Why Pakistan should recognize Israel

[Arsalan mehmud]

Why Pakistan should recognize Israel

"We can no longer blame the US, India and Israel for anything and everything that happens in our country".

By NOMAN SAJJAD

Sometimes it becomes inexorable and practical to change the paradigms, let the past stay in the past and forget about historical incidents in order to open doors that lead to peace, prosperity and harmony.

History documents that Pakistan and Israel are never directly involved in hostility or disputes with each other. However, in showing solidarity with Arab countries and in support of Palestine, Pakistan has categorically refused to recognize Israel as an independent state since its inception. Our history books and widespread stereotypes have played a major role in filling our hearts and minds with hatred against Israel.

Considering the cost-benefit analysis and without abandoning support for the Palestinians here are some of the reasons to accord recognition to Israel:

1. To promote regional peace, foster inter-ethnic and interfaith harmony with understanding.

2. The strategic location of Pakistan and geographical location of Israel can definitely complement one another well.

3. To lessen the pressure of difficult neighbors. Such an increase in the list of allies can do wonders.

4. To better Pakistan’s image as a friendly and moderate Islamic state.

5. To boost the economy by building trade relations, importing foodstuffs, cotton, etc., since Israel offers a huge market, and benefiting with the Israeli export of military and agricultural technology.

6. To put an end to hypocrisy, because after devastating wars with India and with the Kashmir issue still unsettled even after scores of years, India was not only accepted as a state but voted a “most favored nation.” On the other side, Pakistan buys ammunition from Israel, lets Israeli products dominate its market and yet is hesitant to accept Israel as free state. (Robert Fisk highlights the arm deals in between Pakistan and Israel in his book The Great War for Civilization.) 7. Pakistan-Israel ties could be an advantageous move as Israel has great influence with the United States and India.

8. Opening academic and cultural exchange opportunities for students.

9. Allowing Muslim and Christian Pakistanis to visit their holy places in Israel.

10. Jews, Muslims and Christians share some commonalities in their faith, which can definitely promote interfaith harmony.

11. By establishing ties Pakistan can influence Israel with regard to resolving the Kashmir issue and can possibly play a part in normalizing relations between Palestine and Israel.

12. Lastly, policies are not decoration pieces. They are meant to change with the growing needs and for the protection of national interests and national security.

Pakistan has not accorded Israel recognition since its inception due to the Palestine issue, and fears that India-Israel connections are working against its security, ultimately affecting the sub-continental balance of power. However, there is dire need to wash out all the stereotypes which have existed in our belief system since our inception.

Firstly, we need to realize that it is not about Jews vs Muslims. It is more Israel vs Palestine, mainly over land disputes. There are nearly 400,000 Palestinian Christians among the sufferers in disputed lands.

Secondly, we can no longer blame the US, India and Israel for anything and everything that happens in our country.

Thirdly, Arab countries enjoy good relations with Israel. Even Turkey – one of our supporters – has good diplomatic relations with Israel. Furthermore, Pakistan extended its full support to some of the Arab countries against Israel, but Pakistan was hardly backed by Saddam Hussein, Yasser Arafat and many other Muslim leaders when Pakistan was in need of support.

Rationally, is there any reason not to have diplomatic relations with Israel? The need of the hour is to realize that Israel didn’t vanish from the map because Pakistan decided not to recognize it. On the other hand, Pakistan is getting nothing out of this rigid stance.

Our own country is riddled with humongous problems and disputes that need to be addressed before we point fingers at Israel’s intrusion into Palestinian land.

Pakistan must not only reassess the realities on the ground, but needs to readjust its diplomatic stance. Logical reasoning, a rational attitude and political maturity need to replace the emotional stance, aggressive slogans and baseless rhetoric. Making such changes democratically will be an uphill task, because foreign policy cannot be formed without consideration for public opinion. Education and balanced media can play major role in deeper understanding of such sensitive issues, issues that should be discussed in parliament, not in roadside restaurants and streets corners.

