Antisemitism in Pakistan

Antisemitism in Pakistan refers to hostility or discrimination against Jews in Pakistan. There is a prevalence of general stereotypes against Jews in Pakistan, most of which overlap and are related to the common antisemitic views prevalent in the Muslim world.

Jews are widely regarded as miserly within Pakistani Muslim circles.[1] The Magain Shalome Synagogue as well as individual Jews in Karachi were attacked by mobs in 1948, shortly after the State of Israel's declaration of independence. The continued persecution of Pakistani Jews by Pakistani Muslims resulted in their exodus via neighbouring India to Israel (see Pakistani Jews in Israel), the United Kingdom, Canada and other countries. The Jewish community in Pakistan's northwest city of Peshawar ceased to exist entirely,[2] although a small community reportedly still exists in Karachi.

Pakistani cricket icon and politician Imran Khan's marriage to Jemima Goldsmith, an Englishwoman of Jewish origin, in 1996 caused furor in Pakistan, and Khan was accused of acting as an agent of the Jewish lobby and Israel. Egyptian newspapers made antisemitic accusations against Khan; after Khan complained, the stories were retracted.[2]

Pakistan's arch-rival, India's establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992 have caused a greater spike in expressions of antisemitism in Pakistani media, which is usually combined with anti-Zionist rhetoric. Likewise, India has been referred to as a "Zionist Threat" in Pakistan.[3]

Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based Islamic terrorist group, have also expressed antisemitic views. They have declared the Jewish people to be "Enemies of Islam", and Israel to be the "Enemy of Pakistan".[4]

During the ongoing War in North-West Pakistan, the Pakistani military has flown and dropped leaflets containing antisemitic and Hinduphobic rhetoric over the turbulent tribal region of Waziristan, which warned tribesmen to "beware of foreigners and their local supporters who had allied themselves with the Yahood Aur Hanood (lit. 'Jews and Hindus')". Tribesmen who read the leaflets were reportedly questioning the use of the words "Yahood Aur Hanood" to describe the enemy.[5]

The United States Department of State's first "Report on Global Anti-Semitism" highlighted a continuing increase in antisemitism in Pakistan:[6]

"For example, in Pakistan, a country without a Jewish community, anti-Semitic sentiment fanned by anti-Semitic articles in the press is widespread. This reflects the more recent phenomenon of anti-Semitism appearing in countries where historically or currently there are few or even no Jews. Anti-Semitism is not an issue of any significance in India, nor in the smaller South Asian countries, specifically Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, and Bhutan."[7][8]

Pakistan refused to establish diplomatic relations with Israel following the latter's independence in 1948, and, in line with its policies of supporting the Palestinians in the Arab–Israeli conflict, does not recognize Israel as a legitimate state.[9]

A substantial number of people in Pakistan believe that the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York were a secret Jewish conspiracy organized by Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, as were the 7 July 2005 London bombings, which are alleged to have been perpetrated by Jews in order to discredit Muslims worldwide. Pakistani political commentator Zaid Hamid claimed that Indian Jews were responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks;[10][11] such allegations are widespread and echo traditional antisemitic theories circulated in the Muslim world.[12][13] The Jewish religious movement Chabad Lubavich had a religious centre in Mumbai that was hit during the 2008 Mumbai attacks by Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba militants, including Ajmal Kasab, the sole survivor who was eventually captured by Indian security forces.[14][15] Antisemitic intents and views were evident from the testimonies of Kasab following his arrest and trial.[16]

References

1. Why are the Jews ‘kanjoos’? —Khaled Ahmed’s Review of the Urdu press,Daily times (Pakistan)
2. Jewish Virtual Library: Pakistan Accessed 8 October 2006
3. Pakistan Archived 5 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 8 October 2006
4. Lashkar-e-Toiba: Spreading the jehad Archived 26 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 8 October 2006
5. "Military drops leaflets in Waziristan". The News International. Pakistan. 24 March 2006. Archived from the original on 17 August 2007.
6. Global Antisemitism Report - 01.05.2005 Archived 5 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 8 October 2006
7. Report on Global Anti-Semitism Accessed 8 October 2006
8. "Report on Global Anti-Semitism". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
9. Musharraf says Pakistan not to recognize Israel Accessed 8 October 2006
10. Ludovica Iaccino (1 July 2015). "Saudi Arabia: Pakistan's controversial Zaid Hamid faces 1,000 lashes and 8 years in jail for criticising kingdom". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
11. Sengupta, Nandita (2 December 2008). "Pak TV channel says 26/11 hatched by Hindu Zionists - The Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
12. Pakistan and Israel - new friends?, BBC News.
13. Pakistan: In the Land of Conspiracy Theories,PBS.org
14. "Gunman in Mumbai Siege a Pakistani", New York Times, 7 January 2009
15. "Surviving gunman's identity established as Pakistani". Dawn. 7 January 2009. Archived from the original on 28 May 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2009.
16. Rubenstein, Richard L. (16 May 2011). Jihad and Genocide. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 181–182. ISBN 978-0-7425-6203-5. Retrieved 8 January 2012.