Perhaps one of the saddest stories to emerge from Gaza is that of the family of British MP Layla Moran, who along with many others, is trapped inside a church in Gaza. There were quite a few Palestinian Christians displaced and massacred in 1948, the An-Nakba, and the disaster through which Zionists tried to clear Palestine of Palestinians and create Israel. The majority of Palestinians are Muslim, but there are some Christians among them too.
It should perhaps not be forgotten that France and Russia showed a great interest in the Middle East since the 19th century, because the Holy Places of Christendom were there. Also, the Holy Places of Judaism and Islam were also there, in the form of the Masjid Aqsa, which is also the site of the Temple of Solomon.
However, that led to the Crimean War of the two against the Ottoman Empire.
Now, it seems, that figleaf is not being used. It seems that all the vaunted missionary fervour of the USA and the West is running out, and they are supporting Israel, even when it attacks churches. Does anyone remember Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, where Shylock gets it in the neck for conspiring against a Christian?
Or is there an element of racism here? I mean, these are not white Christians, but Arabs. And we must remember that Israel was founded by Russian and Ukrainian Jews who had moved to the USA. I presume that’s where they imbibed racism, directed not just against blacks, but also against Arabs. The present Israeli PM is in this mould, being the child of Ukrainian Jews, and though born in Israel, brought up in the USA. He is the first Israeli PM to have been born in Israel, that is, after Independence.
Indians don’t have the same racism. After all, Muslims are mostly converts, so while Hindus may be virulently anti-Muslim, their goal is ‘ghar wapsi’ as they now call it. Until then, Muslims are down there with the Dalits. There is no move among Israelis to reconvert Palestinians. They remain subject to being killed, as in Gaza. The Christians who had been killed in the Gaza church were not killed by a bomb or artillery, where there is an element of inadvertence, but by snipers, which implies a spine-chilling deliberation.
Meanwhile, they are petting cows in a former dairy farm in the UK, to alleviate mental problems. It doesn’t’ seem to have been used in Czechia, where a 24-year-old student offed himself after shooting dead 13 others, and injuring 25 others, one of whom died in hospital. It was by far the worst shooting in Czech history, though it was only middling by US standards, where the school or college shooting is almost a tradition.
If the British technique was to be used in Pakistan, it would be done by petting buffaloes. If there was a crime anywhere, the patients would be arrested for stealing the buffaloes.
However, the 61 intending illegal migrants feared dead off Libya in yet another boat-sinking tragedy would not have been helped by the petting of buffaloes or cows. None of the illegals have been identified as PTI supporters, but that is perhaps the only good news the party has had.
Well, its ranks have been swelled by Latif Khosa, formerly of the PPP, which had made him both attorney-general and Punjab Governor. The PTI had also attracted former Punjab Governor Muhammad Sarwar, and made him Governor again. But he had gone from the PML(N)’s ranks. So maybe the JUI(F) should watch out for KP Governor Haji Ghulam Ali, closely related as he is to the party chief.
Meanwhile, the PCB is a victim of the audio clip craze. And instead of some former player (like Imran), the clip released was of the PCB Chairman, Zaka Ashraf, discussing the captaincy. And that’s political, because the captaincy is crucial to getting on the same page.
Of course, Imran is not the best advertisement for that, not after his party was deprived of its symbol. Still, Imran showed a fine undaunted spirit by saying his party would play on. Sorry, still contest the elections. I wonder what sport of fit the umpires would throw if batsmen turned up without a bat. You could get caught off the glove, and could either be out handled the ball or obstructing the field.
