According to Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, the current direction of the foreign policy of our country is not healthy. We are coming under the pressure of the world powers and becoming a tool of the imperialist powers that have exacerbated oppression and exploitation all over the world. During the Cold War, India played an important and leading role on the world stage as a leader and a powerful voice of the Third World against the imperialist powers. At that time, the poor and weak countries of the world looked at us with hope. Our country strongly opposed the illegal existence of Israel and we were at the forefront of advocating the legitimate rights of the Palestinians for their own land. Our stand on this issue was not due to some temporary vested interest but it was due to the high values of human liberty, freedom and equality which guided us in our own freedom struggle.

In the post-Cold War global context and in the background of new economic policies, our principled foreign policy became directionless. Not only did things stop at improving relations with the United States, but also American influence was acknowledged in every sphere of national life. America’s global leadership was recognized in totality. History tells us that the United States of America is the greatest flagbearer of global imperialism. Exploitation and oppression of poor and weak countries is the most important theme of its foreign policy. Despite this obvious fact, the emergence of our country as a key member of the American camp and our support for the legitimate and illegitimate actions of America does not behove a country like India. Similarly, not only improving our relations with Israel but also accepting this illegal nation and granting it the status of an important friend is in our view contrary to India’s traditional humanitarian foreign policy. The history of these two nations has shown that they have betrayed their friends the most and turned friendly countries into the cradle of conspiracies and bloodshed.

In our view, our country’s foreign policy should not only be subject to economic or global political interests, but also to the moral principles and norms enshrined in our Constitution. India’s glorious foreign policy is to restore its traditional leadership role as a powerful voice against imperialism and as a leader of the Third World and the South Block. Trade relations with the United States must be maintained, but these relations must not be allowed to stand in the way of opposing the cruel policies of the United States, nor should they be allowed to become a means of compromising on the sovereignty and self-respect of our nation. As the American grip on the world begins to weaken, it is better for India to emerge as a new hope for humanity, lead the oppressed and the weak countries rather than become a tool towards the fulfillment of the nefarious designs of a dying imperialism.

In the same way, Israel’s friendship does not behove us. Gandhiji had said, “Palestine belongs to the Palestinians just as England belongs to the British, or France belongs to the French. It is wrong and inhuman to impose Jews on the Arabs”. India was one of the countries that voted against Israel’s accession to the United Nations. Despite this glorious record, not only accepting a colonizer like Israel but also giving it the status of a friend is incomprehensible. Jamaat wants the Indian government to support the Palestinians, help the Palestinians establish their own state and use its global influence to prevent Israeli aggression.

In order to play an effective global role in the new global context, it is also important that we focus on improving relations with our neighbors and Pakistan in particular. It is now clear that the world powers are exploiting the strained relations between India and Pakistan and the biggest losers of this tension are the people of both countries.

Both countries are affected by terrorism. Moreover, because of their strained relations, the two countries are spending valuable resources on defense, which can be put to good use to change the destiny of the people of both countries.

Now the time has come for us to forget our old differences and extend a hand of lasting friendship to each other, to encourage the process of fruitful dialogue for the resolution of all contentious issues, including that of Kashmir. In addition, we do not allow the world powers and the common enemy of the two countries namely terrorism, to exploit this tension. We must increase the global stature of South Asia by organizing and stabilizing the SAARC.