Rise of Islamism: A Direct Consequence of the Creation of Pakistan: A Talk by Tarek Fatah

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Noted columnist and author of ‘Chasing the Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State’, Tarek Fatah, delivered an insightful talk on ‘The Rise of Islamism: A Direct Consequence of the Creation of Pakistan’, on March 25, 2015 under the Vimarsha lecture series at VIF. A gusty speaker, known widely across the Muslim world for his secular, progressive and liberal views, Tarek Fatah, gave a brilliant exposition on the evolution of political Islam in the sub-continent, attributing much of the radicalisation going on across the world to the creation of Pakistan.

According to Fatah, Britain and the United States helped create and sustain Pakistan largely to obfuscate the communists after the Second World War. Pakistan, however, owes its existence to the hatred against India, a sworn enemy. Pakistan has a huge stockpile of nuclear weapons and its nuclear arsenal consists of low-yield short-range tactical weapons which could be used against India. India needs to remain wary of Pakistan’s nefarious designs and must give up any hope of reconciliation with her. The Pakistan-born author also had a set of policy recommendation for India: ‘Aman ki Aasha’ should be scrapped as it is nothing but a shameful exercise and a one way traffic of ISI aunties coming to India and doing circles in India; the beating retreat at Wagah, or ‘the march of roosters’ as the speaker indignantly called it, must cease without any further delay, because it gives Pakistan a sense of parity with India. Tarak Fatah further underlined the need for India to support the Baloch insurgents in its own interests.

In so far as the status of Muslims in India is concerned, Tarek Fatah said India is the only country in the world where Muslims exert influence without fear. Muslims are better equipped in India than in Pakistan and Bangladesh. India offers a future in terms of what the nation state would be and how to accommodate languages, races and religions with all the difficulties that go with that. Rather than looking up to the Arab world, the Muslims of the sub-continent need to draw inspirations from their own ancestry and the Indian civilization, advised the speaker. The views expressed by the speaker found resonance with the audience who had turned up in large numbers.