Are Pakistan our friend or enemy?

[anotheoldgit]

Since Pakistan is the majoy training ground for insurgents into Iraq, and the recent statement over Salman Rushdie's knighthood, made by one of it's ministers, and I quote-: If someone exploded a bomb on his body he would be right to do so unless the British government apologises and withdraws the 'Sir' title." Are they really our friend or enemy?

And if the the British goverment were ever to take military action against Parkistan? In this purely hypothetical situation, what would be the effect on the large Pakistani community now British citizens and residing in the UK, would they be with us or against us?

[Kromovaracun]

It isn't reasonable to consider Pakistan an enemy because of the existence of extremists any more than it would be for them to consider the UK an enemy for the existence of ignorant bigots like the BNP.

If the UK were to take military action against Pakistan? My guess would be that we'd get our arses handed to us. Our military isn't nearly as strong as people think, and - as was demonstrated in your other thread - is unsustainably over-stretched.

It would also poison relations with the Pakistani community (and Islamic community), to answer your question, and would likely also severely damage relations with most western countries, especially other former Commonwealth countries.

[nedflanders]

Yes the BNP brainwash white people into blowing up underground trains in London. Good sound arguement there.

[Kromovaracun]

Don't put words in my mouth - I never said that.

What I said was that the BNP are racist [which they are], ignorant [which they are], and bigoted [which they are].

[Oneeyedvic]

Are they are friend or enemy Our friend. Most countries have ministers who have made disparaging comments about us at some point. One minister's comments do not change our national perspective on another country.

What would be the effect on the large Pakistani community... On the basis that Pakistan has between 35 and 95 nuclear missiles, I figure that the they would probably also be vapourised, so their views would be unimportant.

[stokeace]

no kromovaracun the bnp wants the rights reinstalled for the british people and if we went to war with pakistan and the pakistani community became ostracised from the british way of life we would be in trouble.......where would we get a bottle of milk from on xmas day?lol

[Kromovaracun]

If the relations were soiled with the Pakistani community, it may well see a boom in terrorism in this country. Huzzah.

no kromovaracun the bnp wants the rights reinstalled for the british people

Only if you're white, it would seem - it ignores the fact that there plenty of non-white Britons. A relative of mine is an organiser for the BNP, and I can tell you that - whatever nonsense they spout to deny it - the party is institutionally racist.

There are more racists and bigots than you can shake a stick at among their ranks - far from representative of the population, or an accurate reflection of the country's views.

Does this man (who doesn't know that Boudicea wasn't even British) seem like a competent governor to you? Or an accurate representation of UK politics?

If he does, then I simply despair.

[lovejoy]

Pakistanis are our sworn enemy as are all people from islam,it shows how stupid we are to invite them here to live on social security

[ruby27]

As a white person born in this country and able to trace white British progenitrix back to the 1700's and possibly before, I still don�t get this us business. The BNP etc does not reflect my views, I would deplore being seen as one of their British, I feel more in common and shared sense of belonging to people who do not have the same racial and cultural background as me but where we have similar hopes, desires, aspirations and thoughts about behavior towards others. On AB whilst we all may be writing in English, I think some of us are truly incomprehensible to each other and might as well be speaking in a foreign language for all the sense we make to each other.
I mean with us or against us - who is the us, if this country went to war against Pakistan, unless as a direct result of self defense following Pakistan attacking this country, not insurgents, then no way would I be in support of this action so I guess I would be one of them?

[suffragette]

I'm not overly interested in discussing the BNP, but I would like to ask Kromovaracun, why he/she suggests Boudicca wasn't British.

She was Queen of the Iceni, a Celtish tribe from Norfolk. England as a whole was called Britannia by the Romans and the people who lived here were known collectively as Britons. Even today, the various tribes that made up England(not Scotland) are often called the Ancient Britons.

I'm not having a go, I'm just interested in your reasoning and apologise for hijacking the thread, anotheoldgit.