The Canadian Plumber !

 

The Canadian Plumber !

CIA has had many successes to its credit. One that really stands out is its creation of "Taliban". A rabidly fanatic, motivated Islamic religious extremist group fully trained, funded and equipped by the US. Undoubtedly they were instrumental in the demise of Soviet Russia. We all know how that actually panned out in the long run. Apart from the world trade centre mayhem that literally changed the world as we knew it ;we can safely hang on it the pitiable condition of women in Afghanistan; military dictatorship and namesake democracy in Pakistan; massive influx of drugs and automatic weapons in the region; terrorism and holocaust of Kashmir's Hindus in India; strengthening of mullahcracy and fundamentalism in Iran and  destabilization of the entire middle east to name just a few. This support to Taliban has cast an ominously dark shadow on the world events and  I can not point to a single encouraging sign readily.

Break up of the soviet union has not made Europe or the western world any safer. Breakaway republics have pushed the boundaries of the Russian heartland inwards that makes them less secure in the Russian eyes giving rise to new conflicts and jostling for strategic advantage.    We recently witnessed an ICBM fired in anger, flying in the Ukrainian sky. Things could become a lot worse with several European cities within range.Of course neither is Israel any closer to avoiding a precarious existence. All of this is a going concern for the world and it goes without saying that it is costing dearly to avoid a major catastrophe. If US could turn the clock back I am certain knowing what they know now ,They would play a different card than Taliban! Using terrorism as statecraft has very limited use and a definite blow back that can be hard to absorb.

What  can Canada learn from the past? Air India flight 182 was bombed by the Canadian khalistani terrorists in 1985. It killed 268 Canadian, 27 British and 22 Indian nationals. If there is one single moment in history that was the page turner ; this was it. Canada needed to wake up and get cracking ! Sadly  Canada dropped the ball entirely. A few arrests were made  halfheartedly and One , repeat one single individual was convicted of manslaughter who was let out after a few years. This is for the biggest mass murder in the Canadian history and the most lethal act of aviation terrorism in the world at that time since World trade centre in New York had not happened yet !

Incompetence and apathy are very mild words. This is what Treason looks like in my books.

How I wish I could forewarn and tell them that ignoring and making light of this incident will have bad consequences for Canada, only it has already happened. If we dial forward to the present times we have recently seen attacks on a Hindu temple by Khalistan goons ; we have seen them proudly celebrating in the streets of Canada  murder of an elected women prime minister with complete immunity. We have seen hordes rioting in support of Hamas terrorists  and threatening Jewish entities. We have seen excuses for these act provided by people in power.  Extremists just love Canada! How in hell have these elements emboldened themselves? Canada has become a bad joke!

Canada is in north America. This can not change. Her natural alliance and interests lie with USA. Despite who is in office the facts are that Canada's external policy can not be far removed from the US. That means Canada will have an adversarial relation with Russia and will be in direct confrontation with China for the foreseeable future. That is 1/2 of the world against Canada. How intelligent was it to pick a reckless fight with a rising economic power and a democracy-India?  That made it 3/4th of the world! It may be post colonial arrogance or sheer stupidity;likely both in equal measure. Especially when you either do not have proof or can not provide proof in the murder of one Canadian plumber who actually entered the country on false documents and was running from the law with a red corner notice since 2014. A simple search on the internet will show his picture with assault weapons.  A model Canadian plumber or a typical khalistani extremist? It kind of boggles the mind that Canada shielded him by putting him on a no fly list; effectively stalling his extradition!  Political compulsions are no justification for white washing the facts . How did his citizenship get approved in the first place?

 There has been some scaling back recently and a recent shooting of another Canadian plumber; successor of the murdered plumber was not blamed on the Indian prime minister. That is real progress from the previous Canadian actions ! I was amused to see in the media how people got offended by Canada getting equated with Mexico with reference to the Chinese goods and illegals  entering the United states. This offence will look like high praise because Canada is this close  to being equated with Pakistan with reference to giving shelter , legitimacy and political space to extremism.  Be aware it is a slippery path direct to a bottomless pit.

 

 Christmas Dinner !

"Religion is poison! Protect your children!" reads Soviet poster; with the church on the child's left, and the school on her right. (1930)

 Faith is  integral to religion although it can thrive without it as well. Agnosticism - absence of all  faith is actually another faith. We all believe in something or the other. Problem only arises when faith plays second fiddle to organized religion,  because then rituals take precedence and everyone believes they have a patent on the correct path. That has always generated conflict and always will.

Soviets tried to get rid of faith by banning religion but only managed to replace God by State. Kind of why pray to God when you can pray to the State! Long time ago I was in Soviet Russia and was surprised to see a very well attended  church Sunday service despite the obvious KGB types taking pictures and noting down details of the attendees. Not all of them were old babushka's either! It was Clear that soviet war on faith was not going very well.

It is safe to assume that faith makes one mentally strong, gives one a purpose and a focus. It ought to make one a better human and it does too ; except when religion interferes ! According to genetic studies Jews and Palestinians are closer to each other than the Jews are to their host countries. I know I am oversimplifying a complex, multifaceted issue but there should be no reason for them to be anything but friends! You do not need me to tell you that Jews are  facing a running war of extinction and dishing out more grief than they are getting in return. Religion is a huge factor in that violent imbroglio and according to some analysts it is the only factor .

Even within the Islamic nations there is a clear Shia / Sunni divide. Saudi Arabia and Iran have not seen eye to eye for about 1000 years. First gulf war between Iraq and Iran raged on for eight years from 1980 to1988. In comparison Second world war between the years 1939 to1945 was shorter.  About one million Roma and six million Jews were massacred during the second world war by a misplaced sense of false Nazi superiority that  had a large dollop of religious element embedded in.

Nobody likes to talk about it any more but a communist china occupied by force a Buddhist Tibet  on very flimsy grounds in 1950's. Just because some ancient Chinese dynasty had ruled over it. Weird logic indeed! By the same logic Britain can claim entire USA/ Canada and half of the rest of the world!   Unkindest cut is that the Chinese occupation of Tibet has been normalized by an acquiescing world. It is another matter that the same Communist regime is now brutalizing Uighur a Muslim group for being Muslim ! 

Ireland's division into a protestant north and a catholic south with the violence it precipitated is rather well documented. A semblance of peace and acceptance of status quo was only achieved in late nineties after decades of serious disturbances.The rumblings for reunification are still simmering under the surface.

Pakistani's and Indians are exactly the same people. With exactly the same DNA, ancestors, history and family names. You would not know it though If I did not tell you. First the country got divided on religious grounds and then they promptly went to war. Several times in fact; over the region of Kashmir. All because Kashmir has more Muslims ! 

Al Qaeda terrorists that flew a plane full of passengers into the world trade centre NYC, killing thousands of innocents 23 years ago actually changed the entire world for ever. There were pointers before that eventful day 39 years ago when khalistani terrorists detonated a bomb mid flight killing 329 mostly Canadian passengers onboard the aircraft. Poor victims that had absolutely nothing to do with whatever grievance these vile perpetrators had. Religious frenzy and fanaticism has nothing  to do with piety and faith.

Of course there are wars that have reasons other than religion, like the Russian - Ukrainian war. According to a census 17% of the entire population of Ukraine is Russian and nearly 2 million Russian residents identify themselves as Ukrainian. The data does predate the current war but you can imagine how absurdly silly and mindless these wars are.

There is this concept of six degrees of separation, meaning all people  are six or fewer social connections away from each other and we are all related! Then there is an ancient Indian philosophy Of "Vasudev Kutumbakam"; meaning "All world is one family". 

Talking about family think of a Christmas dinner where the entire clan gets together. Does every body agree with everybody else? Are there no tantrums , no drama , no arguments? Are there no imagined or real past hurts that come to fore?  All of the above happens but really how achingly beautiful it is when everyone does sit down and  enjoy together whatever the table has on offer! Think about it!

Karl Marx did say that religion is the opium of the people. Soviets were off the mark about many things but they were spot on about religion being 'poison'. Faith on the other hand is completely another matter altogether. Let us never confuse the two!