Making A Difference

Moonstruck

The US and Israel try some iftar diplomacy

Advertisement

Moonstruck
info_icon

This Ramzan, the US is trying to rebuild burnt bridges with Muslims worldwide and, prominently, that includes India. From holding iftars and inviting clerics to visit the countries, the US and, to a lesser extent their ally in West Asia, the Israelis, are making cautious inroads into the community. For, as the two countries develop closer political and economic ties with India, they realise the importance of having the Muslims on their side.

The US embassy chose four new venues for hosting iftars this year. Thrissur in central Kerala, a state where anti-Americanism is still a vote-grabber, was one such venue. Others included Mysore, Raipur and Indore. Larry Schwartz, minister-counsellor for public affairs at the US embassy, explains, “Americans are very protective of religious freedoms. Islam is an American religion now...there are now some seven million American Muslims. Iftar participation has become customary for many Americans.” Of course, there was much criticism at these events. “But in every case we feel the dialogue benefited the US and helped people throughout India better appreciate our vision of peace and democracy,” Schwartz says.

Advertisement

While the Israelis haven’t got to a stage where they are organising iftars (though it’s being considered), there are plans to invite clerics and Muslim opinion makers over. Says Eli Belotsercovsky, deputy chief of mission, Israel embassy, “We view Indian Muslims as mostly liberal who can play a positive role in bridging the gap between Israelis and Arabs.”

Last year, the Israelis scored a coup of sorts when Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, secretary-general of the All India Organisation of Imams of Mosques, became the first Indian Muslim cleric to travel to Israel on an official visit. But even before he set foot in Israel, Ilyasi’s effigies were being burnt in India. Several Muslim leaders even equated his visit to an endorsement of Israeli policy towards the Palestinians. Ilyasi himself says he is “for humanity because whenever two sides fight, it’s humanity that bleeds”.

Advertisement

The Israeli embassy has even launched a website and newsletters in Urdu and Hindi. Historian Mushirul Hasan made an official visit to Israel when he was the V-C of Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi. A plan is also there to have a centre for Hebrew and Judaic studies at Jamia. Says Belotsercovsky, “Muslims here have a wrong perception about Israel. We are trying to bring them the facts as they are. When I travel, we always try to meet members of the Urdu press.”

It’s early days yet but India’s Muslims, on their part, seem unconvinced about the nature of all this goodwill. Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind spokesman Abdul Hameed Nomani, when asked, was cautiously optimistic about US president Barack Obama’s conciliatory speech in Cairo. But not so about Israel. “Ilyasi’s visit has not gone down well with Indian Muslims. Under pressure from the West, Israel, by inviting so-called Muslims like him, wants to show to the world that the community is leaning towards them,” he says. Zafar-Islam Khan, editor of the bimonthly Milli Gazette, was downright acerbic. “They see Indian Muslims as some sort of an obstacle in building close ties with India. They are trying to win us over...but it’s failed,” he says, adding that Muslims may only harbour “reservations” about American intentions but for Israel it’s “ferocious denunciation”. That won’t change too soon.

Tags

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement