According to Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, Muslim authorities’ silence on Israeli aggression in Gaza amounts to US-backed persecution.
He warned, during a rally outside the US Consulate in Lahore against Israeli atrocities, that the next protest would be inside the embassy if the government did not support Palestinians and denounce the US.
Rehman noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was in Saudi Arabia and hoped for a joint call to condemn the US and Israel.
All political groups compete for US approval, he said, so the government and opposition were silent on the Palestinian issue. PML-N, PPP, and PTI should denounce the US, he said.
He also asked the army chief to support Palestine and hold a Muslim military summit with government permission to send a strong message to Israel.
He said, “I am certain that just such an announcement will be enough to halt Zionist brutality.”
In response to social media claims of Pakistani journalists visiting Israel, he urged a government response. He cautioned the government that hidden Zionist bargains that cost Palestinian life would invite public wrath.
A boycott of Israeli products and million-man marches in key cities in solidarity with Palestine were also announced by the JI emir.
Following his demand, Pakistani protests, rallies, and marches occurred outside US embassies and consulates in Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, and Quetta.
He announced 600 deaths, including 250 children, in recent days due to Israeli attacks despite demands for a ceasefire. He criticized the Rafah crossing blockade and stated the US arms Israeli terrorism.
He blamed Muslim rulers for Palestinian carnage for their inaction.
Pakistan has nuclear weapons, and the Muslim Ummah looks to us. US subservience must end for our leaders. He warned the opposition to speak out against Israeli and American aggression because the people are watching and know everything.
On March 23, 1940, one resolution called for Pakistan and another condemned Israel, highlighting Muslims’ faith in Palestine. He noted that Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah labeled Israel the “illegitimate child of the West” and that Pakistan would never recognize it.
He blamed the ruling class for Pakistan’s economic decline, dismissing claims that its weak economy prevented it from asserting itself against the US.
“Don’t call us weak. Our leaders must stop being cowardly, he said, citing Hamas’s resistance. He ended by honoring Hamas’ fight against Israeli occupation.
