argonautluk Posted July 7, 2016 Report Share Posted July 7, 2016 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi voiced determination to implement the agreements signed between the two countries, particularly a project to develop Iran’s southeastern port city of Chabahar. http://www.theasian.asia/archives/95396 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankyMcFarland Posted July 7, 2016 Report Share Posted July 7, 2016 It's an illustration of how each country has its own interests and your ally's ally may be no friend of yours. India's relationship with Iran and Afghanistan is strongly influenced by the tension with Pakistan and its need to find another way into Central Asia. This is a response to the development of Gwadar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwadar_Port Iran, on the other hand, would prefer good relations with both India and China, if possible. I think the Pakistanis are very short-sighted to throw their lot in with the Chinese. Their main problems are internal, not India. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overthere Posted July 28, 2016 Report Share Posted July 28, 2016 The ports in Iran and the one in Pakistan are hardly comparable in strategic value. The Iranian port does not physically link Iran Afghanistan and India. In any case , Afghansistan is really just a symbolic notion/nation, they are meaningless as customers and consumers for any country. The real intent is for India and Iran to cement a relationship as a pair of very powerful regional countries. It is convenient for Iran that India is not primarily a Muslim country, and though there are close to 200 million Muslims overall they are a minority and hold little political power. They are mostly Sunni too, but the Shiite Iranians don't have to deal with that endless mess when working with India. India is a convenient and needy coinsumer of any energy prodcuts Iran can provide, and Iran is a handy and rich and an obvious consumer of Indian goods. Pakistan is hard for Iran to work with, the religious differecnes are massive and Pakistan is heavily influenced by the Saudis, and Iran and Saudi don't get along. The port in Pakistan is a major coup for the Chinese, which gains them easy access to the entire Indian Ocean and most particularly their latest global accession target: Africa. Pakistan is so corrupt and broke that they don't care about who it pisses off or threatens, as long as it brings cash they won't care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankyMcFarland Posted September 18, 2016 Report Share Posted September 18, 2016 The logical cultural unit is India/Pakistan/Iran, lands that have been united by cultural ties for centuries. The Pakistani army remains obsessed with the Indian threat and Kashmir even as its own members are slaughtered by Islamic extremists. South Asia will have ample time to rue its disunity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overthere Posted September 18, 2016 Report Share Posted September 18, 2016 The logical cultural unit is India/Pakistan/Iran, lands that have been united by cultural ties for centuries. The Pakistani army remains obsessed with the Indian threat and Kashmir even as its own members are slaughtered by Islamic extremists. South Asia will have ample time to rue its disunity Pakistan is Sunni, Iran is Shia. There is no tie and no unity there. And the ties between Pakistani military intelligence units(ISI) and Islamic militants within the country are very strong and deep. There is no way that the Taliban and Al Qaeda flourish and reside within Pakistan without the active connivance of the Pakistan military. There is a small pretence of the govt opposing Islamic fundies, but only because it keeps aid flowing from the West. And the militants tend to keep a low profile, in return for safe haven. How else would Osama bin Laden live quietly for years right beside a major Pakistani military installation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankyMcFarland Posted September 18, 2016 Report Share Posted September 18, 2016 Pakistan is Sunni, Iran is Shia. There is no tie and no unity there. And the ties between Pakistani military intelligence units(ISI) and Islamic militants within the country are very strong and deep. There is no way that the Taliban and Al Qaeda flourish and reside within Pakistan without the active connivance of the Pakistan military. There is a small pretence of the govt opposing Islamic fundies, but only because it keeps aid flowing from the West. And the militants tend to keep a low profile, in return for safe haven. How else would Osama bin Laden live quietly for years right beside a major Pakistani military installation? Sure, there are tensions now but there are also profound cultural ties, far greater than China's on the region. Farsi had a deep influence on Urdu. Pakistan is deeply dysfunctional as I have pointed out many times. That does not excuse India's behaviour in Kashmir. The solution there is simple - let the people vote on their future as the Scots did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overthere Posted September 18, 2016 Report Share Posted September 18, 2016 Sure, there are tensions now but there are also profound cultural ties, far greater than China's on the region. Farsi had a deep influence on Urdu. Those 'profound cultural ties' were largely crushed with the rise of Shia states in about 900 AD. The linguistic links are largely meaningless, now. Te vast majority of Pakistanis originate in India, and Iranians are proudly Persian. The two states hate each other on a level that won't be overcome soon. The alliances of India/ Iran, and Pakistan/China are economic-not cultural or religious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankyMcFarland Posted September 18, 2016 Report Share Posted September 18, 2016 (edited) Those 'profound cultural ties' were largely crushed with the rise of Shia states in about 900 AD. The linguistic links are largely meaningless, now. Te vast majority of Pakistanis originate in India, and Iranians are proudly Persian. The two states hate each other on a level that won't be overcome soon. The alliances of India/ Iran, and Pakistan/China are economic-not cultural or religious. My knowledge of this region is scanty. Didn't Iran go Shia in the 16'th century? It was a bastion of Sunni scholarship before that. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safavid_conversion_of_Iran_to_Shia_Islam Persians occupied many important positions in the Mughal bureaucracy: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persians_in_the_Mughal_Empire Here's a famous Iranian-Pakistani and her family: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nusrat_Bhutto And a Shia who founded the country: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali_Jinnah The relationship is complex and has had its tensions but I would not describe the two countries as perpetual and bitter enemies. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IranPakistan_relations India has much closer cultural, culinary and linguistic ties with Iran than Pakistan has with China. Regarding what the Chinese really think of South Asians, have a look at this: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/sep/07/air-china-inflight-mag-condemned-for-racist-guide-to-london http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/40533/no-air-china-your-racist-advise-was-not-needed/ Edited September 18, 2016 by SpankyMcFarland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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