Posted on 07/16/2011 9:18:40 PM PDT by LibWhacker
Aatish Taseer, the son of an assassinated Pakistani leader, explains the history and hysteria behind a deadly relationship
Ten days before he was assassinated in January, my father, Salman Taseer, sent out a tweet about an Indian rocket that had come down over the Bay of Bengal: "Why does India make fools of themselves messing in space technology? Stick 2 bollywood my advice."
My father was the governor of Punjab, Pakistan's largest province, and his tweet, with its taunt at India's misfortune, would have delighted his many thousands of followers. It fed straight into Pakistan's unhealthy obsession with India, the country from which it was carved in 1947.
Though my father's attitude went down well in Pakistan, it had caused considerable tension between us. I am half-Indian, raised in Delhi by my Indian mother: India is a country that I consider my own. When my father was killed by one of his own bodyguards for defending a Christian woman accused of blasphemy, we had not spoken for three years.
To understand the Pakistani obsession with India, to get a sense of its special edge—its hysteria—it is necessary to understand the rejection of India, its culture and past, that lies at the heart of the idea of Pakistan. This is not merely an academic question. Pakistan's animus toward India is the cause of both its unwillingness to fight Islamic extremism and its active complicity in undermining the aims of its ostensible ally, the United States.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Mr. Taseer can stick it in his punjab ear.
Fortunately mass human stupidity does not always prove fatal, but unfortunately for the people of Pakistan it is always a disaster. Nothing much dumber then a Muslim fundamentalist state, which is where they are heading.
Good article.
People need to read the whole article. Until both India and Pakistan adopt complete religious freedom, there is no hope for either of them. They refuse to do so because they know that in an atmosphere of freedom, nothing can resist the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Islam and Hinduism will fall before the truth.
Excellent piece of analysis, and a sad personal story.
Christianity has failed in much of Europe.
A more or less ridiculous charge w.r.t India. The most powerful woman in India is a Roman Catholic, along with several states having Christian majorities now. How do you explain Israel not converting wholesale to Christianity, then? Lack of religious freedom there too? Conversions and re-conversions go on back and forth in India so often, it’s almost comical.
Those from India who post on this board have explained the limits of freedom in India, before. I have pinged them.
It is not Christianity which has failed, but the European people, in thrall to materialistism and socialism. Meanwhile, the Gospel spreads in East Asia, Africa, and elsewhere. “For the last shall be first, and the first last.”
Who is “the most powerful woman in India?” Regarding Israel: the climate is not favorable at this time, but I know Messianic Jews. The truth will triumph. “Conversions and reconversions”? How many people do you know who have experienced conversion to Christ have “reconverted”? Many who have converted have gone to their deaths rather than deny Christ. I pray that I might have the same strength. In the meantime, I will support my brethren in Christ.
Sonia (Maino) Gandhi.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonia_Gandhi
Several defense ministers of India were/are Christians, too. Not to mention several senior defense personnel, as well.
G. K. Chesterton
Great quote. Chesterton was full of them.
Great quote. Chesterton was full of them.
As someone who has been to India multiple times, India does have freedom of religion, a great deal in fact, and arguably more so then most nations.
The entire population is not Hindu, its overwhelmingly hindu, but its also got muslims (unfortunatly they make up 10% of the population, which ironically makes India the nation with the most muslims in the world) along with several other religions (sikh, Buddhist, zoroastrian, etc).
Saying India has no freedom of religion, is akin to saying Texas has no vegetables.
Comments from Jewish FReeper Blasater1960, such as the ones on this thread (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2746890/posts?page=96#96 - see all) will tell you why Israel will continue to remain Jewish, or secular, for a long time to come.
India has nominal freedom of religion, but Christians are still persecuted. I must admit that India is much freer in that regard than Pakistan or any other Muslim nation.
To be “secular” is a long way from being Jewish. Have you ever met any Messianic Jews—people who accept Jesus as the Messiah?
Nominal ?
They've appointed Christians to positions of power in their government, and I've seen christian churches first hand, and this is a country where Mother Theresa was considered a national hero (despite not actually being indian, and also being a christian herself, and also, converting people freely).
That said, I have no doubt that you'll christians persecuted there, along with every religious group (ironically, including Hindus, and its their own country) but then again, I've seen Christians persecuted here, like NYC.
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