Article

2005-05-16 Afghanistan/South Asia

Pakistan's Punjab province is jehad factory

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Posted by Paul Moloney 2005-05-16 00:20|| || Front Page|| [14 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Aren't the Punjabis the ruling ethnic group in Pakistan, a la the Javanese in Indonesia?

Posted by Dan Darling">Dan Darling 2005-05-16 00:37|| http://www.regnumcrucis.blogspot.com]">[http://www.regnumcrucis.blogspot.com] 2005-05-16 00:37|| Front Page Top

#2 Sorry, I just can't resist this image.
Jehad Factory?

Posted by 3dc 2005-05-16 01:14|| 2005-05-16 01:14|| Front Page Top

#1 Aren't the Punjabis the ruling ethnic group in Pakistan, a la the Javanese in Indonesia?

Dan, I'm not sure; I don't think they have their own autonomous regions, the way every other kin group of larger than 64 people seems to there.

Posted by Phil Fraering 2005-05-16 01:34|| http://newsfromthefridge.typepad.com]">[http://newsfromthefridge.typepad.com] 2005-05-16 01:34|| Front Page Top

#4 Aren't the Punjabis the ruling ethnic group in Pakistan, a la the Javanese in Indonesia?

That's exactly right, they are the group that dominates the military, civil service and media. They are the only ethnic group that hasn't had a secessionist group active.

I think there is some connection between being the dominant ethnic group in a multi-ethnic country and being attracted to Islam, but i'm not sure why that is.

I could theorise this is because minorities in Muslim countries tend to be attracted to left wing politics because of their 'anti-imperialist, self-determination' creed, while the majority group like the Punjabis and Javanese are attracted to Islamism because it is strongly against any sort of seperatism or 'multi-cultralism', and therefor allow them to couch ethnic chauvanism in the garb of religion.

Posted by Paul Moloney 2005-05-16 01:56|| 2005-05-16 01:56|| Front Page Top

#5 Well, given that they run the government it kind of makes sense for them to embrace Islamism, especially with countries like Pakistan or Indonesia that are already up to their neck in separatist movements. The Islamists believe there can only be one real state, which makes them a handy tool in crushing any separatist elements that spring up. Some of the nuttier aspects of the Hindutva types in India appear to be trying to serve much the same purpose, though not nearly as bloodily because Hindutva doesn't have the divinely-sanctioned one state emphasis that Islamism does.

Posted by Dan Darling">Dan Darling 2005-05-16 02:28|| http://www.regnumcrucis.blogspot.com]">[http://www.regnumcrucis.blogspot.com] 2005-05-16 02:28|| Front Page Top

#6 Pak punjabis nurture a belief (from the days of the Raj) that they are a "martial race" and thus superior.

Pre-1971 Pakistani textbooks taught that
"West Pakistanis are tall and fair and eat wheat"
"East Pakistanis are short and dark and eat rice"
Benazir Bhutto herself has blamed this sort of indoctrination for the tolerance of the Punjabi elites towards the Pak Army genocide of the Bengalis.
When the Punjabi society ladies learned of the mass rapes, many commented that "at least the next generation would be fair skinned".
The 1971 uprising by Bengalis was triggered by the refusal of the Punjabis to allow Bengali political power (they were in the majority) or to permit even the Bengali language as coequal to Urdu.
Note that the Pakistan acronym
P unjab A fghania K ashmir I ndus-Sindh STAN does not include provinces like Bengal.

It would be fair to say that Pakistan exists for the Punjabi elite (both the feudal landlords and the Pak Army brass). The Punjabi army elite will tolerate no challenge to their power and privilege. The Army actually predates the state and is superior.

Posted by john 2005-05-16 15:55|| 2005-05-16 15:55|| Front Page Top

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