The Saudi concern —Gulmina Bilal Ahmad

The Saudis must take responsibility for their role in fuelling this extremism. At one level it is the success of Saudi diplomacy that while the “infidels” are blamed for all and sundry that goes wrong in Pakistan, the Saudis get off scot-free

We live in a wired world. Not just electronically. As individuals with our fancy communication toys we are connected to the internet and through it to other people almost all the time. However, we are connected as nations too and that is what the premise of all diplomatic activities and service is. For the foreign service of any country is actually an attempt to maintain mutually beneficial relations with other countries and to foster new ties. Thus, while Facebook recently might have introduced the ‘friends’ option, as countries tied through trade, industry, cultural and other diplomatic ties, we have been interacting for the longest time.

However, some connections are mutually beneficial only in the short term. In the medium and long term, there are some adverse consequences that bring the chickens home to roost. The relationship between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan might be an example of this. The operative word is ‘might’ since one does not want to issue a declaration of whether the relationship has been beneficial or not in the long run. However, let’s briefly look at some aspects of the Saudi Arabian-Pakistani relations. It is important to examine this relationship closely now more so because of the recent visit of the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Saudi Arabia. At the meeting, the Saudis identified terrorism as a global problem and expressed their “concern” over the rise of extremism that fuels terrorism in Pakistan.

The Saudis’ concern over the rise of extremism is a genuine one and one that they can readily understand. For its blueprint is written in clear Saudi terms. It is a matter of political history that the Saudis facilitated and financed the opening of madrassas where their brand of Islam, namely Wahabiism, was taught. By its very existence, Saudi Arabia is a state that represents the political face of Wahabiism. Since its establishment as a sovereign state in 1932, Saudi Arabia has promoted Wahabiism not just within its frontiers but also all over the world, including Pakistan.

According to a study of Wahabiist literature by a research organisation called Freedom House, the publications promote sect ethnocentrism and hate speech. For instance, one such publication calls for “Muslims [to] not only oppose infidels in every way but also hate them for their religion for Allah’s sake.” Fuelled by such sentiments and a very literal belief of Quranic text, it is no wonder that Wahabiists advocate the destruction of graves and authorising the state to become the moral custodian of its population. Historically, the Wahabiists levelled the grave of Zayd ibn al-Khattab, one of the companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). They also support and advocate punishment measures like public stoning of adulteresses — measures that Pakistanis are very familiar with as all these beliefs found their way into the Zia-promulgated Hudood Ordinance, which in a nutshell is bigoted and violates basic legal and fundamental human rights.

According to Islamic political researchers, it is estimated that the Saudis have spent over $ 87 billion over a span of just 20 years to spread Wahabiism globally through key strategic points like Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan. To counter and curtail the spread of other sects of Islam, together with President Ziaul Haq, the Saudis were quite happy to spend their petro-dollars to fund madrassas where Wahabiist Islam could be taught.

Thus it comes as no surprise that in Afghanistan during the rule of the Taliban, these madrassa graduates implemented Wahabiist Islam. Just as in Saudi Arabia, the Taliban in Afghanistan established a Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (CPVPV), which used to flog men and women for any action that they deemed to be objectionable. The fact that the MMA government was inspired by such actions and wanted to implement the Hasba Bill is further cause for concern and a proof of the close nexus between the groups mentioned.

The Saudi government further declared during the Indian prime minister’s visit that they had severed ties with the Taliban when the latter gave sanctuary to Osama bin Laden. Osama bin Laden was a Saudi and a proponent of Wahabiism, but he took Wahabiism to the next level by advocating a violent jihad. Initially the Saudis supported his call for spreading Wahabiism globally, but distanced themselves from him when he adopted militancy as the only option. However, having said this, it cannot be denied that Saudi Arabia was one of three countries that recognised the Taliban government in Afghanistan, the other two being Pakistan and the UAE. For them to declare that they had severed ties with the Taliban, it would be imperative that this recognition would have been withdrawn. However, this is not the case and the Saudis would do well to remember that while people have short memories, nations do not.

As stated earlier, the Saudis’ “concern” about extremism and extremist attitudes in Pakistan is well founded. However, they must take responsibility for their role in fuelling this extremism. At one level it is the success of Saudi diplomacy that while the “infidels” are blamed for all and sundry that goes wrong in Pakistan, the Saudis get off scot-free. The Western world has invested in social sectors like education, health, infrastructure, to mention a few areas, the Saudis in madrassas and hate literature. No wonder the Saudis are “concerned”.

The writer is an Islamabad-based development consultant. She can be reached at contact@individualland.com