Dawn Editorials (with Summary and Vocabulary)

 

DAWN EDITORIALS

January 31, 2024 (Wednesday)

Day’s Vocabulary

• Dysentery. An intestinal infection
• Grotesque. a very ugly or comically distorted figure, creature, or image
• Elusive.       difficult to find, catch, or achieve
• Despicable.            deserving hatred and contempt
• Eking out.              to make up for the deficiencies of
• Concocting.          make (a dish or meal) by combining various ingredients
• Propped up.          lean something against something else
• Murkier.     dark and gloomy, especially due to thick mist
• Lacklustre.            lacking in vitality, force, or conviction; uninspired or uninspiring
• Portentous.           a sign or warning that something, especially something momentous or calamitous, is likely to happen
• Palpable.    (of a feeling or atmosphere) so intense as to seem almost tangible
• Sway.            rule; control
• Connivance.         willingness to secretly allow or be involved in wrongdoing, especially an immoral or illegal act
• Harbinger. a person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another
• Belligerent.           hostile and aggressive
• Milieu.         a person's social environment
• Pernicious.            having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way
• Abet. encourage or assist (someone) to do something wrong, in particular, to commit a crime or other offense
• Congregation.     a group of people assembled for religious worship
• Pecuniary. relating to or consisting of money
• Acolytes.     a person assisting the celebrant in a religious service or procession

Abandoning the people of Gaza

Summary

• Gaza's suffering:
• Thousands in Gaza live in terrible conditions with lack of sanitation, food, and water.
• Recent outbreaks of diseases add to the crisis.
• Funding suspension:
• US, UK, and others suspended aid to UNRWA, worsening the situation.
• This action came after the International Court of Justice's ruling against Israel.
• Call to action:
• The author criticizes Muslim countries for not providing more aid to Gaza.
• Urges rich Muslim nations and organizations to step up their support.
• Underlying issues:
• The author argues that Western bias leads to neglect of Muslim suffering.
• Dismantling UNRWA weakens Palestinian rights, according to the author.

Article

For months now, Muslims across the world have seen the people of Gaza suffer unspeakable horrors. According to the United Nations, the condition is beyond horrific with few working toilets and no place to shower for the thousands crammed into makeshift camps, hospitals, schools and anything still standing. Because this situation has gone on for so long, there are new problems emerging from the overcrowding. There are outbreaks of dysentery and respiratory illness — thanks to the absence of facilities to maintain a hygienic environment and the lack of sufficient food and water to nourish the sick and aid their recovery.

Then this past weekend, matters got even worse. The US, the UK, Australia, Germany and several other countries declared that they would suspend funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. This is catastrophic news for Gazans who have already faced unimaginable horrors since Oct 7. In response, the agency suspended “several” of its employees following allegations by Israel that some UNRWA staffers had a role in the Oct 7 Hamas strike.

The suspension of aid by these nations is a grotesque and heartless move. Undoubtedly, these countries are aware of what their actions are likely to do for those suffering in Gaza. The move came hours after the International Court of Justice declared that Israel should prevent a genocide against the Palestinians. This move likely annoyed Israel and its allies who have held that their massive bombing, shelling and raids of Gaza are justified because of the Oct 7 attacks. It also called into question the Israeli insistence that its actions in Gaza are justified as self-defence by ‘using any means necessary’.

Even as all this was happening, the Qataris were holding a meeting with Israel, the CIA and Egypt to come up with an elusive ceasefire. The sticking point in that negotiation is that Israel is not willing to agree to a permanent ceasefire, as it wants to be able to go back into Gaza and carry out further operations there whenever it deems it necessary.

The suspension of aid to UNRWA by a number of countries is a grotesque and heartless move.

The actions of those supporting Israel and suspending humanitarian funding are despicable. At the same time, given the length of the conflict and the desperation of the Gazans it is worth asking why Muslim humanitarian organisations have not been able to raise more funds to help the people in Gaza. It is not because there isn’t a framework to do this. Following 9/11 and the designation of many Western-based Islamic charities as implicated in terrorist funding (most of the allegations are baseless) many new Islamic charities with wider networks have emerged.

