Sacred Emotions, Scorched Streets – By: Abdul Aly
With the reported martyrdom of Syed Ayotullah Ali Khamenei, protests erupted in parts of Pakistan, particularly in Gilgit-Baltistan. In Skardu, several state and non-state properties were set on fire. Brunt to ashes were of building and 29 vehicles of the Aga Khan Rural Support Program aside from many other NGOs buildings. It cost tragic loss of lives of many in Skardu, Gilgit and Karachi.
These GOs and NGOs act as neutral catalyst for grass root development and uplifting livelihood of locals, especially AKRSP which is manpowered by indigenous locales. Surely developmental institutions are inherently non-denominational and meant to serve the collective benefit of society. However, in the subcontinent, religion continues to play a pivotal role in shaping public sentiment and political expression. The martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei evokes varying emotional responses. Undoubtedly, he is regarded by most a significant religious-political figure who led the Iranian Revolution and resisted alignment tooth and nail with a unipolar world order dominated by Western democratic powers, particularly by the United States.
In contemporary geopolitics, national interests—especially economic interests—are deeply intertwined and interdependent. Every state seeks competitive advantage to safeguard its sovereignty and economic survival. Iran’s leadership has consistently resisted becoming a client state of the US in the Middle East and has borne substantial costs for this defiance. The ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel, with the involvement of the United States, have also exposed divisions and perceived inconsistencies within parts of the Muslim world.
At times, in certain parts of the Muslim world, ruling governments have unduly suppressed dissenting voices and restricted opinions of the opposition parties. Such a flavor was on display in Iran from democratic leanings, which US viewed opportunity to cash-in regime change. Such repression often fragments the population and creates conditions that invite external intervention, sometimes with internal actors perceived as acting hand in glove with foreign interests. In the case of Iran, some critics argue that the United States has a ready-made alternative in the exiled Crown Prince, Reza Pahlavi, the son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and the grandson of Reza Shah Pahlavi.
War inevitably brings destruction and human sufferings. USA exerts military pressure on states it perceives obstacle to its hegemonic unipolar world ambitions. For lasting peace in the Middle East, the mutual perception of existential threat—particularly between Israel and Iran—must diminish. At a broader level, regional instability is also linked to the larger geopolitical contest between the United States and China.
Middle Eastern countries maintain significant economic ties with the Western world, and prolonged conflict places those interests at risk. In many respects, these confrontations appear driven more by strategic and economic considerations than purely religious ones. Nevertheless, perceived double standards in promoting democracy in some regions while supporting monarchies in others continue to fuel resentment, particularly in Iran. Airport closures and any blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would severely disrupt global trade and economic activity. Stalling economic activities can lead WWI condition, which created financial instability, heavy debts, and economic imbalances that made the global economy fragile, leading to the Great Depression in 1930.
Most of monarchic Arab states do not possess its own defense system and rely on the USA security guarantees and assurances for their security. This reliance places them in vulnerable and fragile position. Much of the Gulf’s defense has effectively been outsourced, making it susceptible to strategic manipulation.
Strategically, Iran finds itself surrounded by GCC states where the United States maintains military bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, making USA and Israel invasion easily accessible at Iran’s doorstop. Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon have already been made suffer severe political fragmentation and instability, leaving them weakened within this broader regional power dynamics. Relationship between many Arab states and the USA is of transactional friendship under the garb of security.
Geographically Gulf states are largely desert terrain having limited agricultural production thus depending on imported food and basic commodities. Their only economic strength is hydrocarbon oil and gas exports. This reliance on a single dominant resource creates vulnerabilities; if energy exports are disrupted or global markets shift significantly, the economic stability of these states could face serious challenges. Such structural weaknesses reduce their leverage in broader geopolitical negotiations and dependence of EU markets.
Though unfortunately wrong, the idea of collective unity and solidarity amidst Muslim bloc is merely an aspirational one, being overshadowed by national economic interests and stability. There is flagrant contradiction and inconsistency in the political positions of these states. When Iran hits these foreign military bases, these states strongly object and protest of their sovereignty being at peril, yet remain silent when their territories are used for military operations against Iran, which is USA’s core strategic objective of regime change, if not successful, obliterating it. Are Arab Muslim states not equally accomplice in crime as facilitators of brute carnage and ravage happening in Iran right now? Throughout Muslim history such divisions are not entirely new within the Muslim world over the last 1400 years!
Viewed within this global political framework, isolated regions such as Gilgit-Baltistan, characterized by relatively homogenous religious populations, can become either constructive or destabilizing forces depending on leadership and direction. Infrastructure investment and development initiatives remain scarce in remote areas, especially in Pakistan. While grievances may exist, protests must remain peaceful to prevent long-term harm. Given limited resources and mounting economic challenges compounded by corruption, instability is not a sustainable path forward.
As ongoing conflicts eventually may subside—as history suggests they will—emotions may recede, and societies may reflect on the consequences of unrest and their reactionary actions. Sustainable progress lies not in arson or anarchy, but in stability, dialogue, and development.
Abdul Aly
Gilgit.
