Daily Times

This week I was all set to write on the recent local bodies’ elections and their implications on the future politics of Pakistan. However, in the aftermath of the Paris attack and San Bernardino mass shooting incident, the world is changing in a direction much feared at a much faster pace. And that has forced me to shelve the local bodies’ election for a week. First, Islamic State (IS) carried out the Paris attacks. Then came the San Bernardino attack in the US. And in response to them came the extremist, hardline response from elements within Europe and the US. Most alarming of these responses has been from the Republican Party’s front-running candidate for president, Donald Trump, who has called on the US to ban the entry of all Muslims into the US indefinitely.

If that is not enough, in Europe, the far right is gaining ground in countries like Poland in the east and France in the west. If Mr Trump’s rhetoric is anything to go by, things seem to be heading in a direction where Muslims in the west are all set to be in the 21st century where Jews were in the early 20th century: segregated, singled out and persecuted. There are voices of moderation within the west that are trying to fight this xenophobia. President Obama has refuted Mr Trump categorically while, cautiously and indirectly, urging Muslims to do more to improve their standing in western perception. Prominent Republican leader and speaker of the house, Paul Ryan, made it an exception to condemn Mr Trump’s assertions. In France, President Hollande is determined to see through French commitment to accommodate the agreed quota of Syrian refugees despite strong opposition from Jean-Marie Le Pen’s National Front and other rightwing elements. Western leaders on the right, centre and left have been unanimous in opposing Mr Trump on this mad assertion. The issue, however, remains in balance in the west owing to the sensitive nature of the issue and the ever-looming threat of Islamist terrorism inciting fear among the western public. In this, one can just hope that the voices of moderation in the west succeed in blocking the eminence of a situation similar to the precursor of horrible anti-Semitic persecution in the last century for Muslims in the west.

That said, the response in Pakistan of many quarters is equally disturbing. The conspiracy theory spin mill went into full swing spreading denial. On social media one sees many posts by reasonably educated and sane people portraying the incidents as false or some western conspiracy to malign Muslims. When Tashfeen Malik’s (one of the San Bernardino attackers) Pakistani roots were discovered, they first went into full swing denying she had a Pakistan ID card. The National Database and Regulation Authority’s (NADRA’s) records indicated that the spin had to change. It is indicative of a broader delusional mindset to be in denial of the problems brewing at home. One does not need to dig deep to figure out how the unchecked religious preaching environment is radicalising the youth here. Go to a mosque and hear the Friday or early morning sermons and you will hear the radicalised message, not only against the west but also against other sects, often. Many a teacher at school and Islamic Studies’ professors at colleges and universities indulge in talk that borders on radicalisation. And then there are lecture circuits, of mostly the educated and well off, where the discussion turns to elements that are radical and xenophobic. Not only that but patronisation of such ideologies by the state’s organs is widespread thanks to the penetration of like-minded elements into various segments of the state machinery.

One wonders if the denial stems from the fact that most propagating such conspiracy theorist, apologist thoughts actually adhere to this radicalised, extremist mindset deep down or whether it stems from an identity crisis in an atmosphere of confusion where one is trying to retain the comfort zone way of living while at the same time desiring to earn in euros or dollars in a globalised economy. For those in denial, if you intend to choose the side of radicalisation, choose it rather than being in denial. For this delusional denial is crippling society and its narrative to complete decay. Unfortunately, in the world in which we live, fence sitting is not going to be an option any longer. Either one has to adhere to comfort zone living ideals or will have to embrace globalisation and integration. If you are going to choose radicalisation and xenophobia, the economic and social repercussions will pinch hard. In the case of Muslims, mostly living in under-developed economies, the pinch will be felt instantaneously. And if the wealthy west chooses xenophobia the repercussions may be felt a little later but will be there. Modes of communication have pushed our world to integration and there is no turning back.

The clash of civilisations in some ways depends on whether we buy into it or not. But, in the end, even if, God forbid, such a full-scale clash occurs, those who come out of it will be those who will be inclusive. It is time to shun and fight xenophobia wherever you are in the world. There are more things that bind us humans than those that divide us.

The author can be reached on twitter at @aalimalik