Daily Times

A recent book, Combating Terrorism, Saudi Arabia’s Role in the War on Terror, has been authored by Ali S Awadh Asseri, a former Saudi ambassador in Pakistan. The idea of writing this book occurred to him when he saw the rising wave of terrorism in Pakistan during his long ambassadorial stay from 2001 to 2009 in Islamabad. The writer urges: “for Pakistan, there is a lot to learn from the Saudi counter-terrorism model”. I am afraid the writer may be projecting a misleading picture in regards to Pakistan.

It is true that Pakistan has to learn some lessons from Saudi Arabia to defeat terrorism and neutralise religious extremism. For example, the writer says that the Saudi government has implemented several legislative and regulatory measures to exert strict oversight over charitable organisations in the country. Pakistan too needs to regulate its large charitable sector — the madrassas — including those funded by Saudi Arabia, to neutralise and ultimately eliminate the extremist mindset that these madrassas are producing annually in the thousands. The author also highlights that to prevent the misuse of charity, the Saudi government removed all cash collection boxes from mosques and shopping centres. The Pakistani government too needs to do exactly the same with the cash collection boxes of madrassas, mosques and religious organisations, including the banned organisations that can be found in every part of Pakistan.

It is true that the Saudi government has established a National Saudi Society for Relief and Charitable Work Abroad to regulate charitable activities. But the fact remains that Saudi Arabia remains a key source of terror financing around the Muslim world, especially Pakistan. A recent WikiLeaks memo describes Saudi Arabia as a “cash machine” for al Qaeda’s terrorism worldwide. In Pakistan, it is widely believed that Saudi donors finance the religious organisations that indoctrinate Pakistanis with hatred for Shias and non-Muslims and a disdain for democracy, human rights and pluralism.

The Saudi government seems to have taken stringent measures to ensure the security of its own citizens. But this government it seems has little respect for the lives of fellow Muslim in other countries like Pakistan. The Saudi government as well as private charity organisations are actively engaged in exporting and financing a jihadi Wahabi ideology to Pakistan. This Saudi funding has certainly contributed to emboldening extremist and militant organisations in Pakistan. They show no respect for the law of this land. Even powerful people like Benazir Bhutto and Salmaan Taseer are not safe at the hands of the extremists. Saudi Arabia, thus, shoulders the responsibility for extremism and terrorism in Pakistan. For now the Saudis seem to be strengthening the hands of the killers of the innocent people of Pakistan in the name of Islam. The Saudi government needs to do a lot more to be seen as a well-wisher of the people of Pakistan. This means the termination of Saudi financial and ideological resources for religious organisations in Pakistan.

Referring to the Pakhtun area of Pakistan, Ambassador Asseri claims that “poverty and illiteracy are promoting terrorism” in this area. As a person from that area, I strongly disagree with the ambassador. There has always been poverty and illiteracy in these areas but never terrorism and extremism. Today there is terrorism and extremism in the area because external forces, including Saudi Arabia, have worked for decades to spread religious extremism and terrorism. The Pakistani establishment uses the area as a strategic space in pursuit of jihadi goals in Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia as a breeding ground for Wahabism. Both the establishment and Saudi hands are stained with the blood of innocent Pakhtuns on both sides of the Durand Line.

Pakistan, despite all its shortcomings and weaknesses, is a much more free and pluralist society than Saudi Arabia. Perhaps, there would never have been an al Qaeda if there had been a little democracy and pluralism in Saudi Arabia. No decent Saudi would dare to challenge the medieval dictatorship that Saudi Arabia is. Only the savage among the Saudis could have the determination to challenge the Saudi monarchy. Those savage Saudis are members of al Qaeda. They are against the Saudi monarchy and look determined to replace the monarchy with an even harsher dictatorship in the name of Islam. There would have been a softer and more civilised opposition to the Saudi monarchy if the Saudi polity had allowed some democratic and pluralistic norms. Perhaps, here, Saudi Arabia needs to learn a little bit of pluralism and democracy from Pakistan.

The writer is a PhD Research Fellow with the University of Oslo and currently writing a book, Taliban and Anti-Taliban