Meanwhile, a number of Muslim charities have done incredible work. One of them is Islamic Relief. The charity has been instrumental in providing aid all across the Muslim world — from the floods in Pakistan to running a camp of thousands of refugees in Yemen. Islamic Relief is collecting funds for Gaza but considering the thousands of people who have poured into the streets to protest against Israeli actions, there has not been a similar outpouring of funds being sent to the impoverished and war-affected: people have spoken with their feet but not with their wallets.

However, the people of the Muslim world can be forgiven. After all, most Muslim countries are poor and the people praying for Gaza within them are barely eking out an existence themselves. The post-Covid era has brought about joblessness, inflation and ailing economies. Predatory leaders regularly milk these publics for their own benefit, and so theirs is hardly an enviable existence.

There are, however, many rich Muslim countries. Headquartered in Saudi Arabia, the International Islamic Relief Organisation (different from the previously mentioned Islamic Relief) has made commitments to providing crisis relief at the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016. It has a budget running into tens of millions of dollars. Despite this, it is unclear what exactly this organisation is doing to help the people of Gaza. Surely, Muslim nations can pump in more funds if they really want to help the people of Gaza.

The announcement of the suspension of aid to UNRWA should have spurred an immediate me­­eting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. It is not known why hardly any Muslim country has made an effort to go beyond condemnatory statements and token assistance. Watching the videos of the recent wedding of the prince of Brunei I could not help but wonder how many people could be saved in Gaza if his new princess donated just one of the incredibly large diamond necklaces she wore to the many ceremonies.

The humanitarian aid complex, created as it was following the two world wars, has always been in the hands of Western nations who deem who is ‘human’ enough to be considered a part of humanity. The issues faced by non-white populations, largely Muslims, lie on the margins of the Western imagination; sometimes these people are considered human enough to receive humanitarian assistance. When this happens, the UN can come marching in with tents and blankets, and conditions can at least be marginally improved.

The Gazans have been deemed inhuman by this logic and they are suffering the consequences of that designation at the hands of the countries who have chosen to suspend funding to UNRWA. This need not be a death knell for the Gazans, Muslim countries can make up whatever deficit there is in funding, thus making a clear statement that the persecuted, displaced people of Gaza are not available to the West to abuse at will. There is an ideological position in this — for years now, Israel has wanted the dissolution of UNRWA clearly because it is a group created especially for Palestinian refugees to provide them with assistance and services. Allowing UNRWA to be dismembered in this manner is to allow Israel and the US to say that the long-suffering Palestinians do not have the right to return.

The conviction and after

Summary

Imran Khan's conviction:

• Former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his foreign minister were sentenced to 10 years in jail for violating the Official Secrets Act.
• This conviction comes just before the general elections and fuels accusations of a politically motivated trial.
• Khan claims the verdict is part of a conspiracy to remove him from power.

Impact of the conviction:

• The conviction could widen the existing political divide and lead to instability.
• Khan's supporters might be motivated to vote in larger numbers due to the perceived injustice.
• The credibility of the upcoming elections is already questionable due to the crackdown on Khan's party.

Role of the military:

• The military establishment maintains a critical view of the current political system.
• The army chief recently expressed his own vision for the country's future, raising concerns about military interference.
• While no coup is expected, the military seems hesitant to give civilians full control.

Overall:

• The political landscape of Pakistan is uncertain after Khan's conviction and the upcoming elections.
• The potential for increased polarization and instability raises concerns about the country's future.

Article

In what many would describe as a predetermined verdict, a special court has sentenced former prime minister Imran Khan and his erstwhile foreign minister to a decade behind bars for violating the Official Secrets Act. The court decision announced just a week before general elections is a reminder of the trial and convictions of previous prime ministers.

Imran Khan has met the same fate as many of his predecessors, following the country’s shameful political tradition of removing political leaders from the scene through dubious trials. He was being tried along with Shah Mahmood Qureshi inside prison in the cipher case.

It is the first time a Pakistani leader has been convicted for the disclosure of official secrets. Khan has been accused of using a diplomatic document for his political objectives and misplacing the secret communication. Khan has long held that the document contained a threat from the United States and that it provided proof that his government was being ousted by a conspiracy involving Washington and the then army leadership.

There is no doubt that Khan wrongfully used the cipher message sent by Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington at that time, for concocting a case that his government was being removed through an external conspiracy. He waved the so-called document at a political rally, whipping up public sentiments weeks before his government was removed through a vote of no-confidence. The narrative worked and galvanised his supporters.

