KARACHI: Earlier this month, a delegation, which included
Pakistanis and Pakistani Americans, travelled to Israel, to promote interfaith
harmony.
The visit drew a sharp criticism in Pakistan, where opposition
leaders accused the government of arranging the trip in order to pave the way
to recognise Israel. Pakistan’s Foreign Office quickly rubbished such reports,
explaining that the trip was arranged by a foreign NGO and not Pakistan. It
further added that the country’s position on the Jewish state remains clear and
unambiguous. The delegation, which has come under fire, was led by
Pakistani-American Anila Ali. mhmaamay spoke to Ali about the purpose of
the trip and the subsequent reaction. The interview has been edited for brevity
and clarity.
Q. Why did you decide to take a delegation to Israel?
Anila Ali: The purpose of the visit was to see the Abraham Accords
in action. I’m a board member of Sharaka, and the group AMWEC [American Muslim
and Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council]. Through AMWEC, we build interfaith
ties with people of different communities in America. So, it was a natural
alliance with Muslims and Jews that we became partners and decided to visit not
just Israel but Dubai and Abu Dhabi as well.
Q. Why were Pakistanis included
in the group?
Anila Ali: AMWEC has Muslims, Jews, Christians Greek Orthodox and
Sikhs on our advisory board and we build ties with the multi-faith community.
We also empower women, and since the majority of us are Muslim
women from Pakistan, we elevate the Muslim Pakistani voice. And of course,
Pakistanis wanted to go. We have a lot of interest in Pakistanis going to
Israel, to see what it's like, and check it out for themselves. To see what
Israelis are like because they’ve never met Israelis. Also, a major motivating
[factor] is to pray at Masjid al Aqsa.
Q. How many people were part of
your delegation?
Anila Ali: We were 17 people, including the Sharaka group.
“Sharaka” is an Arabic word, meaning partnership. Sharakas are Arabs and
Israelis of the Abraham Accord countries, who are promoting peace between Jews
and Muslims and Arabs and Israelis. We are partners with them, they are the
ones who took us.
Q. What were the nationalities
of those who went with you?
Anila Ali: We had British Pakistanis, American Pakistanis and two
Pakistanis with us too.
Q. Did the Pakistani nationals
seek approval from the government?
Anila Ali: I'm very thankful to the Imran Khan government for
allowing Fishel BenKhald to travel to Jerusalem so that he could pray at his
holy site. I was given surety that he would not be stopped when coming back.
And I’m also thankful to Imran Khan’s government that he allowed BenKhald, for
the first time in the history of Pakistan, to write “Judaism” as his religion
on his passport. So yes, I had approval for Fishel.
Ahmad Quraishi is a freelance journalist, who writes about the
MENA region and is highly knowledgeable about national security, extremism, and
counter-terrorism, which are the areas that our Muslim NGO has been working on
since 9/11.
Q. Do you think it was the right
time to visit Israel?
Anila Ali: Our trip had been planned many months in advance. It
just happened it was at the same time, unfortunately, when Dr Shireen Mazari
used it for her own political purposes and then Imran Khan also used our trip
to incite hatred for a group of expats.
This is not the first time that a government or someone affiliated
with the government has gone to Israel. A group of Pakistani American doctors
recently went to Israel on a truth-seeking mission. I don't want to name names
but we have to understand that Americans are free people, they can do what they
like, they can say what they like and we are in a very unique position in
America to change narratives ourselves.
A journalist’s job or a Muslim’s job is to seek the truth, look at
all sides and report it and build peace.
Q. How do you see the future of
Pakistan-Israel ties?
Anila Ali: I can’t speak for the Pakistan government and I can't
speak for the Israeli government either, but I can speak for the Pakistani
people living in America and in Pakistan.
I have been overwhelmingly inundated with messages of support from
young people, mostly from those who want jobs, they want a better life, and
they say it is not our conflict. We should not be hating them, we should be
working with them, so our country can benefit. Turkey, Egypt, UAE, Bahrain,
Sudan, and Morocco are all Muslim countries, so why not Pakistan?
If Pakistan joins the Abraham Accords, I think it would be good
for Pakistan as well. They can benefit from agricultural technology and water
technology [from Israel]. Also, I think it will be in a better position to help
the Palestinians. So, it could be a win-win situation for Pakistan.
Q. How did the Israeli
government receive the delegation?
Anila Ali: We met with the president of Israel. We were welcomed
by him, warmly and graciously. I told him I'm a proud Pakistani American, was
born in Pakistan, worked there at Karachi Grammar School, and then moved to
Saudi Arabia, after which I came to America.
We found Israelis to be most welcoming and most generous and very
kind to us. What was the biggest point of surprise for us was to see so many
Muslims — Arabs, young men with beards, old men with beards, and women in hijab
— working for the Israeli government.
There are cities that we visited like Abu Gosh, that are majority
Arab. There you can hear the Adhan and the church bells ring. If they can live
together in Israel with Jews, then the same should happen with the
Palestinians.
Q. Do you know that journalist
Ahmed Quraishi has been fired from his job at the state TV after the visit?
Anila Ali: Ahmed is a journalist. He should be allowed the freedom
to seek knowledge as it says in the Holy Quran.
Q. Did anyone from the Pakistani
government contact you after the visit?
Anila Ali: No one from the government has contacted me.
0 Comments