A screen-grab off the Guardian's Wikileaks database... Thanks to Missing Romance for sending it on to us:
Ayatollah Ali Zardari?!?
First it was the New York Times and BBC Urdu Service leading the world (and the gullible Pakistani media) to believe Saudi King Abdullah said Asif Zardari was "the biggest obstacle to Pakistan's progress", when he actually only said that Zardari was "the primary obstacle to the government's ability to move unequivocally to end terrorist safe havens" in Pakistan (okay, so the actual phrasing is far more baffling than the misquote). Now we have the Guardian trying to imply stronger links with Iran than anyone knew. Just doesn't pay to be Zardari does it? Oh wait, that came out all wrong...
Posts
14 comments:
Same cable, para 15.
"Once the King has lost trust in a counterpart, as has been the case with Nouri Al-Maliki or Asif Zardari, his personal antipathy can become a serious obstacle to bilateral relations."
Go figure!
Good to see what i pointed out became a post here......and Ayatollah Ali Zardari LOL....
Anyways , i quite like this Cafe Pyala........
Jai Pyala!
On a related note, Zardari and his cohorts does have a strong tilt towards Iran also because most of them have the same sect as Iranians'.
Calling Jinnah a Shia is a bit of a stretch. He was a non-practicing Nizari Ismaili (or incorrectly known as "Aga Khani").
That's besides the point. We all know that Abdullah has a soft spot for Mr. Ameer-ul-Momineen and him badmouthing the Zardari to the Americans and trying them to get them to support Nawaz isn't really surprising.
Jinnah wanted to celebrate 14 Aug 1947's independence by hosting a lunch. BTW, 14 Aug fell on 27 Ramazan that year. Jinnah Shia?
I have somehow gathered Jinnah was a Khoja, not Ismaili. What does it matter now? He has been orthodox sunnified posthumously :-(
sabir nazar's cartoon in today's Pakistan Today is brilliant in translating what Saudi King wanna say
Cafe Pyala you have interpreted it all wrong. The keyword searched was 'Ayatollah Ali Zardari' and I think 'Ayatollah Ali' was tagged with IRAN thats why the Iran story appeared.
Any how keep looking for other errors on Guardian :-)
Zardari is a Shia and everyone knows it. His dad Hakim even occasionally used to have those horse processions coming out of his house in the 60s-70s.
Just to set the facts straight, Jinnah was an Ismaili but his will said that his funeral prayers be said by a Sunni.
That's the beauty of Pakistani culture where people don't pay much attention to these things. Although there is a lot of hue and cry in English press, there still is greater acceptance of all in this country. Three of four top positions are currently filled in by Shias and you don't see any raised eyebrows i.e. Zardari, Gillani and Fehmida Mirza.
Otherwise it would have been impossible for Bhuttos, Yahyas, Zardaris and Gillanis to rise to the top as Shias are less than one-seventh of Pakistan's population.
@Ulta Seedha: Why did you feel the need to bring up Jinnah sect at the mere mention of the possibility that Zardari's sect might endear him to the Iranians?
The fundos were always out. But now one can't even have a simple conversation with "liberals" anymore. Everyone's out to prove their liberal street cred.
even though zardari has a Shia background, he chooses himself to be shown as a sunni. I saw him praying with is his hands like those of sunnis.
By the way politicians very much choose to keep out their faith of their politics to appeal to people of
all sects.
Just to be clear, Jinnah was born Ismaili but later in life renounced that to become a mainstream Shia.
@Anon 9.39 am
Renounced? As if he was committing a crime for being an Ismaili and found peace in the so-called mainstream shite sect?
I am sorry but your choice of words is pathetic to say the least.
By the way, he even "renounced" that sect as he clearly said in his well that his funeral prayers be said by a Sunni.
Don't fool the readers. Zardari is a shia. Gillani also has strong Shiite links.
Post a Comment