Pakistan, which has offered its entire land to it (China). Pakistan never raised the issue of the plight of Uyghur Muslims.
Pakistan army’s barbaric brutalities against Bangla Muslims in 1971 are exemplary.
In such a backdrop, Munir ‘collaborating’ with the US against a fellow Islamic country is nothing unusual and unexpected. The additional issue of interest is that Pakistan, an Islamic country Munir is proud of, will be collaborating with a Jewish state against an Islamic country. Iran is a Shiite country, while Pakistan is a Sunni Muslim country.
Given the power military wields in Pakistan, it is not surprising that Munir did not bother to take the consent of the political leadership of the country before committing its ‘cooperation and collaboration’ to the US against Iran. Obviously, he did not need to, when he knew he was obliging Donald Trump, who would definitely take care of everything.
Munir collaborating with the US against an Islamic country like Iran negates his own belief and claims that Pakistan is guided by Islam and Islamic interests.
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