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Anti-Americanism in Pakistan
The Post-9/11 Scenario
Mehtab Ali Bhatti
The notion and concept of anti-Americanism – a pervasive feeling of anger, hostility and condemnation towards the United States of America – has been implanted in the minds of Pakistanis since many decades; owing, on the one hand, to the mistakes committed by the American government and its prejudiced policies towards Pakistan and the failures and weaknesses of the Pakistani authorities, on the other. Since the inception of Pakistan, the relations between the two states have been on a roller-coaster ride because of convergence and divergence of national interests. These bilateral relations were based on a commitment to help each other in hard times, but by realistic assumption – according to realistic paradigm state is a unitary actor which pursues power and recognizes no authority above its own. Power and its projection is another aspect of realism which is defined by both national and self-interest; or in other words through competing power interests – this did not prove true as is evident from the 1965 and 1971 wars. In these two events, Pakistan was in hot waters but was left high and dry by the United States. This created an extreme resentment and a wave of anti-Americanism in Pakistan.
Some people brought anti-Americanism to the streets by staging protests. In these protests, especially those organized to condemn any American aggression that could hurt religious sentiments of the people or even put indigenous values at stake, attempts were even made to damage American property. There have been a number of such events wherein hatred and feeling of anti-Americanism were ignited which resulted into violent protests.
Historically, the feelings of anti-Americanism started taking roots in the 1950s. They rose in the 1960s when America did not assist Pakistan in its 1965 war against India. These further soared to new heights in the 1970s when Zia ousted country’s democratically-elected Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. This strong anti-Americanism, however, abated in the 1980s because of the US affability towards and support to Afghan Mujahideen which ultimately rid Afghanistan of the Soviet forces. However, after the fall of the Soviet Union, the US abandoned both the Afghan mujahideen and Pakistan and throughout the 1990s, the latter kept reeling under criushihng sanctions imposed by the United States, especially when Pakistan conducted nuclear tests in May 1998 – this also created extreme resentment among the Pakistanis. Consequently, the post-9/11 decade brought new layers of frustrations, complexities hatred and grievances. This era particularly invited the wrath of the religious parties of Pakistan, e.g. Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) as they demonstrated extensively against Pakistan’s decision to align with the United States in its so-called war on terrorism in Afghanistan.
How America Treats Pakistan?
The extreme resentment against the United States in Pakistan has its roots in US policies and actions towards Pakistan. America’s meddling with internal affairs of the country also fuelled the rise of anti-Americanism. The friendly leanings of Pakistan towards America failed to serve the interests of the country during the times of intense need. The United States focused on external goals like containing expansion of communism, having covert talks with China or arming the Afghan mujahideen. The US leaders saw Pakistan as a pawn in the broader geo-political chess game. However, when Pakistan was in dire need of US support, e.g. 1965 and 1971 wars with India, the US categorically betrayed Pakistan. This was the most conspicuous cause of pervasive anti-Americanism in the Pakistani society.
Moreover, Pakistanis also resent US support to military regimes which have ruled four times in Pakistan. It is a common perception here that the US covertly supported military regimes and people hold it accountable for sustaining Ayub, Ziaul Haq and Musharraf for a considerable longer period of time. It is also believed that governments in Pakistan come at the behest of and after approval from the United States. These involvements have created quite a stir and an extreme anger among Pakistanis.
Anti-American Sentiment in Pakistan: Post 9/11
A vast majority of the Pakistani population is religious-minded so they have a natural affinity with religious leaders. And, anti-Americanism in Pakistan has been rampant in our clergy and ordinary people of Pakistan follow them.
When the United States invaded Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks, which were claimed to be masterminded by Al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Ladin, Pakistan was asked to either join the US in this war or be ready to go to the Stone Age. Pakistan chose to side with the US. It even provided air bases to American forces and shared intelligence with them. This act on the part of Pakistan and America invited the wrath of our clergy who turned against the IS as well as the state of Pakistan. They felt that Pakistan should not have joined American alliance to wage a war in Afghanistan. As a consequence of that war, we bore the brunt of untold losses in terms of money, men and property and suffered multitude of casualties, collateral damage and collapsed economy. Religious parties particularly JI and JUI-F expressed their extreme anger, hostility, disapproval and resentment through nationwide demonstrations. Moreover, drone strikes by US military, clandestine operation in Abbottabad to hunt Osama bin Ladin, incident of Raymond Davis and brutal Salala attack not only worsened amicable relations but also resulted in higher anti-Americanism sentiment in Pakistani society.
