Islam is an implacable historical force, which has used violence and fear to spread its ascendancy. Its aim is to annihilate Western and Asian civilisation and emerge from the ashes to impose its puritan rule. – Ravi Shankar
Empires are godfathers that oversee the churning of history. All great national enterprises—from the Roman Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Napoleon’s France and the British—reared client states to maintain the geopolitical balance and tilt it when the occasion arose. Pakistan is China’s vassal state now, just as it was of the US in the 1970s-80s during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. China has once again blocked a joint effort by the US, France and the UK to list Pakistan-resident Jaish-e-Mohammed chief and Pathankot terror attack plotter-in-chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN.
The diplomatic travesty underlined China’s support of Islamic terrorism and its most defined face, Pakistan. The Islamic Republic’s ultimate aim is to impose Sharia all over the world. Fat chance, but right now, it seems to be a step ahead frustrating Western powers, which are sick of its unabashed support of IS, al-Qaeda and jihad. Since everything’s “the economy, stupid,” China may be only protecting its investments in Pak. In the process it is protecting radical Islam’s biggest investment—Pakistan.
Strategically important small nations become subservient to their imperial masters. Some, however, become a successful parasite like Pakistan. Lacking a developed economy, governed by feudal warlords and political satraps, it trudged along until the Noughties, suckled by America’s munificence. Meanwhile, Afghanistan, infected by the Pak-supported Taliban became Pakistan’s vassal. Islam was the sustaining link between both the rogue nations. It is an implacable historical force, which has used violence and fear to spread its ascendancy. Its aim is to annihilate Western and Asian civilisation and emerge from the ashes to impose its puritan rule. Too late have the naive Western countries realised that faith wages war by deception. The US, which supported the Arab Spring in idealistic foolishness, saw the IS destroy Iraq, Libya and Syria and unleash terror across the US and Europe.
Cold War opponents, America and the USSR, fought a proxy war in Af-Pak—both lost. The Chinese urgently need to read up a bit on the Mujahideen, who defeated the Soviets with the help of the US-supplied Stinger missiles and CIA training. Ironically, Osama bin Laden, too, had received the same training. Two decades on, the US was rewarded with 9/11. By identifying itself with Pakistan, China has laid the ground for its own 9/11.
China has its own separatist Islamic rebellion in Xinjiang province, clandestinely supported by Pakistan. Battle-hardened Chechen, Arab, Afghan and African jihadis are operating in the region. Chinese jihadis are fighting in Syria with IS, and could cause the same crisis terrorists from Europe do in their home countries. Chinese police recently ordered Muslims to turn over all copies of the Koran and prayer mats or face “harsh punishment”. It believes violent Islam can be defeated with state force, like Russia did in Chechnya. In its foreign policy, it perceives Islam as the lesser evil, like Rambo did in Afghanistan. The only gainer in the endgame will be Pakistan. Chinese mythology is one of the richest in the world. By nourishing parasite Pakistan, Beijing will be well advised to include the word “Bhasmasura” in its mythological lexicon. – The New Indian Express, 5 November 2017
» Ravi Shankar is an author, cartoonist, and columnist for The New Indian Express.
BHARATA BHARATI 
The Author presents the likelihood of China having its own ‘ 09/11 moment ‘ as a result of its all-out support to Pakistan, almost like an open-and-shut inevitability. Be that as it may, the fact that America was,and is, a liberal democracy has to a great extent tempered the thundering fury of its swift response and restrained it from running to diabolical excess by the checks and balances over absolute, unaccountable power. Whether the ensuing backlash following a Chinese 9/11 will unfold along the same template is debatable. It is even more debatable whether Pakistan will once again live to tell the tale in such a scenario. The variables are so glaring and frightening……
LikeLike
You are absolutely right of course.
But China has a growing terror problem in Xinjiang and the terrorists are trained in Pakistan.
China’s “iron brother” Pakistan may not be China’s much-touted dear friend!
LikeLike
Nowadays so-called leaders are nothing but selfish creeps and controlled opposition. The latter can’t be criticized as they lack popular backing. The scale still favors the crooks.
LikeLike
Your logic fails the most basic principle throughout eons prominent in interstate affairs: Empires are run by emperors and their interests, not by people and their best interest. When emperors are pious, the welfare of people and the empire is of utmost importance. Otherwise, as it is in practically every case, the interests of the dominant class is what runs the state. You see it happening everywhere, with exceptions in small countries with nearly absent influence in the world stage. For as long as it goes on like this, the doom of humanity and even its extinction are the most probable futures for the next one or two generations. Better be realist and consciously proactive.
LikeLike
As China blocks Masood Azhar terror designation, US says won’t give up – Yashwant Raj – Hindustan Times – Washington – Nov 07, 2017
If India will not give up trying to push the UN to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar a terrorist, neither will the United States, which has said it will continue to work for the designation and urge others to pursue it as well.
It was a proposal by the US, backed by France and Britain, to name Azhar a UN-designated terrorist that China blocked last week in a cynical show of solidarity with Pakistan, its “iron brother” ally. Beijing cited lack of consensus caused by its own refusal to support the move.
“We would support efforts to list Azhar, Jaish-e-Mohammed’s founder and leader, on the 1267 Sanctions List and would encourage others to support his listing as well,” a US state department spokesperson told Hindustan Times on background.
The spokesperson refused to comment on China blocking the US proposal, saying, “Committee discussions over whether to add an individual or entity to the…sanctions list are confidential to the committee. As a result, we do not comment on internal committee deliberations.”
The spokesperson added, “I would therefore refer you to the Chinese government to explain their position.”
Here is what the Chinese said in Beijing about their decision: “As for listing the application by the relevant country, there are disagreements. China raised the technical hold so as to allow for more time for all parties to deliberate on this matter. To our regret the committee so far has yet to reach a consensus.”
The committee referred to by the US and China was created by the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant — or Islamic State, as it is known in India — and Da’esh, as it is also known as) and al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee.
It comprises 15 member nations who must all vote unanimously to approve any proposal to expand or shrink the sanctioned list that has 256 individuals and 80 entities. Even one no-vote from any member is sufficient to deny a decision. Worse, deliberations of the committee remain undisclosed.
China has been the sole dissenter to the two proposals moved thus far for Azhar’s designation. First by India, in February 2016, which was backed by the US, France, Britain and the rest of the committee, excluding China. The second proposal was from the US in the dying days of the Obama administration in January this year.
It had seemed like a done deal for the US. As the state department spokesperson said, “Masood Azhar is listed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under US Executive Order 13224 in 2010, and Jaish-e Mohammed was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) by the US in 2001.
“Masood Azhar founded the terrorist organisation Jaish-e Mohammed, which has proven its willingness and ability to execute attacks against innocent civilians, and is listed under the UNSC 1267 ISIL and al-Qaeda sanctions regime.”
Designating Azhar, a known terrorist with a history of ordering the death of scores of innocent people, was a no-brainer, but China has turned it into a test of its own conviction and resolve to combat newly emergent home-grown terrorism and those fostered by its ally Pakistan.
JeM has already been proscribed by the UN committee, so why protect its founder? UN designation will enjoin member countries to, one, not deny him funds, other resources and arms, and not allow him to enter or leave their territory.
This shouldn’t have been a problem for Pakistan, eager as it is to scrub its image. Politically, it has turned into a battle between India and the US and other nations struggling with terrorism such as Britain and France on one side, and China and Pakistan, an active abettor and supporter of terrorism, on the other.
LikeLike