We have sent Pakistan $23 billion in aid over the past decade or so. What has that aid bought us?
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf Friday said the Muslim Ummah needs to stand united and seek a permanent solution to ban hate speech, that sows seeds of discord.
The Prime Minister said the Muslim world needs to work together with other countries towards a mechanism that ensures respect of the sentiments of people of all religions.
He was addressing a large gathering to mark the Youm-e-Ishq-e- Rasool (Peace Be Upon Him) here at the PM Secretariat. The day was being observed in reaction to the making of a blasphemous film about the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him), that has sparked widespread unrest across the Muslim world.
The Prime Minister said there was a need to translate the strong sentiments into a unified policy, in coordination with other Muslim countries, so that the Muslim Ummah speaks with one voice on this issue.
He said the President of Pakistan will convey the emotions and views of the people when he addresses the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan was coordinating with other Muslim countries in this regard.
As the PM is undoubtedly aware, the United Nations already has a ban on blasphemy in the works. Pakistan brought it before the UN on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference back in 2010.
As the PM is also undoubtedly aware, the American president is using taxpayer dollars to make the case that he and our secretary of state essentially agree on banning blasphemy. They can’t pass such a law in the US, but they can make a show of intimidating Americans who blaspheme Islam. They can also signal to Pakistan that they agree — a YouTube video is causing the riots.
I’ve come around to a different way of thinking over the past week. We were attacked in Libya and Egypt on 9-11, and the latter attack obviously had at least a go-ahead wink from the Muslim Brotherhood that rules the place now. Riots are now ongoing and directed at our embassies in probably a dozen countries we’re sending aid to. Most of these riots have the local governments’ backing in one way or another. Yet when Congress debates cutting that aid off, Secretary of State Clinton is the first to jump out there and make sure that we keep on paying.
Keep on paying, while she and the president assault our rights here, in response to threats over there.
Here’s my different way of thinking after watching the past week’s events.
We’re not sending aid to these countries. We’re paying tribute.
This is ridiculous. Seriously, who will defend the Eucharist from desecration? Will those who promote blasphemy laws execute those who engage in Eucharistic desecration? I think not. Therefore, they are nothing but hypocrites.
I always viewed the sums forked over to these regimes as bribes.
The US flipped Egypt in the aftermath of the Yom Kippur war. It later committed to underwrite the peace worked out by Begin and Sadat by paying a huge yearly sum to Cairo. The bribe was intended to buy Egypt’s neutrality vis-a-vis Israel. And for 35 years it worked. But the junta in Cairo is gone. And the muslim brotherhood seems intent on unwinding that peace just as soon as circumstances permit, regardless of the Danegeld.
Pakistan and the US had an on-again-off-again relationship from the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan up to 9/11. My understanding is that Dick Cheney made abundantly clear to Musharraf that we would settle the Pakis’ hash but good, if they did not cooperate with our destruction of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. We sweetened the threat by offering big money. However, the Pakis played a double game from the outset, to the point that Obama could not even hope for their help in getting bin Laden. Since then the bribe appears useless, good money after bad; I don’t know why we’re still paying it; perhaps to provide cover for our remaining Afghan forces.
Turkey is another one. We maintained close relations with Anatolia to pin down one corner of the Soviet empire. With the fall of the Soviets, our continued support was largely inertial, to maintain strategic stability in the region. Since Edrogan purged the Turkish armed forces, however, that rationale is gone. Moreover, he’s pursued an Islamist foreign policy that has contributed to instability in the region. (At least, Karma has paid him back in recent months and his strategy is in shambles.)
These bribes are mostly a purposeless waste of money now. I think Rand Paul’s right. To have any credibility, the US must make its foreign aid contingent on concrete beneficial actions by the recipients.
More laws will not improve lawless peoples or governments. Among the non-good they’d accomplish would be (mostly) sarcastic calls to “Ban Pakistan!” or “Ban Islam! Yeah, that’s the ticket!” Meanwhile the Mobs of Mohammed (pox be upon them) would remain free to riot. Non accepto.
Dear Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf,
Perhaps it is time to grow up and behave like all the other big boys and girls of the world. If someone insults Mohammed (Place Bomb Under Hat) just ignore them and carry out the plan of the day. Unless the Plan is just more bitching and destruction. As an alternative try reading a book that does not glorify rape, pillage and murder.
I hope this was helpful but if not, piss off.
Signed, The Rest of the World
Yeah, I’m sure ethnic Russians are going to get right on that…
I don’t know which is more annoying , the utter hypocrisy of moslems (the vile things they routinely utter against non moslems and their religions, in even their so called sermons) or their utter stupidity (the UN is NOT and hopefully never will be a One World Government body, therefore whatever bans they pass will not negate our Constitution or Bill of Rights).
But what if BHO is re elected and decides to sign on to a Global Blasphemy Ban, via exectutive order-? Who will stop him, Congress? The USSC? Both have demonstrated nothing but weakness, contempt for American values and the American people, and a lack of interest in defending US interest or the supremacy of US law including the Constitution. But why would BHO want to do this, barring moslem sympathies?
I believe that what BHO and those like him want, is to use any Global Blasphemy Ban as an excuse to start adding on OTHER “un insultable” groups , and “unspeakable” thoughts. They’d probably start by adding every group known to vote lock kstep Democrat , and then move on to Thoughtcrime: Global warming “denialism”, for eg, and then who knows what?
He could create such an EO, but who would enforce it? The Federal courts are absolutists when it comes to freedom of speech and the press and while I could be wrong I don’t see that changing in the foreseeable future.
On a more serious note, it is absolutely critical Protestantism not support this call for outlawing of blasphemy. It is a road to redemption for that branch of the faith (which needs it more than the Catholic faith), as the multi-cultis become the party of censorship and blue laws, and a harkening to its glorious past of the Enlightenment (British Isles branch) and the Golden Age of Christian Good Works (1800s to WWI). And America beeds a vibrant Protestantism.
If God exists, he will take care of the issue of “disrespect” with whatever it needs taking care of. Which may be nothing. But at any rate, it is God’s name on salvation, not ours. We should not act as his deputies when in fact we don’t even have assurance grace will be given to us, if there is in fact grace to be given. “What we bind on Earth” …
Cut the foreign aid to zero and tell the Paki’s to eat hot air…
You nailed it: “We’re not sending aid to these countries. We’re paying tribute.”
Did ANY of us imagine four years ago that mooslimism would be on the RISE in America and the West today? I never imagined we would see the day when the U.S. Government would perp walk a U.S. citizen out of their home at midnight to INTIMIDATE them over a You Tube video. This is just surreal. I also never imagined that the American press would so blindly and intentionally abdicate their responsibilities as the guardians of the 1st Amendment. 6 November 2012 will be one of the most critical moments in our nation’s history; either we will remain a free people governed by a democratic republic, or we will begin the descent into tyranny and serfdom. Perhaps it is almost time for another Crusade, against both the 7th century barbarians, perverts, mysoginists and child molestors of the moonbat mooslims…and their operatives and representatives in our own government-all the way to the White Mosque.