Pakistan in search of Arab identity

By masquerading as Arabs, allowing unchecked flow of petro-dollars and by patronizing and protecting Islamic fundamentalists and terrorists, Pakistan’s ruling elite has turned the country into sectarian hell

Recorded human hitory stands witness that since the time immemorial, people around the world have created many glorious civilizations based on their spiritual beliefs, cultural customs and traditions and the natural environment surrounding them. Whereas religion remains an important component of every major culture, it alone cannot and does not define or shape a national identity.

The Indian sub-continent, has been home to some of the richest, extremely vibrant

and marvelous cultures the world has ever known. All these cultures were created and nurtured by people of vastly different ethnic, linguistic and religious backgrounds. Most if not all such cultures have been in existence since long before the arrival of Islam.

Obviously, such cultures may have some slight or even significant variations among themselves depending upon the religious affiliations, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds and other traditions and customs of the people living in different parts of this vast and diverse region.

For instance, majority of people living in areas which after 1947 partition became an independent state of Pakistan, are of Islamic faith. However, they too had established their own centuries old pre-Islamic cultural identities including several ancient and rich languages such as Balouchi, Sindhi, Bengali, Pushto and Punjabi. In addition, there is rich literature, poetry and folk songs in every language as well as distinct art, music, dances and dresses.

Undoubtedly, most if not all cultures which have existed in this region since the pre-Islamic period have numerous common and over-lapping aspects. For instance, several forms of music and key musical instruments such as tabla, dholak (drum), sitar, harmonium etc. are commonly enjoyed and played throughout the entire region. Similarly, what is generally identified as “ Indian cuisine” is equally popular among regional people of different religious and ethnic backgrounds.

In brief, the people of Pakistan share centuries old history, cultural heritage, social functions and other daily activities with hundreds of millions of Muslims and non-Muslim people living just across their borders in India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. It is, therefore, reasonable to conclude that the Pakistani way has a number of similarities with what is commonly described as the “Indian culture”.

Such a conclusion in no way diminishes the enormous contributions which the Muslim people and their ancestors have made to the richness and huge popularity of the “Indian cuisine”, art and music around the world. As an example, concerts given by Indian sitar players such as Ustad Shujatt Hussain Khan, a Muslim, and Ravi Shankar, a Hindu, attract huge crowd of music lovers in and outside India. Same is true about many famous film actors, singers, and dancers.

It seems pointless to argue in this brief article whether the partition of India and resultant creation of Pakistan on religious grounds was justified or not. The fact is that millions of Indian Muslims lived together in relative peace and harmony for centuries with their Hindu and other non-Muslim neighbours before the creation of Pakistan.

It must also be pointed out that currently there are almost as many Indian citizen of Islamic faith as those living in Pakistan. Consequently, India which like Pakistan has Muslim population second only to Indonesia, may be justified in claiming as a major Islamic nation in the world. Sadly, even the presence of over 300 million followers of Islamic faith living across their borders, has not convinced these two countries to normalize their relations for the benefit of their people.

On the other hand, the people of the Indian sub-continent including those now living in Pakistan, have neither co-existed with nor interacted directly with any Arabic speaking country/society. The only common thing between the Arabic-speaking and vast majority of other Muslims is their Islamic faith.

Consequently, it seems very strange that the Pakistani ruling elite especially its military keeps on considering India as its permanent enemy. At the same time, its military and political elite are becoming more and more subservient to some Arab nations with which Pakistani people have not much in common except their faith.

It is true that the birth place of Islam is located in the Arabian peninsula and the divine message was delivered in Arabic. However, it does not mean that a ‘good Muslim’ must abandon his/her national and cultural identities and masquerade like an Arab. Ironically, Arabic speaking Muslims feel extremely proud to display their separate cultural, regional and even tribal identities as Saudis, Kuwaitis, Egyptians, Jordanians, Qataris, Palestinians,

Omanis, Emiratis and so on.

By masquerading as Arabs, allowing unchecked flow of petro-dollars and by patronizing and protecting Islamic fundamentalists and terrorists, Pakistan’s ruling elite has turned the country into sectarian hell.

Pakistani military and its ruling elite but most specifically its fanatic and out of control religious establishment, must realize that unlike their Arab brothers, Pakistan does not have huge reservoirs of oil or any other natural wealth. Hence, being a relatively poor and underdeveloped nation, it cannot get away by patronizing and exporting terrorism abroad to any place, especially India.

Pakistani people will most certainly can secure a much better future for themselves and their children by making peace with its neighbours because acting like ‘Arabs’ of al-Qaeeda variety will lead only to chaos.