December 10, 2017

Trump’s Jerusalem blunder compromising harmony among civilizations

located:	Afghanistan, Pakistan, USA
editor:	Shadi Khan Saif

The latest spate of public protests in Pakistan, Afghanistan and a number of other Muslim countries against Donald Trump’s move to recognise disputed Jerusalem as the capital of Israel seem to be the first of many repercussions to the corrosive decision.

The hawkish move on a very delicate matter plays to the benefit of extremist and fanatic forces on either side of the Middle Eastern conflict. In Pakistan and Afghanistan, sentiments towards the US and most of the western world are already on a low leaning trajectory. Such an unwarranted decision by the so-called leader of the free world only proves the far-right forces, currently at the epicentre of the West's policies and governments, are the ‘ultimate enemy’ of the Muslim world.

Regardless of the conflict’s diplomatic and political aspects, under people like President Trump and his deputy Mike Pence, the US Administration is intentionally including religion to a political scenario, which is sparking great unrest. On the streets of Muslim countries, the general public is gathering in ever-increasing numbers to defy the recent Washington manoeuvres. As a result, extremist groups that lost their power thanks to relative peace and the spread of education in places like Afghanistan, are bracing for a return on the back of these emotional and extremist sentiments.

Sensible voices across the West are already bearing the burden of reckless policies promoted by super powers, but instead, these figures and governments need to distance themselves from corrosive international policies. Within the Muslim world – already plagued by division – voices of reason will struggle to negate the inclination of extreme reactions in light of extreme decisions such as this.