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Zionism- The new imperialism

After reaching its zenith, classical imperialism may have declined but its institutions and traditions have remained for historians to study and understand. After evolving through different stages, its objectives were accomplished by justifying the process on moral, religious, political and economic grounds.

When the Europeans discovered the three continents — North America, Africa, and Australasia — they propagated that these were lands without people. It meant that the land was no one’s property and, therefore, could be occupied and used by the imperial powers.

In North America, the settlers occupied land by depriving native tribes of their property. This argument is advanced in the The Frontier Thesis by historian Turner. On the other hand, Australia became the dumping ground for convicts and criminals, who were transported from Britain to work as cheap labour. It was the government’s policy to shift its excess population to the newly discovered continents.

It is another historical epoch but Israel’s occupation of Palestine reflects how classical imperialism has been recreated for use in the modern world
Another policy of imperialism was to establish colonies in the conquered countries. After the conquest of Ireland, England settled its Protestant citizens there, with the objective of controlling the local population. As the landlords were Protestants who were supported and protected by England, the Irish peasants suffered exploitation and mistreatment. This conflict between Protestants and Catholics continues to the present day, especially in Northern Ireland. England adopted the policy of colonisation in North America and in the African continent, where the goldmines in South Africa and the diamond mines of modern-day Zimbabwe were an attraction for them.

As political power strengthened, English imperialism became responsible for committing atrocities using new technological weapons. In Africa, the tribal people lived a simple life when they encountered the white people. They fought with spears, bows and arrows, while the English fought with cannons, rifles and guns decimating the opposing forces easily. Terror and violence were used for political domination. Religious forces were also employed in order to further the stronghold of imperialism. Missionaries arrived to convert the heathens to Christianity in order to make them modern and civilised.

England and the European powers, including France, Germany and Belgium continued to exploit the resources of the African continent. Leopold II, the Belgian king is remembered for his shocking brutality and exploitation in Congo, which was also condemned by the Europeans. Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness exposes the rapacity and cruelty of the Belgian forces and suffering of the Africans. The intervention of Europeans and the economic exploitation of the African natural resources became known in history as the ‘scramble for Africa’.

Africa was depopulated because of the slave trade, casualties, war and deprivation of their national wealth. Their peace and prosperity and their simple life was destroyed by the civilisation mission of the Europeans. Chinua Achebe in his novel, Things fall Apart, portrays the impact of colonialism on the traditional society of Africa which was destroyed as a result.

In the modern period, Israel is emulating the methodology of classical imperialism to strengthen its state. By propagating that Palestine was a land without people, it justified its occupation and use for cultivation as well as settlement. Israel also adopted the policy of terror on the Palestinians to appropriate their property. Its terrorist organisation is responsible for genocide of the Palestinians. In Deir Yassin (1948), the whole population of the village was massacred. This terrified the people from other villages and they fled from Palestine to take refuge in different Arab countries. As the Jewish population was not large enough to counter the Palestinians, the Israeli government encouraged the Russians, Eastern Europeans and the Middle Eastern Jewish communities to come to Israel and settle there. The policy of colonisation still continues.

After the 1967 war, Israel occupied East Jerusalem, West Bank and Golan Heights. Israel is systematically building new houses in the West Bank as well as expelling the Palestinians from East Jerusalem on a variety of different pretexts.

Israel also follows the policy of keeping the Palestinians subdued by raiding their villages, cutting olive trees and destroying their farmland. Over the years, Israel has become not only a military but a nuclear power. Its army is well equipped with new, technological weapons. Therefore, each year, it is a routine for Israel to invade Palestinian territories, kill thousands of Palestinians and demolish their infrastructure like schools, hospitals and libraries only to return after a ceasefire. The Palestinians live in prison-like conditions in constant fear and mental agony. Thousands of them are in Israeli prisons because of their resistance and endure torture which is legalised by the Israeli judiciary.

The question is how long Israel would continue to crush the Palestinians’ right for their homeland and how long it would spend its energy and resources to keep the Israeli State intact against any challenge. Israeli imperialism has already created a Palestinian nationalism which will fight against Israeli atrocities and harshness and finally emerge as a triumphant nation.

Zionism- The new imperialism
by Mubarak Ali, dawn.com


Counterterrorism consensus

AS Pakistan grieves the loss of its children in Peshawar, a national consensus has emerged to fight and destroy the TTP terrorists responsible for this latest atrocity. The Pakistan Army will no doubt intensify its ongoing campaign against these terrorists and should be extended all possible support. Hopefully, Pakistan’s political leaders will suspend their power games to address this clear and present danger to the country’s security and progress.

This massacre is another reminder that over the past 30 years, Pakistan has been the principal victim of terrorism. It experienced the Indian-sponsored bomb blasts in the 1970s; the Soviet-Najibullah attacks during the 1980s; Shia-Sunni violence during the 1990s; and Al Qaeda and TTP terrorism over the last decade.

