A CONCLAVE of local divines that had gathered in Islamabad on Thursday have made two important points: firstly, that all protests and boycotts in support of the besieged Palestinians should remain peaceful, and secondly, that the Muslim world should take collective action to stop the genocide in Gaza. Mufti Taqi Usmani observed that “do protest and boycott, but peacefully”. This message is important because over the past few days, mobs have attacked several Western fast-food outlets in Lahore as well as Karachi and other Sindh towns, apparently due to the perception that these brands ‘support’ Israel. However, vandalism is not the way to express solidarity with Palestine. It is a fact that many MNCs — including Big Tech firms — have financially and otherwise supported Israel. But violent attacks on foreign brands in Pakistan will hardly end the genocide. Instead, a more intelligent way for those looking to stand with Palestine would be to follow the guidelines of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Rather than randomly boycotting firms believed to be aiding Israel, BDS targets those companies with “a record of complicity in Israeli apartheid”. This can include firms involved in illegal Israeli settlements, or those that have made donations to Tel Aviv’s military. The boycott of apartheid South Africa worked, and conscientious people worldwide should also shun Israel and its allies until the genocide in the occupied territories is permanently halted.

As for the other point made by the clerics, sadly, the Muslim world has done very little of substance to stop the massacre in Gaza, allowing Israel to ramp up its campaign of extermination in the Strip, and also attacking Syria and Lebanon. Calls for unity are important, but the Muslim world is characterised by intense internal division, and the lack of a cohesive policy to stop the war on the Palestinian people. The sad fact is that Muslim-majority countries have been unable to leverage their collective economic and political clout. Other than making sympathetic statements, the OIC has not been able to enforce a trade blockade against Israel, while Muslim states that have diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv have not felt it necessary to break off ties until the bloodshed in Gaza stops. Israel knows how weak and divided the Muslim world is, hence it sees no reason to stop the murder.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2025