Leave it to Jack Rosen, who somehow several years ago wrested control of the American Jewish Congress and destroyed its illustrious history as a liberal Jewish group, to slavishly support Bush foreign policy. But this time, he’s taken it to extremes. For some odd reason, Rosen has adopted Pervez Musharraf as the AJC’s poster Arab leader. He feted him at an award dinner in 2005 and just made a long, strange trip to Pakistan to visit his crony and do—well, we’re not exactly sure what:
A few days before Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte traveled to Islamabad last week to impress upon General Pervez Musharraf the need to restore democratic rule in Pakistan, another American envoy quietly landed in the capital to chat with the Pakistani president and army chief.
With the blessing of Washington, Jack Rosen, chairman of the American Jewish Congress’s Council for World Jewry, traveled halfway across the globe for a face-to-face meeting with Musharraf, who he had hailed two years ago as a courageous leader and driving force in Jewish-Muslim dialogue.
Rosen’s letter to the editor makes clear, despite some murmurings to the contrary, that bolstering Pakistani democracy was not a concern of Rosen’s:
The most compelling idea that should inform our policy toward Pakistan is the urgent need to keep that country’s nuclear arsenal out of the hands of the Islamist extremists. That requires some stability, which rests, inter alia, on cooperation between a strong military and a strong executive branch…
The real choice we face is not between Musharraf and a return to an effective democratic system, but between Musharraf and the possible collapse of Pakistan.
What Rosen’s “analysis” entirely neglects is the glaring fact that the Pakistani military has failed in its fight against the Taliban and Islamic extremists in the time since it took power through a military coup and it continues to fail after Musharraf declared martial law. Musharaf gives no sense whatsoever of how his suspension of the country’s constitution will give him powers he doesn’t already have to battle successfully against those forces Rosen sees as so dangerous to Pakistan and the world.
One wonders if Rosen is so committed to the continued military rule of Pakistan and to the suspension of Pakistani democracy whether he harbors some of those same feelings about Israeli democracy?
Another big fan of Musharraf’s is new Rudy Giuliani Jewish anti-jihadi consultant, Daniel Pipes. Birds of a feather. All of Rosen’s international jet-setting to prop up military dictators makes me hanker for the glory days of Henry Siegman and the progressive AJC of old.
I’m dying to find a picture somewhere of Rosen and Musharraf shaking hands. Dear reader, please find one to feature here.
Sheesh. Does the AJC realise that Musharraf is actually not Arab at all? Do people who are worried about Islamist extremism read enough history to know that it has flourished mainly under military dictatorship in Pakistan, and would really not be such a concern in a democracy?
RS – I followed the three links on this post, and at none of them could I find a reference by Rosen or AJS to Musharraf as an Arab leader or an Arab. It appears that the title was brilliantly given to him by Richard Silverstein himself.
Amir: Such tiresome snarkiness. I’ve done some research & it appears that Pakistanis don’t speak Arabic so I should’ve written the following “Rosen has adopted Pervez Musharraf as the AJC’s poster Muslim leader.” If that’s the only criticism you can muster yr snark is pretty pathetic.
But I do appreciate the correction which could’ve actually been offered with a touch more derech eretz or have you forgotten that quality?
Mamma always told me that if people are acting a certain way towards me I should consider that perhaps I am acting the same way towards them.
I’d challenge you & yr mother to find anything in my post that justified Amir’s snarkiness. Also, did your mother also tell you that if you found yrself a guest in someone’s home you should insult yr host? After all, that’s what he has done as I consider this blog a home of sorts.
I only mouth off here towards those who do the same to me first. I hope your mother didn’t tell you not to insist on respect fr. others.
The Pakistani military clearly indicated that they have no interest in the fight against the Taliban and Islamic extremists.
I think Richard Amir has a point and your response was out of proportion. Anyways, coming to the main topic, i as Pakistani dont have any problem with Rosen visiting Pakistan, but in such circumstances, it clearly shows the type of international interference we are having in our country these days.
I thought an Israeli interference in my country will be the last thing any pakistani would like to see and am sure it shows the urgency of the situation we are passing through.
As far as Pakistani army is concerned, i still dont have any doubt that fighting Taliban has never been a problem for them and when they wish to take them seriously, the world will see it for themselves.
Right now we are having alot of interference in our country from Afghanistan, where Karzai and Indian are using their full available resources to destabilise Pakistan. I sometimes wonder if India is not happy with the good days it is enjoying in Kashmir and needs some counter response.
As far as Karzai is concerned, he will be not more here when the Americans leave so probably thats the reason he cries in the face of his nation on televisions for he surely knows his future.
I have no doubts that no one can dare to harm Pakistan
M Junaid Khan I think Richard Amir has a point
Amir has got a point (that Musharraf is not an Arab and neither are Pakistanis) but while we are on the subject perhaps it should be pointed out that Mr Rosen’s visit, if it does constitute “interference”, is Jewish and not “Israeli” in character.
Separately, it is a fact that Israel has had far warmer relations with Pakistan under Musharraf. I have to say that I found it intriguing that the Western media was in a lather over the fact that the new platform of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood bars non-Muslims from the presidency:
http://www.boston.com/news/world/africa/articles/2007/10/11/egypts_brotherhood_party_details_platform_akin_to_that_of_iran/
When that has always been the case in Pakistan. Anyone who watched General Musharraf being sworn in as a “civilian” the other day will have noticed that he had to confirm that he was a Muslim first up.
Israeli politicians are still very fond of using “Hamas-stan” as a jibe (they used to like “Arafatistan” too), a construction I’ve always thought was racist but has even more potential for diplomatic ugliness now that Israel actually courts Pakistan and the central Asian ‘stans, enjoying particularly good ties with that paragon of democracy, Uzbekistan under Islam Karimov. If you want to see the kind of gymnastics that involves, try reading this:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=769010
or this:
http://www.forward.com/articles/uzbek-unrest-shines-light-on-leader%E2%80%99s-ties-to-je/
Or perhaps you want to stay with Pakistan, in which case:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/pakistans-leader-has-created-problems-his-western-allies-can-nolonger-ignore/2007/11/15/1194766865504.html
And my all-time favourite on Israel-Uzbekistan links:
http://www.rb.org.il/RBIS/RBIS%202000/RBIS%202000.01.07.htm
As a seasoned reporter, we used the opportunity to probe further….
One of the nomenklatura of this fine organisation known as “Root and Branch Association” is Sheikh Abdelhadi Palazzi.
it clearly shows the type of international interference we are having in our country these days
M Junaid Khan, you are a hilarious fellow. Perhaps you would like to tell me when in the 60 years of Pakistan’s history there hasn’t been international interference? Such interference was crucial even to the state’s formation.
While you are absolutely right, Maher, & anti-Semites the world over make this mistake sometimes unintentionally, sometimes intentionally–one must also concede that for Jack Rosen, Israel’s interests and his own as an American jew may be almost identical.
I think Richard helped me to answer your main observation. Anyways, i have already said that i have nothing against Jews and Christians, I do respect them for what ever religion they follow.
Moreover, i think if you talk about host and guest thing, then i think guests do enjoy some degree of respect in the same way as the hosts deserves praise. 🙂