Imran Khan’s conviction could widen the existing political polarisation and fuel instability.

It is evident that the allegation of conspiracy also brought him into confrontation with the military leadership, which had once propped up his government. Indeed, such irresponsible action by the former prime minister cannot be justified. But it is also apparent that charging him under Section 5 of the Act was driven by a desire for retribution. The allegation of a mistrial was reinforced by the way the court proceedings were conducted inside the prison. The very fact that the verdict was delivered just days before the elections makes the situation murkier.

It is the former prime minister’s second conviction as he was previously held guilty in the Toshakhana case last August, and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, barring him from standing in the elections. Meanwhile, the unprecedented crackdown against the PTI has demolished the party’s structure.

It was meant to keep one of the country’s largest political parties out of the electoral race. The Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision, upheld by the apex court, to strip the party of its electoral symbol — the cricket bat — has dealt the most serious blow to the PTI’s electoral prospects.

Yet despite all the state repression, the PTI has remained a formidable force, challenging its rivals in what is being perceived as managed elections. The sentencing of its two main leaders on the eve of polls seems intended to demoralise the party’s supporters, but the action could also have the opposite result by motivating its supporters to come out to vote in larger numbers.

In such a situation, it would be extremely hard for the security establishment to stop the tide. The sentencing of arguably Pakistan’s most popular political leader could change the entire political environment. If past lessons are any indicator, such actions, taken in the attempt to condemn popular political leaders to a state of isolation, can never succeed. In fact, there are strong indications that the conviction could swell the former prime minister’s support base that mainly comes from the youth, whose large numbers are set to constitute the majority of voters.

That could also spoil the ongoing power game being played by the security establishment with the support of other mainstream political parties. The increasing disillusionment of the people in the electoral process is demonstrated by the lacklustre election campaign by political parties in the field. The ongoing repression targeting the PTI and some other dissenting groups has already created an extremely volatile situation.

What is most worrisome is that Khan’s conviction could widen the existing political polarisation and fuel instability in the country, threatening the entire democratic process. With the credibility of the elections already questionable, prospects of the country moving towards stability look dim.

A weak civilian government coming to power through a dubious election is not likely to govern well and deliver on the economic and national security fronts. The weakening of the democratic political process has already resulted in the lengthening of the security establishment’s shadow over the power structure. Some reports quoting recent comments made by the army chief at a public gathering illustrates the establishment’s critical assessment of the existing political system.

It is not unusual in this country for army chiefs to speak on subjects outside the establishment’s domain. So, it didn’t come as a surprise when the incumbent, speaking to students, spoke on issues ranging from politics to the economy, foreign policy and religion. It appeared that he had his own vision — some have referred to it as the ‘Gen Asim Munir doctrine’ — of how the country could achieve its promised destiny. It is certainly not the first time similar remarks have been attributed to military heads. Former chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa is also supposed to have had a ‘doctrine’ of his own to get the country on the right course.

Curiously, this public interaction with students took place with elections just around the corner. It may not be coincidental that the public appearance came days before Imran Khan’s latest conviction. It was certainly not an apolitical conversation and has wider connotations for the country’s future course. While the chief’s views about politics mostly reflected an institutional distrust of civilian political leaders, his outlook on the social and cultural issues sounded more portentous.

While there is no indication that the military seeks to take over, it is apparent that it is does not want to give a free hand to civilians either. Distrust of the politicians remains palpable, though there is no reason to doubt that elections will be held. But it remains to be seen how the political landscape is shaped after Khan’s conviction.

Changing India

Summary

India's Transformation:

• India is undergoing two major changes:
• Shift from secular state to Hindu rashtra: This ideology prioritizes Hindus and marginalizes minorities.
• Rapid economic growth: This provides resources for military build-up and regional influence.

Concerns for Pakistan:

• Hindutva's influence: This could lead to a more aggressive India towards Pakistan.
• Economic disparity: India's growing power creates a security threat for Pakistan.

Recommendations for Pakistan:

• Avoid appeasement and adventurism: Find a balanced approach in dealing with India.
• Long-term strategy: Develop a comprehensive plan to address the security threat from India.

Additional notes:

• The author is a retired Pakistani ambassador.
• The article was published in Dawn, a Pakistani newspaper.
• The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Pakistan.

