Daily Times

Mob violence is a complex phenomenon that often arises from deep-seated grievances within a community. The abyss has become far too convoluted in the motherland where all it takes is an individual or two to stoke the egos of a frenzied crowd for them to unleash their daggers and start a stampede.

Mayhem ensued in Mirpur on Saturday when a group of unknown people gathered around an American fast-food chain outlet, yelling out slogans against its links to Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza before they razed the building to the ground. Dramatic visuals making rounds on social media show how the violence spilt out onto the streets as people ran outside to escape the fire. As the rest of the world makes a pitiful commentary on the images of smashed, hole-riddled windows and a completely unnecessary threat issued to ordinary civilians who had nothing whatsoever to do with the Palestinian tragedy, Pakistan is forced to once again take a deep look within.

There are a gazillion other ways to send the message across: boycott of chains believed to be supporting Israeli forces being one of them. Seeking to mobilise international pressure on Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian territories, these boycott movements have been gaining momentum all around, especially in predominantly Muslim countries.

However, the main objective, inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement, emphasises non-violence. Activists believe appealing to people’s conscience can revitalize the Palestinian cause.

Since the issue is already courting controversy, whatever transpired in Pakistan would only serve to backfire, adding to the arguments of those who are speaking out against this unfair singling out of companies related to Israel. The usual condemnations are pouring in but no assurance by the government can help unwind time.

It had taken extraordinary diplomacy to convince the chain to continue its operations after a similar incident had spread shockwaves two decades ago. While no human losses occurred, the bitter truth remains: we cannot continue down this path of extremism any longer. There needs to be a normal, acceptable, moderate protocol for everything. Even protests. *