The author is from Pakistan, and works as a program assistant in the peace-building department of the Diocese of Raiwind-Church of Pakistan.

Opinion: Why Pakistan should recognize Israel - Opinion - Jerusalem Post

You mean to achieve certain comfort.. we should recognise them.. not possible
What will you do with Quran where curse is given to Zionist..

 

[Defender@@]

Your views are similar to those of Shia. They put Imam-ism on the same pedestal as prophet-hood. In recent years, their is a surge in promotion of Imam-ism narrative. Shia believe in the existence of 12 holy figures (Imams). Imam Mahdi is 12th among them.

If you will carefully analyze all sayings about Imam Mahdi, you will notice that his entire background is conveniently based on the background of our beloved Prophet (PBUH). Imam Mahdi's real name will be Muhammad. His father's real name will be Abdullah. He will emerge in Saudi Arabia during a time of great strife and his initial followers would number 313. Later on, Muslims from all over the world will start believing in him and join his quest for greatness. Place; Names; Numbers...It all sounds too familiar...

During the period of occupation of Iraq (2003 - 2011) by military forces from the WEST, Iran got an opportunity to put its theological narrative in to practice: Iranian leadership sponsored an Iraqi (shia) cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to raise an army. This army was conveniently labelled Mahdi Army and was tasked with the responsibility to challenge the supremacy of Western military forces in Iraq. It continues to exist and is now working with the Iraqi coalition government to tackle ISIS movement.

Even the ISIS have conducted some operations on the basis of their theological importance:

ISIS Is Making Strategic Decisions In Syria Based On Ancient Islamic Prophecy Of The End Time - Business Insider

Prophecy that predicted war between Islamic army and 'infidel horde' is fuelling ISIS | Daily Mail Online

In a way, ISIS is trying its best to make some prophecies come true but majority of the Muslims do not support its cause and perceive it as a terrorist organization. Majority of Muslims are not lending their support to Shia-oriented Mahdi Army either.

There is also a long list of claimants vis-a-vis Imam Mahdi: List of Mahdi claimants - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So whom will people really believe to be Imam Mahdi since every claimant is rejected?

There is a long (and unfortunate) history of prophecies being falsely attributed to our beloved Prophet (PBUH) and none of the prophecies about Imam Mahdi are in the compilations of Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim which are regarded as most authentic compilations of hadith.

Muslims are not adopting measures to address real issues plaguing the Islamic bloc and expect a holy figure to come and rescue them in the years to come. Expecting a single person to come and somehow successfully unite all Muslims under a single cause in modern times?

I once asked a neighbor that how Pakistani people will address the matters of corruption and other social evils? He stated that Imam Mahdi will do it for us.

To be honest, I am not sure where these beliefs would lead us to. I can just pray: "May Allah Almighty guide all of us to the right path," Aameen.

My friend your knowledge of islam is equal to nothing... There are several sahih hadiths of imam bukhari and imam malik on imam mehdi... U can just google it...

And all those hadiths are very specific providing specific information that will be used for identifying imam mehdi...

By the way i am not shia but i believe on imam mehdi as it was taught by prophet muhammad SAW and if you had little bit knowldge of hadith than you must have understand that days of his coming are not far way ... Allah knows the best ...

 

[LeGenD]

My friend your knowledge of islam is equal to nothing... There are several sahih hadiths of imam bukhari and imam malik on imam mehdi... U can just google it...

And all those hadiths are very specific providing specific information that will be used for identifying imam mehdi...

By the way i am not shia but i believe on imam mehdi as it was taught by prophet muhammad SAW and if you had little bit knowldge of hadith than you must have understand that days of his coming are not far way ... Allah knows the best ...

My knowledge of Islam is equal to nothing? Don't you think that this is a bit of a stretch?