Article

Two critical developments are radically transforming India, with far-reaching implications for its minorities, the region, and the world at large. The first and foremost is the transformation of a secular India, as envisioned by its founding fathers, into a Hindu rashtra driven by Hindutva. The second development is the rapid economic growth of India over the past three decades, which has catapulted its economy to the fifth position at the global level.

The growing sway of Hindutva in India under the leadership of the Modi-led BJP, which is closely allied with RSS, gives shrinking political and social space to non-Hindu religious minorities, which are facing increasing difficulties in leading their lives according to their own social and religious customs, besides discrimination generally. This is not surprising if one looks at the philosophy of RSS as defined by its founder, V.D. Savarkar, and his successors. For instance, M.S. Golwalkar, the second RSS supreme leader, stressed that non-Hindu minorities “must cease to be foreigners, or may stay in the country wholly subordinated to the Hindu nation, claiming nothing, deserving no privileges, far less any preferential treatment — not even citizens’ rights”. The statements and policy decisions of the Modi-led BJP government and its leaders clearly reflect this policy of Hindutva in action.

There have been frequent reports of mob attacks on Muslims and their persecution; in some cases, there has been a tragic loss of lives with the connivance of local officials. As chief minister of Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was implicated in the deadly anti-Muslim attacks. The official consecration of the Ram temple on the site of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya under Modi’s leadership is the latest example of the continued implementation of the Hindutva agenda. BJP activists are agitating to replace mosques with temples at many other sites.

The growing sway of Hindutva in India is not only bad news for the Muslims and other minorities in the country, it is also the harbinger of a belligerent approach by New Delhi towards its neighbours in pursuit of its hegemonic designs in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region. Under Modi, one can expect India to pursue a hard-line policy in handling its relations with Pakistan. The annexation of occupied Kashmir by India in August 2019, in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, was a clear example of this belligerent approach, as was the earlier Indian air attack on Balakot.

Indian support to terrorist groups in Balochistan and its nefarious designs against Pakistan’s security were established by the arrest of Indian agent Kulbhushan Jadhav in March 2016. India has also been following a long-term policy of weakening Pakistan’s friendly relations with Iran by attempting to exploit Pakistan-Iran policy differences on Afghanistan, cross-border terrorism, and sectarian issues.

Hindutva’s sway is a harbinger of a belligerent approach globally.

It is unfortunate that both Iran and Pakistan in the past failed to come to grips with the machinations of India and some non-regional powers in exacerbating their bilateral tensions on account of the issue of cross-border terrorism as reflected by the recent exchange of air strikes between them. Hopefully, the recent visit of the Iranian foreign minister to Islamabad would lead to the strengthening of Pakistan-Iran cooperation in combating cross-border terrorism as announced by the foreign ministers of the two countries.

India’s rapid economic growth provides it with the resources for the build-up of its military might and the realisation of its hegemonic designs in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region. According to IMF estimates, India’s GDP was estimated to be $3.73 trillion in 2023 as against $341 billion only for Pakistan. This enabled India to increase its defence budget to $81.4bn as against $10.3bn for Pakistan in 2022, according to the research institute Sipri. The huge and growing difference between the power potential of the two countries could have serious consequences for Pakistan’s security.

Pakistan, therefore, cannot afford to lower its guard in the management of its relations with India. We should avoid the mistakes of the two extremes of appeasement, which will merely embolden India, and a high-risk and adventurist policy which will prove to be counterproductive as our Kargil experience shows. Instead, Pakistan should adopt a long-term approach for the realisation of its own strategic goals based on the synthesis of the political, economic, diplomatic, and military dimensions of policy in facing the enduring threat to its security emanating from India.

Israel über alles

Summary

• ICJ's verdict on Israel: The author believes the interim verdict won't change much, despite acknowledging potential genocide.
• UNRWA funding suspended: Western nations suspended funding based on accusations against UNRWA employees, deemed insufficient by the author.
• Israel's expansionist aims: The author criticizes Israel's expansionist goals and compares them to Nazi ideology.
• Limited resistance: The author notes limited resistance to Israel's actions, mainly from non-state actors.
• Genocide concerns: The author expresses concern about a potential genocide against Palestinians.
• US and Western support: The author criticizes continued US and Western support for Israel despite the ICJ's verdict.
• Israel's defiance: The author expects Israel to defy the ICJ and continue its actions.