The Three Strands
Kurt Russell once said, “Human beings, from their own point of view, are very different than what people see.” Likewise, in Pakistan, everyone has different views and feelings for the United States and these viewpoints may also change with the passage of time. For example, the ruling elite of Pakistan have their own interest base and they attract its attention by using tool of blackmailing for more aid. The fundamentalists have their own interpretation that flexible ties with US may threaten their beliefs and accustomed rules of life. The nationalists Sindhi, Balochi, Pathans and Punjabi have different interpretation. Different sects like Sunni and Shiite have their own opinion regarding America. Collectively there are three main strands which define anti-Americanism in Pakistan.
- Leftists and Liberals
Tanvir Ahmed Tahir in his book “Political Dynamics of Sindh 1947-1977” notes that during Bhutto’s era, anti-Americanism was a compelled occupation of liberal and leftist groups. From 1970s onwards, several protests were staged by both groups against American capitalism and imperialism towards Pakistan in which US flag was torched many times. The anti-Americanism was at its peak among these leftist and liberal activists; religious parties did not criticize Americans because of its efforts to stem the rise of Communism.
- Nationalists
Nationalists express their hatred against the US due to its involvement in Pakistan’s internal affairs, which they perceived as a deleterious threat to their sovereignty. They have a viewpoint that America left Pakistan many a time in the lurch in precarious situations. This American attitude ultimately caused widespread hatred in the society. Bhutto, a staunch nationalist, deemed American policies towards Pakistan as a betrayal in long-standing friendship.
Same happened in 1971 war which resulted into the dismemberment of Pakistan. Again during Bhutto government, hatred against US was on its peak. By seeing India’s aggression and America’s disregard for Pakistan in the hour of need, Bhutto decided to make Pakistan a nuclear power with the help of studious nationalist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan. After India’s nuclear explosions in 1974, Bhutto and Khan move towards building nuclear bomb that could deter India. Despite pressure from external powers, Bhutto left no stone unturned to achieve this dream. In 1979, AQ khan placed his judicious anger towards America by showing his disdain in a letter to the editor of German magazine Der Spiegel wherein he said: “I want to question the bloody holier-than-thou attitudes of the Americans and the British. Are these bastards God-appointed guardians of the world to stockpile hundreds of thousands of nuclear warheads and have they God-given authority to carry out explosions every month? If we start a modest program, we are the Satan, the devils.”
- Clergy and Jihadists
After the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, Pakistan became more important to the US due to its strategic importance. In Afghan Jihad, the US covertly provided military hardware and dollars to Zia regime for the participation of Pakistani Jihadists in fight against Soviet expansionist forces and communism. During Zia era, anti-Americanism became somewhat a superficial concept and most of the religious parties supported the US due to Zia’s Islamization. At the end of the Cold War, Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan, and America abandoned the region and ended Afghan war without deliberated planning, a horrific ethnic and bloody civil war then ensued there.
Conclusion
Anti-Americanism is too much entrenched in the minds of liberal as well as conservative Pakistanis. Since 1960s, feelings of dissent against the United States have been outrageous, and hatred pervasive due to US involvement in the internal affairs of Pakistan, especially economic and political, its flawed policies and its belligerence against Pakistan. Pakistanis are so haunted with anti-Americanism that they indict the US for everything wrong that happens in Pakistan – from terrorism to economic meltdown, even to the expansion of epidemics like dengue fever. Religious parties have strong negative feelings against the US; nationalists and liberals too fall in the same domain. This sort of anti-America feelings could be alleviated if and only if US alters its foreign policies and aggression against Pakistan.
The writer is currently doing his BS Strategic Studies at
National Defence University, Islamabad