Are you aware of the fact that [not a single] hadith was documented during the life of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)? [All of them] are narrations from the followers of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and they were recorded after the death of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

This is what we have from the compilations of Sahih Muslim:

A group of my Ummah will fight for the truth until near the day of judgment when Jesus, the son of Marry, will descend, and the leader of them will ask him to lead the prayer, but Jesus declines, saying: "No, Verily, among you Allah has made leaders for others and He has bestowed his bounty upon them.

Here is another that is recognized by both Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim:

What will be your reaction when the son of Mary (Jesus) descends and your Imam is from among yourselves?

Both of these hadith imply that when Prophet Isa (PBUH) will return, he will refuse to lead the prayers and will let the Imam of that gathering to lead the prayers.

I respect your belief but your opinion about the credibility of my faith is premature. I am a Muslim as well and I have studied these matters in great detail.

I have pointed out the fact that Imam [Mahdi] is a Shia-oriented narrative. Its authenticity is open to scrutiny. Shia have spent [years] promoting the narrative of Imam [Mahdi] and it is now deeply ingrained in many Muslims [in general] as a consequence. But critical evaluation is an alien concept to many Muslims as well. However, feel free to believe in whatever you want to since this is a matter of faith.

 

[Defender@@]

My knowledge of Islam is equal to nothing? Don't you think that this is a bit of a stretch?

Are you aware of the fact that [not a single] hadith was documented during the life of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)? [All of them] are narrations from the followers of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and they were recorded after the death of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

This is what we have from the compilations of Sahih Muslim:

A group of my Ummah will fight for the truth until near the day of judgment when Jesus, the son of Marry, will descend, and the leader of them will ask him to lead the prayer, but Jesus declines, saying: "No, Verily, among you Allah has made leaders for others and He has bestowed his bounty upon them.

Here is another that is recognized by both Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim:

What will be your reaction when the son of Mary (Jesus) descends and your Imam is from among yourselves?

Both of these hadith imply that when Prophet Isa (PBUH) will return, he will refuse to lead the prayers and will let the Imam of that gathering to lead the prayers.

I respect your belief but your opinion about the credibility of my faith is premature. I am a Muslim as well and I have studied these matters in great detail.

I have pointed out the fact that Imam [Mahdi] is a Shia-oriented narrative. Its authenticity is open to scrutiny. Shia have spent [years] promoting the narrative of Imam [Mahdi] and it is now deeply ingrained in many Muslims [in general] as a consequence. But critical evaluation is an alien concept to many Muslims as well. However, feel free to believe in whatever you want to since this is a matter of faith.

Bhai i am not shia... I am sunni and just google sahih hadith of imam mehdi on google ... And if you doubt sahih hadith authenticity then i doubt your knowledge of islam... And further for your info i am not one of mullah type person... Which keep on referring to hadith without practically doing anything... I am from one of the most reputable professions of pakistan.. Yet i believe blindly on quran and sahih hadith and trying my best to follow them... May Allah give me hidayat ... My bro this is zionist strategy to make us believe that there is no imam mehdi ... Imam mehdi is there and dont want to get into details to avoid fighting but attributes of shia imam and sunni imams are different ... Let me get to my computer i will share sahih hadith with u.. Further hazrat issa AS will offer prayers behind imam mehdi ... Will give u sahih hadith from reference InshAllah ..

 

[MadDog]

These facts are known by many Pakistanis. I know there are Arabs in Israel since it an Arab territory taken over by Israel. Ashkenazi race controls Israel and they are like Brahmans in Israel, get preferential treatment not just against Arabs and Muslims but all the native and African Jews too. Jews from Ethiopia and Kenya have been protesting for their rights and killings of some Ethiopians by Ashkenazi police (you can watch it on youtube).

As far as I know, there have been Presidents and members of the cabinet from jewish communities other than Ashkenazi jews. Moshe Katsav is an example, he was a Persian Jew, or Shaul Mofaz, minister of defence. But the elite I agree is mostly Ashkanazi

 

[Secret Service]

Pakistan should recognize Israel and it should give Kashmir to India with bucket full of mangoes. what a stupid article.