In Pakistan, ISIL appeals to those who have little or no hope

What's more disturbing is the desire of the federal and Baloch governments (as well as those of other provinces) to try and sweep the issue under the carpet and pretend it is not happening, writes Shaukat Qadit

ISIL is recruiting members from across the Muslim world and beyond, ranging from these in Indonesia to an estimated 10,000 Baluchis in Pakistan. Photo: Anwar Mustafa / AFP

A few weeks ago the Baluchistan government sent a memo to Pakistan’s federal government, expressing concern at ISIL’s recruitment drive in the south-western province. The Baluch authorities feared that ISIL may have enrolled as many as 10,000 people.

As usually happens, the media got wind of it and the news became public. Both governments, provincial and federal, immediately played it down. Without denying the fact, they pretended the news stories were ‘over-playing’ its significance and recruitment numbers were smaller.

It continues to amaze me that politicians don't always see the big picture. ISIL is recruiting Muslims the world over. After all, they are touting an "Islamic State", without borders, ethnic, racial or social divisions. Nobody should be surprised that they are recruiting here. Ten thousand recruits from Baluchistan isn't a particularly alarming number, considering Pakistan's population is 190 million.

But it is alarming if it’s indicative of a trend. Baluchistan is Pakistan’s largest province but it’s also the most sparsely populated; a mere 15 million people occupy about 45 per cent of the landmass.

Admittedly, the Baluch have reason to be disillusioned with the state. But so do people in other provinces. Southern Punjab, for instance, is disturbing because of its increasing support for religious extremism.

Again, this is alarming if it indicates a trend across Pakistani provinces. But what is more disturbing by far is the desire of the federal and Baluch governments (as well as those of other provinces) to try to sweep this under the carpet and pretend it is not happening.

My concern is not why this is happening; it would be astonishing if it wasn’t. My concern is why Pakistanis are willing recruits to a movement that is so obviously evil, nurturing hate, cruelty, and injustice?

Maha Yahya, of the Carnegie Middle East Centre, has compiled The Ultimate Fatal Attraction: 5 Reasons People Join ISIS, a reference to the group’s alternative name. It says such a group becomes attractive if the education system is warped and fails to teach people critical analysis. If there’s a lack of economic opportunities as well as a lack of social welfare projects, when there’s bad governance and visible injustice and if force is used to suppress any movement seeking redressal of grievances. She cites the suppression of the Arab Spring as an example. It’s a good point and there are examples closer to home in Pakistan. Though the campaign led by Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan and Pakistani-Canadian cleric Tahirul Qadri leaves a lot to be desired, they have undeniably taken up hot-button issues with which most Pakistanis can identify.

The fifth and final reason on Ms Yahya’s list is a paranoid distrust of the US-led West, leading to an “us Versus them” feeling. Regrettably, this does not seek betterment but merely fosters envy bordering on hate of “them”.

It is hard to disagree with her conclusions, but are these five reasons entirely separate from each other? Do they not blend into one basic reason: bad governance coupled with injustice.

Of course the “us Versus them” motive is a singular emotion. Even though most immigrant Pakistanis (as well as Muslims from other countries) do well for themselves, achieving a reasonable standard of living and some social status in their adopted homeland, this rarely spurs other members of the community to do the same.

Instead, many of them prefer to harp on glories past. Perhaps that aspect bears emphasising. It is enormously significant and sells the concept of ISIL.

The Islamic caliphate of yore undoubtedly had a glorious past and in that era, Muslims made enormous contributions to the progress of mankind. It’s undeniable too that Muslims lag now behind that standard or those set by other faith communities. But then the age of the four caliphs was an enlightened one, in which analytical research and curiosity was encouraged.

ISIL, of course, seduces new recruits with alluring tales of the past, distorting Islam to promote a system that is neither progressive nor visionary. It is the exact antithesis of the caliphate it claims to have restored. But the idea still sells. Does that not say something loud and clear to Pakistan’s leaders about the need to address grievances and give people a reason to believe in the state?

Playing ostrich is not a solution. If that is all that the Pakistani government can muster as a response, the next memo from Baluchistan or elsewhere will probably be reporting on many more than “tens of thousands” of recruits.

Brig Shaukat Qadir is a retired Pakistani infantry officer