An American Islamist in PoK

The visit of Ilhan Omar — a member of the United States Congress — to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has drawn condemnation from India, with a Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson stating: ‘If such a politician wishes to practise her narrow-minded politics at home, that may be her business. But violating our territorial integrity and sovereignty in its pursuit makes it ours.’ The sharp note of censure in these words can be understood in the context of what Omar said in PoK: ‘I don’t believe that it (Kashmir) is being talked about to the extent it needs to in Congress but also with the administration.’ Omar’s comments conflict with the long-standing US position that the Kashmir issue must be resolved bilaterally by India and Pakistan.

Omar’s story is both inspirational and instructive. Born in Somalia, she fled that country’s civil war with her family and spent four years in a refugee camp in Kenya; granted refugee status by the US, the family moved to that country when she was 12. Omar’s success in becoming one of the first two Muslim women to be elected to the US Congress is a credit to her — and even more so to the US. It’s disappointing, then, that her religious identity seems to dictate her politics — she has been accused of anti-Semitism and making comments about Jews and Israel that, critics say, are likely based on her religious upbringing. Such a person would be celebrated in Pakistan, where anti-Semitism is mainstream, and where even seasoned commentators openly say that Imran Khan was installed as PM by the ‘Yahudis’ to destroy the country!

While Omar might not be very significant in the US power corridors, her visit to PoK is curious as it’s rare for a US lawmaker to set foot in that region. Over four decades ago, when the US was a supporter of the Afghan Mujahideen against the Soviets, US lawmakers were actively involved in securing funding and armaments for the ‘jehad’. It’s understandable for a visit of an Islamist American lawmaker — who espouses pre-modern separatist ideas based on religion — to PoK to cause anxiety in New Delhi.