Pakistanis: Anti-Semitics or Anti-Zionists!

Noor Dahri

We are not anti-Semitic but anti-Zionists: This is a claim I have heard everywhere in Pakistan all my life. I have never experienced such lies, bigotry and bias about this subject from the Pakistani nation and particularly the Islamic world generally in my life. The modern Zionist movement started in 1897, nearly 116 years ago, but Jew hatred or “Anti-Semitism” has existed for millennia and this was the prime reason for establishing the modern Zionist movement in Europe at that time.

The Jewish people as a nation have long been the recipients of frequently repeated persecution, ill-treatment and massacre under numerous contrived pretexts. From archaic ‘godlike’ Pharaohs and ancient Kings to near-historic supreme Tsars & despot Chancellors, Jews have been singled out and beleaguered for the sole reason of their religious identity. Throughout Jewish history, where ever and whenever across the world minor (individual) or major (community/social/political) discontent or upheaval occurs, it reignites and releases the never fully suppressed Jews-Hatred. Jews are the easy ‘go-to’ culprits for all the ills of the disgruntled, be they individuals’ or communities’ or countries.’ Jews are accused of being the cause of all their and the world’s woes. Nowhere in the world was/is safe or secure against the inevitable ‘Jew Scapegoating’.

At the end of the 19th C and beginning of 20thC, it was Eastern and Central Europe’s turn. Both before and during the Slavic peasant’s uprising and the new socialist ideology that culminated in the Russian Revolution, Jews were persecuted throughout Europe. And while Jews served honourably alongside their German gentile compatriots in WW1, the outcome of the War helped breed more Anti-Jew hatred, as well as provide an easy target to blame for Germanic failings. All of which fanned the flames of the ever growing wave of anti-Semitism in Mother Russia and later the Fatherland.

In the aftermath of the atrocities of the Jewish Holocaust during WW2 until 1948 and the reestablishment of the State of Israel, Jews had simply no safe or secure place anywhere in the world

However, since both the Muslim Dominion of Pakistan and the Jewish State of Israel emerged on the world map in the late 1940’s, the hatred of Jews by Islamists soared in Pakistan and Jews feared for their safety. Their persecution rose 100 times more in Pakistan compared to the rest of the world’s persecution of Jews. Hundreds of Jewish Pakistani families left Pakistan in the ‘70s. They did not leave straight after the reestablishment of Israel because they identified as Pakistani citizens, but after a further 20 years of ever increasing Anti-Jewish attitudes, they were unable to stay due to this heavy persecution by Pakistani Muslims. And things have not improved in Pakistan but the rhetoric has changed the approach. The Pakistani government insisted that they leave without compensation. All money left behind had to be ploughed back into the Islamic community. Their first real exodus occurred soon after the creation of Israel which triggered many incidents of violence against Jews and the Karachi synagogue became a site of anti-Israel demonstrations.

The majority of Jews who left Pakistan are said to have settled in Ramle, Israel and have built a synagogue called Magain Shalome.

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Noor Dahri is an independent researcher based in London, UK. He has studied Counter Terrorism from International Institute for Counter Terrorism ICT- Herzliya – Israel.