Additional notes:

• The author's views are critical of Israel and supportive of Palestinians.
• The article mentions the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the recent ICJ ruling.
• The author criticizes the suspension of UNRWA funding and Western support for Israel.

Article

Once the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague endorsed the substance of South Africa’s case against Israel (albeit not in its entirety) last week, the Zionist project’s international collaborators were as desperate for a distraction as Israel. The latter promptly provided it with the allegation that a dozen UNRWA employees participated in the Oct 7 atrocities in southern Israel.

Led by the US, Germany and UK, a number of Western nations and their allies suspended their crucial funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which was set up in 1949, in the wake of the Nakba, to provide means of subsistence to Palestinian refugees. These include basic education, primary healthcare and other vital services. Its operations stretch from Gaza and East Jerusalem to the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

A secondary distraction was provided by a drone attack that killed three US personnel and injured dozens in Jordan. US media reports suggest the drone wasn’t intercepted based on the suspicion that it might be ‘friendly’ (Israeli), and that the US authorities had no idea where it came from, although they showed no hesitation in blaming ‘Iranian-allied’ militias and vowing vengeance. That’s the latter-day equivalent of the much-mocked command to ‘round up the usual suspects’, but perhaps the bigger question is why there should be a US military base where Jordan’s borders meet those of Syria and Iraq — or anywhere else in the country.

‘Guilty until proved innocent’ also applies to UNRWA, which has previously been accused by Israel of preaching hatred in its schools — which, mind you, help to place the Palestinians among the best-educated Arab populations. The accusation cannot be taken seriously in a milieu where reciting the true history of Israel as a colonial-settler society is deemed antisemitic, and there is no equivalent focus on the pernicious nonsense drummed into the innocent minds of Israeli schoolchildren.

The ICJ’s interim verdict won’t make much of a difference.

UNRWA has suspended nine of its accused employees pending an internal probe, and two others are among the dozens of staff killed in Israel’s latest invasion of Gaza. It is distressing that the accusations involving 0.01pc of its 13,000 employees, whether or not true, have been deemed sufficient by so many Western states to cut off funding to one of the only organisations that may be able to avert a famine. All too many of them, meanwhile, continue to arm and diplomatically abet the perpetrators of what the ICJ deems a potential genocide.

That impression was consolidated on Sunday when 11 members of the Netanyahu cabinet attended a congregation in Jerusalem tagged the ‘Victory of Israel Conference: Settlement Brings Security’, which called for the ‘voluntary migration’ of Palestinians away from the Gaza Strip. That not only defies the ICJ’s interim injunction against incitement to genocide, but also reflects the Nazi attitude towards European Jews before the Germans opted for gas chambers.

Notwithstanding the ‘never again’ slogan of 80 years ago, the Zionists brought with them to the ‘promised land’ the Nazi concepts of lebensraum and untermenschen — territorial expansion and lesser beings, the first applying to European Jews and the second to Palestinians. The devotion to their would-be exterminators stretched to hiring one of Hitler’s leading henchmen, Otto Skorzeny, as a Mossad hitman — after he had, equally deplorably, served as military adviser to Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser.

It was the Nazi regime’s expansionism, rather than the related Judeocide, that propelled the British and eventually joint Anglo-American response — alth­ou­­gh the latter was also instigated by the Soviet advance into Eastern Europe after the Red Army had turned the tide against the Wehr­m­acht. It remains to be seen how far the Israel Defence For­ces will go before any nation other than the dispersed Pales­tinians steps up to challenge the Israelis.

The resistance so far has been restricted to so-called non-state actors. Saudi Arabia remains keen on establishing formal ties with Israel. Arab and other Muslim states have vaguely backed South Africa’s case at the ICJ, but none of them has officially signed up as a party to the dispute, as Germany has disgustingly done on behalf of Israel, even as it staves off its own neo-Nazis.

Whatever the ICJ’s verdict, it is likely to come too late to halt the genocide. It may depend on how far Israel goes henceforth, but its establishment is accustomed to defying UN injunctions — as long as the pecuniary and moral assistance from the US and the rest of the West remains intact. It does not have much to worry about on that score. Its self-conception of uber alles remains intact among its acolytes, whose every action is directed towards enabling Israel to achieve its clearly genocidal and arguably Nazi-like aims.