Shah Fahad
ISLAM with 1.8 billion followers around the globe is the second biggest religion in the world. For ages, the Muslim world lived in harmony with others however, with the rise of crusaders and the establishment of the Ottoman Empire, differences grew bigger between the West and the Muslim world. When the West supported Israel in the heart of the Middle East, the hatred and distances widened between the two. Anti-Islamic rhetoric is a useful tool for far-right parties in the West that use it to malign the Muslim community. Irresponsible statements from heads of state coupled with popular media propaganda against Islam creates hatred among the hearts of the general public which triggers hate crimes against Muslims.
Relations between the western world and the Islamic world are sore once again after the French magazine Charlie Hebdo published blasphemous caricatures and the French government took a stance that they will continue to showcase them even if that offends the Islamic world. This is not the first time when the religious sentiments of the Muslims are hurt in the name of freedom of speech. Previously Denmark also published similar blasphemous caricatures that ignited protests worldwide. Prime Minister Imran Khan along with his Turkish counterpart were vociferous opponents of French President Macron’s stance on Islamophobia.
In the act of protest, Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan marched towards the capital, gathering a large crowd, chocking Islamabad. The leadership of TLP demanded the government to remove the French Ambassador and impose a ban on their products. People burned French flags and pasted pictures of Macron on the doormats. An agreement was reached between the government and TLP, where it was agreed that the issue of closing the French Embassy would be taken to Parliament and their products will be banned. However, it is not that simple as it may sound. France is one of the most influential members of the European Union and holds veto power in the United Nations. Other than that, Paris is home to famous brands such as L’Oreal, Lefèvre Utile (LU), Total, and Garnier all have a reasonable market here. Two of the important and big banks from Europe Societe General and BNP Paribas facilitate trade finance transactions from Pakistan.
Total export of France were $555 billion last year, a major chunk of its goods are exported in Europe. Germany is the highest importer of French products followed by the US, Italy and Spain, only 17% of its goods are exported in Asia. The pharmaceutical sector is among the fastest-growing sector in France, Sanofi is one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world having products with high demand in Pakistan. After optical, technical and medical apparatus, French aircraft and spacecraft are the third fastest-growing sector. Dassault Rafale is one such example, the jets are already in-service in Egypt, Qatar and India with potential customers in Finland, Malaysia, Switzerland and UAE.
France has also provided military assistance to the Pakistan military, French-made Mirage fighters and Agosta submarines have been an essential part of our arsenal. Apart from that, France has been a major exporter of military equipment to various Muslim countries, which are among the top importers. Although military orders from Europe have grown to 3.47 billion euros which accounts for 45% of the total arms export of France, Middle Eastern clients still hold almost 30% of their total arms exports, which translates to 2.15billion Euros. However, among 9.9 billion Euro worth of arms deliveries in 2019, two-thirds were made to the Middle Eastern countries.
In the modern era, there are no permanent friends or foes; economic gains lay the foundation of alliances. The dynamics of French diplomacy and influence in the world cannot be harmed by Pakistan imposing a ban on their products. On the contrary, it will cost Pakistan if we don’t send our Ambassador to France and make them recall theirs, as it will end all the diplomatic channels and will greatly damage our position in the European Union. On top of that, the threat of FATF is still active, and upsetting an important member country could pose a serious threat.
If the Muslim world wants to vent their spleen on publishing such caricatures and wants France to understand that hurting the religious sentiments is not freedom of speech, then the Middle East has to play its role using OIC’s platform. Since they are among the top buyers of their military equipment, even the hint of cancelling future arms deals can have a significant impact on France’s exports and force them for a modus vivendi in favour of Islam.
—The wrier is freelance columnist, based in Karachi.
