Harnessing power of Türkiye-Pakistan diaspora: United front against Islamophobia
By establishing a joint body—perhaps a “Türkiye-Pakistan Global Alliance”—in major hubs like London, Berlin, and Washington, these communities could create an institutional base for their activities
Shabana Ayaz
Turkish lawmaker Ali Şahin recently called for a new kind of partnership: a united front of the Türkiye and Pakistan diasporas to confront Islamophobia in the West.
In a post on X, he urged both nations to mobilize their large communities in Europe and North America into a coordinated advocacy group. The aim, he explained, would be to counter anti-Muslim incidents such as Quran burnings while also advancing shared causes like Palestine and Kashmir.
The idea is not without precedent. The alliance between the Indian and Jewish diasporas in the United States over the past two decades raised India’s profile in Washington and helped deliver the 2008 U.S.-India nuclear deal.
That partnership secured waivers for India despite its refusal to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty and proved how diaspora lobbying can tilt international policy. It is this model of influence and advocacy that Şahin wants Turks and Pakistanis abroad to draw from in shaping their own united effort.
Together, the numbers are compelling. Nearly 11 million Turks and Pakistanis live in Europe and North America, forming one of the largest Muslim diaspora communities in the world.
Germany alone is home to more than three million Turks, while the Pakistani population in the U.K. is around 1.5 million and increasingly visible in politics, business, and civil society. United by faith and a history of solidarity—such as Pakistan’s support for Türkiye during the Cyprus conflict—these communities could combine their influence to shape narratives, defend Muslim rights, and push back against growing hostility toward Islam in the West.
There is already an institutional framework that could support such an effort. In Türkiye, the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), founded in 2010, sponsors cultural and educational initiatives for Turks overseas. Pakistan’s Overseas Pakistanis Foundation provides similar support to its diaspora.
International law also offers legitimacy. The UN’s 1981 Declaration on Intolerance and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights both protect religious freedom.
More recently, a UN resolution condemning Quran desecration, which Türkiye and Pakistan backed in 2025, adds further weight to calls for stronger anti-hate measures. These mechanisms together make it possible for the diaspora to frame their advocacy as a global struggle against discrimination rather than as partisan lobbying.
At the same time, there are legal boundaries that must be respected. Western governments are sensitive to foreign influence. In the United States, the Foreign Agents Registration Act demands transparency for any foreign-funded activity, while the United Kingdom’s 2023 National Security Act expands oversight of external lobbying.
To avoid suspicion, any Türkiye-Pakistan diaspora alliance would need to present itself as cultural or humanitarian, focusing on universal values of human rights and dignity rather than political partisanship. NGOs, charities, and cultural forums could therefore become the most effective vehicles for such work.
If properly organized, the impact could be substantial. Joint campaigns could highlight Islamophobia in mainstream discourse and push Western governments to adopt stronger anti-hate legislation.
The diaspora could amplify Türkiye’s long standing support for Palestine and Pakistan’s advocacy for Kashmir by staging demonstrations, launching media initiatives, and engaging policymakers.
Significant opportunities
Their financial clout adds another dimension. Turks and Pakistanis abroad send home more than $50 billion in remittances each year, money that could also be channeled into building think tanks, research institutes, and cultural centers—mirroring how the Indian diaspora funded influential advocacy groups in the United States.
Beyond politics, a coordinated diaspora can also promote economic cooperation, from advancing Turkish investments in Pakistan’s Gwadar port to strengthening awareness of projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
The opportunities are significant, but so are the challenges. Differences within the diaspora—ranging from Sunni-Shia divides among Pakistanis to secular-religious tensions among Turks—could weaken cohesion. Host countries might interpret such efforts as foreign interference unless they are carefully framed and legally compliant. Building trust across these divides will be essential if the alliance is to have any credibility.
Still, the potential is too great to ignore. By establishing a joint body—perhaps a “Türkiye-Pakistan Global Alliance”—in major hubs like London, Berlin, and Washington, these communities could create an institutional base for their activities.
Youth and women, who are already active on social media and in interfaith spaces, could be brought into the effort to broaden its appeal and modernize its voice. Outreach to other Muslim diasporas, such as Bangladeshis, Arabs, or Africans, could make the initiative even more inclusive and representative.
This vision also fits within broader geopolitical trends. Pakistan’s new defense pact with Saudi Arabia, signed earlier this month, has revived talk of an “Islamic NATO.”
With a combined population of nearly 700 million and an economy worth up to $6 trillion, the Muslim world has the demographic and economic weight to be a major force. What it lacks is the soft power to match. A Türkiye-Pakistan diaspora alliance could help fill that gap, countering Islamophobia while showcasing Muslim unity and resilience.
Ali Şahin’s call is ambitious, but it reflects a pressing need. In an era where Islamophobia is rising and Muslim voices are often fragmented, a united Türkiye-Pakistan diaspora could make a real difference.
By working within legal frameworks, promoting inclusive messages, and focusing on human rights, it can build bridges, defend communities, and reshape global conversations. Done right, this alliance could mark the beginning of a new chapter in Muslim advocacy—one rooted in cooperation, influence, and shared purpose.
*Shabana Ayaz is a Pakistani journalist based in Turkish capital Ankara
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