(Abdul Basit Alvi)
Many leaders in the Muslim world argue that Zionism threatens global stability, a view voiced by Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, who says the creation of Israel in 1948 began a long campaign against the Islamic world, with conflicts in Muslim countries linked to Zionist influence and claims that global financial systems, economies, and media have been dominated for over a century to advance Israel’s expansionist goals; Israel’s founding is seen as a colonial project beginning with the Nakba and followed by events such as the Six-Day War, occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, and Sinai Peninsula, and the 1982 Lebanon War, interpreted as steps toward “Greater Israel,” with recent movements near Jabal al-Sheikh after instability in Syria viewed as further expansion; turmoil in the Middle East, including conflict involving Iran, is seen as potentially enabling Israeli influence to move toward Pakistan if Iran weakens, while warnings from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Pakistani leaders link this to a perceived anti-Pakistan alignment of India, Israel, and Afghanistan, with pressure from groups such as the Afghan Taliban and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and alleged propaganda campaigns after incidents like the attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney intended to damage Pakistan’s reputation and isolate it diplomatically; Pakistan responds by emphasizing its nuclear deterrent established by tests authorized by Nawaz Sharif, condemning the reported assassination of Ali Khamenei in strikes attributed to the United States and Israel through diplomacy led by Ishaq Dar at the United Nations, and demonstrating readiness to defend itself through operations such as Operation Ghazab lil-Haq targeting militants including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and Islamic State – Khorasan Province while signaling it will protect its sovereignty with decisive force.
Therefore, for the over 250 million citizens of Pakistan, the urgent and unvarnished message emanating from their defense minister and their national leadership is one of urgent, collective vigilance and unwavering, unbreakable national unity in the face of existential danger. Despite the many and sometimes bitter internal differences that exist within Pakistani society, be they political, ethnic, or sectarian, there is now, more than ever, a paramount and overriding national need to recognize the deep-seated and sophisticated nature of the conspiracy and the consistently hostile intentions of what are unequivocally termed the “eternal enemies” of the state. The recent, dramatic, and alarming developments unfolding across the region are a matter of the gravest possible concern for every Pakistani, a stark and unavoidable reminder of the volatile, unpredictable, and deeply dangerous world in which Pakistan finds itself permanently situated. However, this deep and legitimate concern is powerfully tempered by a deep and abiding national satisfaction, a quiet confidence, that the nation’s ultimate defense is in the safest possible hands, protected by a supremely capable and professional military and by the ultimate deterrent of a proven and reliable nuclear weapons capability. The prayers offered daily in mosques and homes across the country are for greater unity and strength within the fractured Muslim world, for the long-awaited freedom of Palestine from the oppressive Zionist yoke, and for Pakistan itself to remain forever strong, steadfast, and safe, by the grace of God, until the very Day of Judgment. It is a powerful and enduring vision of a future world where the multifaceted threat of Zionism is confronted not through fear or passivity but through the combined and resolute strength of a truly united Muslim Ummah, with Pakistan standing proudly as a formidable fortress at its sensitive eastern edge, resolute and utterly unyielding in the face of those who wish to see it humbled, divided, and ultimately subjugated. The unshakeable belief that the proven iron of its armed forces and the boundless grace of Allah will ultimately prevail against any and every conspiracy, no matter how vast, powerful, or well-orchestrated it may be, remains the absolute cornerstone of the nation’s resolve and its confidence in navigating these most turbulent and dangerous of times.
