Pakistani Officials Open Probe Over Pro-Israel Stand at Major Mosque in Capital
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by Dave Bender
Pakistan pro-Israel stand. Photo: The News Tribe
A pro-Israel stall featuring photos and examples of Israeli life and culture has raised an uproar at the International Islamic University of Islamabad, the local The News Tribe website reported Sunday.
A banner declaring “WELCOME TO THE LAND OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY,” over photos of Israeli sites, including the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem’s Temple Mount compound, was set up along with a table in a hall situated in the city’s Faisal Mosque, according to the site.
The display was apparently part of a standard “Model UN Debate,” event, organized by the women’s department of “The Faculty of Management Sciences.”
The table was apparently one of several featuring several nations. It is unclear if Palestinian supporters also had a table at the display.
The legal adviser of the University confirmed the presence of stall, but said it was arranged without permission.
Pakistan pro-Israel stand. Photo: The News Tribe
The stall was dismantled after university administrators heard of its existence, and opened an investigation into the incident.
“Legal Adviser of the IIU Dr Aziz-ur-Rahman when contacted said that the Israeli stall was organised without permission by women students who had installed stalls of the UN member countries. However it was closed as soon as it came to the knowledge of the administration,” according to Pakistan’s The News.
However, passersby said that the stalls were only permitted with the university’s approval.
Various student organisations and religious parties said the act was “tantamount to rubbing salt in the wounds of Palestinians,” the report concluded.
