THIS is apropos your editorial ‘World policeman’ (Jan 5) on the role being played by the US of a global policeman.

All the wars the US has fought, nay, started, have been on a soil other than its own and all have been based on false premises. It has wreaked more havoc and been responsible for more misery, starvation and human crises than all other nations combined over the past several decades.

The mere perceived possibility, however farfetched it may be, of a few Americans in danger causes it to kill, bomb and destroy hundreds and thousands of human beings in other countries.

The US, with Saudi Arabia and Israel, has once again tried to act as the public executor for a crime that was only in Donald Trump’s warped mind. It is important for Pakistan and all countries that desire peace in the Middle East not to side with this trio, but condemn this act of assassination of General Soleimani.

The PTI government’s minister for religious affairs is not doing any favours to his country when he says that his government will support Saudi Arabia. This is an irresponsible and dangerous statement as it can be construed to mean that Pakistan is likely to take sides in case of conflict. One hopes that this is not Pakistan’s stance, its financial debt to Riyadh notwithstanding.

Muslim countries, including Pakistan, should avoid seeing this as a Shia-Sunni divide. This is a matter of moral ground and if sides need to be taken, these must be on the basis of justice and peace.

Nikhat Sattar
Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2020