Israel’s Muslims reach out: strategy, desperation or appeasement?
September 27, 2010 by Amitabh Tripathi
In last month’s two things happen which could be interprerated as strange things to some extent. Ambassador of Israel to India Mark Sofer visited an Islamic shrine in Ajmer shrine of a sufi chisti and there he was greeted and warmly welcomed by local Muslim worshippers and encouraged with his warm welcome ambassador told the audience how Jews and Muslims are very much similar in their various traditions and they are twin sisters in some way or the other. This statement was marked with greater caution among others not only among Non-muslims but even larger part of Urdu news papers did not share the feelings of Mark Sofer as it may have anticipated by him. Usually Urdu press is always filled with medieval conspiracy theories for Jews and it was not less than shocking for them to witness an Israel diplomat visiting Islamic shrine and igniting the debate of some religious similarities between them. On the other hand other Non-Muslims in India, who don’t care much about Arab-Israel politics more than having a perception about it imposed by media outlets, were neither curious nor disappointed. But being a critique of Middle Eastern politics and political observer I thought it my duty to decipher the reasons and repercussions of this gesture.
Second major incident which happened in last month’s was visit of a delegation of Indian journalists to Israel organized by American Jewish committee. Few Indian journalists which met several Israeli academicians and diplomats as well as politicians were carrying message which could have a laugh for Pakistan at least for the time being as some of Pakistani news papers quoted some sources of this delegation that Israel is seriously thinking to shift its policy towards Arab-Israel struggle with having more cohesive idea about participation with Muslim countries as its priority. It is hardly believable from Pakistani news papers to put the facts in right perspective when it comes Indian subject. It may be some exaggeration in the last conclusion that Israel seriously think about Pakistan as its new Islamic ally with gradually losing Turkey to Islamists camp. But if there is smoke we have be to arrest that and try to decipher the ground realities for such a possibility.
Ambassador of Israel to India Mark Sofer visit to Ajmer was co-incidental to initiation of peace process in Middle East and in this perspective few things have to be taken in to account. Amabassador of Israel to India Mark Sofer is trying hard for a long time to keep Muslims in good humor and having some sort of dialogue with them it may be some diplomatic gesture that Ajmer visit was incidentally or intentionally came at the time of start of peace process in Middle East but purely it cannot be called as diplomatic gesture alone. For a long time Muslim academicians, journalists and people from Urdu press have been picked up to make a better understanding for Israel among their community and readers.
Delegation of Journalists to Israel from American Jewish committee was also part of this exercise to bring people more close to Israel. But how these two gestures can be defined and what they suggest for future.
This is first time in India since diplomatic relations between two nations begin that Muslim reach out programme have been taken at a large scale and some bold measures have been taken in this process. India is the second most Muslim populated country in the world after Indonesia and any message from this soil is always welcome signal for Muslims across the world. Since 9\11 happened gap between Muslims and other communities have become more broaden and suspicion is always there for each other as terrorism almost has been monopolized by radical Islamists. Other non-Muslims who become target of Islamic terrorism symbolizes it with Jihadi outlook and which go so far to mix it up with some extent of Isalmophobia . 9\11 has done any good to Muslims across the world it is not the more potent question rather than how it has transformed the relationship between Muslims and Non-Muslims. When we analyze the situation and effects of 9\11 after one decade we often lost our vision among Muslims society how they have transformed among themselves. There is a great change has happened among Muslims society as a new wave of Islamists have emerged equipped with Salafi ideology and modern outlook and equipment and on the contrary tradition Islamic leadership is losing its clout among Muslims people very rapidly.
India is a place where Islam has never been able to impose itself in the supremistic and purisitic way in the field of culture and as long as imposition of Sharia is concerned they have to face stiff resistence whenever fundamentalists tried to have the last laugh and in this process some sort of synthesis and cohesion have evolved between two communities which paves the way for co-existence. However it is case of historical scrutiny to find out finally whose sacrifice has paved the way for co-existence. Ajmer Chisti dargah is one of those places which symbolize the sufi sect and traditional Islam in India. Ambassador of Israel to Indian cannot suppose to visit the same place one and half decade ago and it would not have any adverse reaction or political drama from Islamists in India as we had at the arrival of US president George W Bush few years agao when entire Islamists and leftists joined together to make it a huge issue and he was not allowed to address parliamentarians inside the parliament. What has changed these days from those days?
First, Islamists and leftists are losing and they have realized that terrorism is not the mean from which they can achieve their goal and traditional Islamic leadership is seriously thinking about becoming the process of system to assess the situation for the time being. At diplomatic level it could always be a golden opportunity to buy the peace as both of the parties are not sure about their victory.
Second fact, which has changed scenario, is the president ship of US. Israel always reflects the mood of west in general and US in particular as long as Arab-Palestine struggle or its relationship with Islamic world is concerned. Since Barack Obama has took the rein in Oval office US along with other western countries is aggressively pursuing the agenda of Muslim reach out and in this process all the strife and chasm has been put off for the time being in the hope of a peaceful world where there will be peace no one knows how long?
In this background if we see the recent developments it indicates about two things. First, peace will be given the first chance and in the meantime larger plan for larger struggle will be formulated. Having full confidence in gesture of US president and Ambassador of Israel to India Mark Sofer I not optimistic about the positive outcome of Muslim reach out programme. Why, it has valid reasons from past. Traditional Islamic leadership have never believed genuinely in the existing system of democracy and others and they always dreams of overthrowing it with Sharia as their religious duty. For This reason they don’t have any experience for negotiations in democracy because they don’t have any precedent to enthuse their so called cultural, civilization dignity with political pragmatism and this is the biggest reason why every Muslim leader who comes in negotiations with westerns or others in this system is being portrayed before its community as cheater and betrayer. This time again traditional Islamic leadership is worried with situation which has prevailed similar to 11th century assasins when this group has almost hijacked the entire Jihad. If we learn something from our history we can learn that tradition Islamic leadership has not suddenly developed any love for Israel but they want to any how come out with this crisis of Islamic terrorism which has put their concept of Ummah on stake as division among Islamic rank is visible.
So, peace in not possible and negotiations will not go or any good will gesture along with bold steps will not be initiated. No, any right headed person will say no to this option but before going in to this one must have its proper preparations and knowing it well that what could the worst outcome.
Pakistani news papers may be exaggerated in portraying the Israel keenness to catch up with Pakistan as its new Islamic ally on the cast of India but it is very much true that Israel is very much disappointed with India (Although they will not claim it openly) having its strong bondage and relationship on agriculture, IT, trade, commerce and defense it has never stood up before international fora in support of Israel’s legitimate concerns on its right to exist and self defense. In growing strategic shift and new paradigm in Asia in general and South Asia in particular India needs to be very cautious, bold and sensitive in patronizing and giving healing touch to its allies. Time has come for Policy shift to be more assertive and effective.
Last 5 posts by Amitabh Tripathi
- Has India really moved on? – October 2nd, 2010
- Time to policy shift not to bleed and weep – September 26th, 2010
- Buying the peace on higher cost – October 4th, 2009
- The Goldstone Report – A Study in Bias – September 17th, 2009
- New Government’s Iran dilemma – May 9th, 2009