Pakistan (1947- ) is the country just to the west of India. Under the near-absolute rule of army general Musharraf it is playing a deadly double game of trying to be friends with both America, whose money and goodwill it needs, and the Islamists, who would destroy America in a holy war.
The Islamists include not only Osama bin Laden, believed to live somewhere in the lawless mountains of the north, but also the Taliban and many home-grown Islamists.
If Musharraf does not somehow keep both sides happy he will fall. If the Islamists take over Pakistan they will have the bomb. It is unlikely that America would sit by and let that happen.
So what happens in Pakistan holds a key to the future.
When British rule ended in 1947, the British divided India into Muslim and Hindu halves. The Muslim part became known as Pakistan. Even so, religious violence still followed and millions died. Millions more fled to either India or Pakistan according to their religion. Musharraf was one of them. Most Pakistanis who speak Urdu come from India.
India was once ruled by the Muslims under the Mogul princes. They are the ones who built the Taj Mahal. Like Pakistan, they had a green flag with a moon on it. Even under British rule Muslims made up most of the army.
Pakistan once included East Pakistan, which is now known as Bangladesh. It is the eastern, Muslim part of Bengal which stands at the mouth of the Ganges. It broke away in 1971 in a war in which millions died.
Pakistan and India are enemies and both have the bomb. Their chief dispute is over Kashmir. It is a beautiful land in the far north where both Hindus and Muslims live. Consequently, both countries say it is theirs. It has led to war and could do so again.
Pakistan and America are sometime friends. When Pakistan started to develop the bomb, America cut it off. Pakistan seemed headed for ruin, but then came 9/11. America suddenly needed its friendship again.
In the 1990s before Musharraf took over, Pakistan was a democracy. It was led by corrupt landowners. Land is still power in Pakistan.
The name “Pakistan” was invented in 1934 out of the provinces that would make it up:
- Punjab
- Afghan Province (= North West Frontier Province)
- Kashmir
- Sindh
- Baluchistan
The name also means “Land of the pure”.
Languages: Out of every 100 Pakistanis, 48 speak Punjabi, 12 Sindhi, 10 Siraiki, 10 English, 8 Pashto, 8 Urdu and 3 Baluchi. Punjabi is spoken in the north-east, Sindhi in the south-east, Baluchi in the south-west and Pashto in the north-west. English is spoken by those at the top.
The people in the west – the Pashtuns, who speak Pashto, and Baluchis – are not Indians but Persians. About two-thirds of all Pashtuns live in Pakistan; the rest live in Afghanistan.
Religion: Most Pakistanis are Sunni Muslims; one in five is Shia Muslim.
See also:
This comment is in response to Minnesota Mom’s comment.
“Pakistan has been receiving American taxpayer money for a very long time pre-9/11 and that money hasn’t been used to fight the Taliban.”
That’s a very orientalist view about Pakistan, Pakistan hs been fighting the Taliban since 2004 and started a bigger operation in 2009 and that’s why we’ve been able to drive out the Taliban from Swat.
We’ve lost 4,000 troops in the war on terror.
Pre-9/11 there were sanctions on Pakistan because of it’s nuclear weapons, so how could we get aid?
The aid we recieved in the 80s from Reagan, was to fund the Taliban to fight the Soviets.
“And yes, you are a failed state (#13). The fact that India has a 20% Muslim population while Pakistan targets its minority Christian and Hindu populations speaks volumes.”
First of all, Muslims make up only 13.4% of India’s population not 20%, second of all the reason why Pakistan has such a small population of non-Muslims, is because tradionally the northwest of India has been predominantly Muslim, only east Bengal(Bangladesh) had a big Hindu population.
There’s no doubt that non-Muslims aren’t treated well in Pakistan, but it isn’t as bad as the mainstream media makes it out be, the Government doesn’t target any religions but there are fringe extremist groups that target non-Muslims, no different than the RSS in India
Pakistan might be ranked #13 on a list of failed states, but that’s mainly because we’ve been fighting a war for nearly a decade,India on the other hand doesn’t have the same problems as us but they’re still on track of becoming a failed state.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/opinion/india-on-track-to-becoming-a-failed-state/story-e6frg9if-1226516945582
You claim that Pakistan uses the aid it gets from America to support terrorism in India, yet since 9/11 there have been only a couple terrorist attacks on India that have been blamed on Pakistan.
You shouldn’t forget the “Samjotha express” bombings, India was responsible for that, but you don’t see Pakistan whining like India nor do you see the mainstream media talking about it.
India’s GDP is higher than Pakistan’s because India has a much larger population than Pakistan, it’s the same reason why Mexico has a higher GDP than Canada.
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Failed State Pakistan #13, India is #78 and not considered a failed state and China, the worlds second biggest economy, is #76.
Look, I neither have the time nor the inclination to disabuse you of every bit of propaganda you post. Your tactic is simply deflect to something new.
If you don’t like GDP, here’s PPP which accounts for pop. India is $1,528, Pakistan $1,182, not markedly different from what I’d posted earlier.
The precipitous drop in the # of Hindus and Christians in Pak speak for themselves. You have to live in a parallel universe to not acknowledge that.
http://unitymedianews.com/2013/03/10/attacks-on-shias-christians-and-hindus-make-pakistan-increasingly-a-failing-state/
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Young Malala Yousafzai is the survivor of a Taliban assaination attack’s new book ” I Am Malala” is coming out. She is a hero. It is crazy too me how these bullies would deny young women the priveledge of an education. She is now the contender for the Nobel Peace Prize. She is an activist Shahidullah Shahid, a top Taliban spokesman, said they will continue to look for new opportunities to harm the 16 year old girl as long as she remains an outspoken critic of efforts to impose strict Islamic law in Pakistan. I think that’s s
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It think it’s sad and horrific young women are denied an education because of terrorist. People here in American take so many things for granted.
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This post helps me to understand why there is such hostility between Indians and Pakistani people at my former workplace. It’s important to learn the history of the country and the conflict.
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@ mary burrell, she is a remarkable person, remarkable. This cannot be denied and no one can take that away from her. I wish her only the best.
Yet, when I first heard of her I wondered why so much attention in the West and resources from the West were being spent on her, when so many other children in her region were left to suffer and perish, and their lives no less worthy. Didn’t any of them have tremendous potential? Weren’t many children’s lives being taken not only by warring Taliban, but also by US military?
Her championing serves a purpose. I hope that the media spotlight on her is a force for ultimate good, but that is still unfolding.
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^^ I mean Malala Yousafzai. I feared my comment would go into moderation 😀
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@Bulanik, That’s a good question, I wondered about the other children who have died and suffered.
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Another young hero, Iqbal Masih, This young man is another hero, a bonded debt slave in a carpet factory who spoke out on behalf of exploited child laborers, He was gunned down on Easter Sunday 1995 at the age of 13 years old. Why aren’t these children being protected. I saw a picture of his sweet little face and it broke my heart. He was ridding his bike in Muritke, Pakistan. I saved this news clipping from 2004. Just found it.
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He was riding his bike when he was gunned down. The book Iqbal by Francesco D’Adamo. Many of the children are orphaned or sold into servitude by their impoverished parents. He is a defiant youngster, he tells the other children that no matter how many rugs they make, their families debts will never be canceled. The other kids don’t believe him and are skeptical, he also informs them that their working conditions are illegal. They make slaves of these children. This is heartbreaking. I have never really tried to learn about what happen to other people globally, but these brave youngsters, speak out against what is evil and corrupt. God rest his precious soul.
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