revolts in neighbouring Sunni majority states; its role in spreading the dreaded ideology of Jihad; its ambitions to develop nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missile system; and most importantly its intentions to wipe out Israel.
In the midst of frequent thundering applause, he delved upon the enduring relationship with the civilised world built on the principles of shared human values and common destiny. He concluded with Israel’s prowess to defend itself (read: destroy others) and a call for imposing more economic sanctions on Iran.
All he said was mere rhetoric filled with false alarms, anecdotal evidence, and euphuisms to prove his points. What is the reality? The reality is that Israel possesses huge nuclear stockpiles; it has a huge appetite for expansion; it is a prime example of a rogue country violating international laws; and it is the source of all terrorism, by denying freedom to people in their own homeland.
The response from Muslim leaders has always been less than sober and prudent. They either become apologetic or fanatical in raising crucial issues at international forums like the UNGA. In the case of terrorism, for example, little is said about how unresolved disputes and global power politics in the Muslim world lead to violent extremism.
Religion only provides a veneer of justification for deep anguish against imperialism and fascism. Slogans such as ‘Death to America’, ‘End to Israel’, and ‘US is the greatest Satan’ etc do not help either.
Our leaders need to understand the rules of the game and the language of the times. The world we live in is harsh for demagogues. Honour, dignity, and progress require hard work more than basking in past glory; rationality more than insanity; and convergence more than divergence.
Let our leaders understand contemporary challenges and take hard decisions to ensure that no one in the Muslim world feels political alienation, economic deprivation, and social injustice. They must know that societies with enemies within need no external aggressors to obliterate them.
The writer teaches at FAST-NU, Peshawar.
Email: zeb.khannu.edu.pk