Until the anti-Soviet war in Afghanistan, terrorism was an ‘external’ threat for Pakistan; it was ‘internalised’ due to two strategic mistakes: Pakistan’s sponsorship of Islamic extremists against the Soviets, in collaboration with the US and its allies, and the subsequent decision to support religious militants, rather than the indigenous Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front, during the 1990s Kashmiri uprising against Indian occupation.

The ghosts of these strategic mistakes continue to haunt Pakistan in its current battle against the TTP. Al Qaeda emerged from the detritus of the anti-Soviet Arab and other foreign fighters. It has masterminded many of the worst terrorist attacks against Pakistan. It attracted rebellious militants from Uzbekistan, Chechnya and Xinqiang, and spawned several of the current components of the TTP.

Today, there is an opportunity to build a genuine global consensus to eliminate terrorism.
To eliminate the TTP and its ilk, Pakistan needs to implement a well-considered plan to capture or kill these terrorists. It must also take bold measures to counter the causes for the emergence and existence of violent extremism in Pakistan: ignorance, greed, fear and poverty.

The hate and bigotry being spread from Pakistan’s pulpits and madressahs; the corruption that allows terrorists to roam the streets and infiltrate institutions; the crimes that generate financing for terrorist organisations; the fear which provides them impunity from prosecution for their crimes, and the absence of employment which results in recruits for their ranks, must all be addressed through comprehensive and courageous policies.

Hopefully, the national unity generated by the Peshawar atrocity will enable the government and the security forces to formulate and execute such policies. As a first step, all political parties should be required to openly condemn the TTP and its associates and break any links they may have with them.

However, terrorism is not merely an internal social and political issue within Pakistan. It has a vital external dimension which requires to be honestly addressed by Pakistan and the ‘international community’.

To do so, it should be recalled that most of today’s terrorist organisations mutated from insurgent groups initially sponsored by one or more states against adversaries. This holds true for the Tamil Tigers, Al Qaeda, the TTP, the Haqqanis, the IMU, the Etim and the Islamic State. Both Western and domestic commentators often focus on Pakistan’s support to militant groups in Afghanistan and Kashmir. But this is a ‘game’ which several states have played or are still playing against each other.

Global efforts to eliminate terrorism have foundered so far as rival powers have sought to outlaw groups threatening them while excluding others they themselves sponsor or support. The UN has not even agreed on a definition of ‘terrorism’.

Today, there is an opportunity to build a genuine global consensus to eliminate terrorism from Pakistan, this region and internationally. Each of the major powers have a stake in combating terrorist groups that pose a threat to their national security. The Etim targets China; the IMU aims to destabilise Central Asia; the Chechens threaten Russia. The US is targeted by Al Qaeda, the IS and their associates. Iran faces IS and Jundullah. Saudi Arabia is battling Al Qaeda and potentially threatened by the IS. Pakistan confronts the TTP and the Balochistan Liberation Army, both supported by Afghan and Indian intelligence.

In building such a global consensus, there are new possibilities for agreements between Pakistan and Afghanistan and perhaps even with India.

President Ghani appears genuine in his desire to rebuild a close relationship with Pakistan. If so, Pakistan should do all possible to help in stabilising Afghanistan and supporting the Afghan ‘unity’ government. Pakistan has offered to help reconciliation in Afghanistan if Kabul desires this. In exchange, President Ghani (and the US) has offered to target the TTP’s safe havens in Afghanistan.

The extent of Pakistan’s influence over the Afghan Taliban, led by Mullah Omar, is uncertain, especially in the wake of Zarb-i-Azb, which has reportedly disrupted not only the TTP but also the Haqqanis. Any inter-mediation involving the Afghan Taliban should be made conditional on their openly breaking their links with the TTP, Al Qaeda and associated terrorist groups such as the Etim.

In any event, the ‘strategic value’ — if any — of the Afghan Taliban for Pakistan pales in significance when weighed against the importance of Islamabad’s strategic relationships with China, the US and Afghanistan.

Kabul’s cooperation will help to also end Indian support to the TTP and BLA. However, it would be wise for both countries to evolve an understanding for mutual restraint in Kashmir. If the Modi government holds back from the planned steps to change occupied Kashmir’s current status and allows genuine democratic rights to the Kashmiris, Pakistan should do all possible to restrain the ‘Kashmir Jihad Council’ from any provocative actions.

Such regional arrangements with Afghanistan and India could be broadened to include other ‘stakeholders’: Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, Russia and the US. Cooperation can be extended to jointly combating Etim, IMU and the IS.

The challenge cannot be underestimated. It is difficult for states to surrender tactical assets and advantages. It is even more difficult to eliminate groups motivated by local and national grievances and religious convictions, however misplaced. Today, all the major militant and terrorist groups feed off the same narrative: injustice and suppression of Muslims across several geographies. Part of a global consensus must offer an effective counter to this narrative and erode its appeal to disaffected Muslim youth across the world.

Counterterrorism consensus
by Munir Akram, dawn.com
The writer is a former Pakistan ambassador to the UN.

More: We can defeat Terrorists 

 آ پ خوارجی طالبان دہشت گردوں کو کیسے شکست دے سکتے ہیں؟  http://goo.gl/9G0hRK


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