A world rent asunder

A few years ago, it would have been unthinkable to see the world rent asunder the way one is currently witnessing. It is driven by madness, and then some more.

Under the expanding shadows of neo-imperialism and neo-colonialism, the US and Israel are engaged in redrawing the map of the world through brutal use of their combined war machine. The two most recent gruesome manifestations of this phenomenon are the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the unprovoked attack on Iran. While Gaza has been turned into a sprawling and haunted wasteland, Iran is resisting the brutal Israeli onslaught with grit and courage.

The demand of US President Trump for “unconditional surrender” by Iran provides blatant proof of American sponsorship of the Israeli attack. He further warned that America could “consider joining Israel’s air campaign against Iran”. It is obvious that neither the Israelis nor the Americans expected the intensity or magnitude of resistance that Iran has demonstrated. Consequently, there is a fear that, to clinch their maleficent objective of subduing Iran, the US-Israel combine may resort to intensifying and expanding the theatre of war. But, from there on, the story may script a different and unexpected ending. While there is no certainty that Iran would yield to this misadventure, the prospect of a prolonged war and the consequent disequilibrium it may generate would be a cause of grave concern for other countries.

All this is being done to force the region to accept the hegemony of Israel which has been illegitimately imposed on the land that has historically belonged to the people of Palestine. Under duress, a number of countries, particularly the ones closest to Israel, have already accepted the edict of subservience, while a few which remain are being dealt with by pounding them with a barrage of deadly bombs and missiles. The fact that the US has emerged as the sole impediment in the way of restoring a semblance of sanity is vividly demonstrated by it being the only country in the 15-member UN Security Council to have vetoed the resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

The gruesome story of destabilising the region had started much earlier. Land was forcibly annexed from Israel's neighbouring countries by imposing wars on them. Iraq was attacked and dismembered by the US to find weapons of mass destruction, which were never there, while regimes in Libya and Syria were dismantled by creating and arming rebellious groups with deadly weapons and support. The harrowing circumstances surrounding the elimination of their leaders remind one of the levels of barbarity employed which had hidden beneath it lessons thought appropriate to be taught to the world.

Only Iran remained among the countries that refused to cave in to US pressure. So, once other countries had been dealt with through a combination of extortion tactics, it was Iran’s turn to be taken care of. The war thus imposed has been branded as an effort to stop it from acquiring an atomic bomb which it repeatedly said it had no intention of making. This reminds one of the weapons of mass destruction episode in Iraq. The ongoing assault occurred despite Iran's involvement in negotiations with the US, as well as its being in conformance with the IAEA regulations and parameters.

On the face of it, Iran will not surrender. That would mean the war will be long, thus creating destabilising ripples in the region. Iran being a neighbour, this would be cause of immense concern for Pakistan particularly when it was recently involved in a four-day bitter conflict with India which threatened the creation of a new normal in the bilateral equation. This, inter alia, means that India will have the right to attack Pakistan whenever it feels there is a need for doing so. The US-Israel misadventure against Iran will only strengthen this misperception, thus paving the way for further conflicts in the region.

Among the reasons which have contributed to so many countries caving in to US pressure easily is the absence of constitutionalism and democracy, which the West owns up as essential requisites for legitimising governments or otherwise. It is a gross travesty that so many of these countries are operating as autocracies with a bulk of these located in the Middle East which has been directly under the Israeli assault in the last many decades. These countries are more vulnerable than they would be if they were functioning according to a constitution and rule of law, making their leadership accountable to their people.

Notwithstanding any of this, by all measures of legality and applicable international covenants and norms, Israel has ignited a genocidal war which is solely meant to satiate its expansionist designs and an ingrained urge to brutally subdue any opposition that it may encounter from its neighbours and other countries of the region. This malady is without limits and can spread from one conflict to the next. This expanding theatre of war can suck in countries, thus creating a permanent instable and volatile environment.

It is a moment of concern for Pakistan. If Iran is subdued like Iraq, Libya and Syria have been in the recent past, nothing is separating it from an attack from Israel as the air space would be readily available to fly in its sorties without being challenged to defang it of its nuclear assets which the West has been haranguing about for an incredibly long time. Pakistan has rightfully extended full support to Iran and expressed its resolve to stand by it, but because of multiple reasons, most notably its economic dependence on the IMF and other international donors, and continuing political instability, it remains exceedingly vulnerable to exploitation.

Pakistan is no sitting duck, but these are reasons for it to look inward and eliminate the fault lines which may impede its inherent strength and legitimacy to confront possible adventurism that its adversaries may be contemplating. A war machine may provide effective means to fight, but the strength of unity and homogeneity make for an unmatched weapon that can prevail over the deadliest opponents. We needed it these past years. We need it even more now.

Faiz sahib took up the cause of suffering people with unmatched passion, the Arab Israeli war being one of them. His words, laden with agony and suffering, resonate through our thoughts: Let the hearts be cleansed because,/ On this tablet,/ A new contract may yet be drawn:/ The rich have embraced the infliction of savagery,/ And the pious have learnt to chant the hymns of humiliation./ To alter the tradition of capitulation,/ Imperative it is that a command of rebellion/ Should echo forth.”

It is a world rent asunder. We need to stitch it back to sanity.

The writer is a political and security strategist and the founder of the Regional Peace Institute. He is a former special assistant to former PM Imran Khan and heads the PTI’s policy think-tank. He tweets @RaoofHasan