Page 10 - Pakistan Link - January 29, 2020

P10 – PAKISTAN LINK – JANUARY 29, 2021 OPINION

Saudi Arabia Redefines Role as World’s Defender of Muslims

n By Donna Abu-Nasr ment turning to Turkey while Prince earning Saudi Arabia some clout.” rochemicals complex. academic.
Mohammed increases trade with In- Until a few years ago, it would Indeed, Saudi Arabia used to be

hen Chinese diplomat dia. have been rare to see warm praise US Says China’s Treatment of the first country to be blamed for fu-

Tan Banglin defended “Saudi Arabia suffered from for a communist party in print in Uighur Muslims Is ‘Genocide’ eling Islamist terrorism. Yet follow-

Whis country’s treatment transnational political Islamism Saudi Arabia, not to mention one The State Department declared ing a series of gruesome attacks by
of Muslims amid an international where some of its citizens were from the representative of a coun- its assessment on Tuesday, a day be- jihadists in France last year, it was
outcry, his comments were less among the first to travel to help fel- try that’s been censured for its al- fore President-elect Joe Biden will Turkey that French President Em-

remarkable than where he made low Muslims, but not much identify leged persecution of Muslims. In the take office as president. manuel Macron singled out as an

them. with their own national causes,” said 1980s Saudis sent money, and later This month, China’s Huawei instigator.

In a column last July for one of Prince Abdullah bin Khaled, a Saudi launched its largest flagship store Saudi Arabia will always have
the most widely read newspapers in academic. “A change of course was Th e change was not outside China in the Saudi capital, the physical claim to Islam. Prince
Saudi Arabia—the traditional pro- required and very much welcomed.” an abandonment of Riyadh. Investment Minister Khalid Mohammed, through his actions
tector of Muslims worldwide—Tan US President Joe Biden has AlFalih tweeted the news, saying he and decisions, has made it clear
talked about how the Communist vowed to treat Saudi Arabia as a Muslim issues but was “delighted” with the announce- that the kingdom’s duty is to care

Party had united with people in pariah after four years of cozy rela- ment. for the two holy mosques in Mecca
Xinjiang province, leading to “great” tions with his predecessor, Donald rather “balancing It’s been a journey that started and Madinah and make them acces-

changes. That’s as nations including Trump. Conversations on issues on support for them slowly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror sible to Muslims worldwide. One of

the US were accusing China of put- human rights, its devastating war attacks by 19 hijackers, 15 of them the goals of his plan to restructure
ting Uighurs into detention camps. on Yemen and rivalry with Iran are with the imperatives, Saudi, and accelerated under Prince the economy is expanding the two

The voice given to China’s con- likely to be uncomfortable when Mohammed. sites and increasing the number of
sul general in Jeddah, less than 70 they eventually happen. sensitivities and Under pressure to curb extrem- pilgrims.

kilometers from Islam’s holiest city There could also be more ten- priorities of the ists, Saudi Arabia waged a success- At the same time, the leader-
of Mecca, reflects the new political sion over the 2018 killing of critic ful campaign against radicals in the ship has signaled it’s not the king-

reckoning under Crown Prince Mo- and columnist Jamal Khashoggi in state, knowing that 2000s. Significantly, the late King dom’s duty to fix the problems of

hammed bin Salman as he prioritiz- the Saudi consulate in Istanbul after Abdullah made Saudi National Day Muslims worldwide.

es more secular national interests at Biden’s nominee for national intelli- different contexts on Sept. 23 a holiday, angering radi-
a critical juncture for the kingdom. gence director last week pledged to dictate different cals who believe Muslims should China sanctions Pompeo, 27

And it’s one that may serve him well release a report on who was respon- not be divided by borders. other Trump officials

as the administration changes in sible for the murder. realities,” said As he rose to power four years China announced on Wednes-
Washington, despite US opposition But retrenching from inter- ago, Prince Mohammed curbed the day it would slap sanctions on out-

to Beijing’s actions in Xinjiang. vening abroad under the guise of Prince Abdullah, the influence of the powerful religious going US Secretary of State Mike

The Saudi world view is being supporting fellow Muslims—like academic establishment, gave women more Pompeo, and 27 other top officials

shaped more by hard-nosed busi- Turkey is doing—may score some freedoms and allowed concerts and under Donald Trump. The Chinese
ness calculations, shifting geopo- points with the Biden adminis- movie theaters. He also tightened foreign ministry announced the

litical realities and the emergence of tration, according to Emily Haw- their sons, to Afghanistan to join control of how financial aid is dis- sanctions around the time of US

clean energy as a competitor to oil thorne, a Texas-based analyst with the fight against Soviet occupation tributed abroad, making it largely to President Joe Biden’s inauguration
while facing a challenge from Tur- Stratfor, which advises clients on of that country. governments rather than directly to and said it would work to cooper-
key for leadership of the Sunni Mus- geopolitical risks. Saudi relations with China have Muslim groups. Alcohol, which the ate with Biden’s new administration.
lim sphere. “Saudis might see that becom- strengthened beyond supplying oil. Qur’an forbids, remains banned. But a spokeswoman for Biden’s Na-

The kingdom has been less vo- ing more of an economically fo- King Salman, who took the throne The change was not an aban- tional Security Council on Wednes-
cal on the Palestinian issue, which cused modernized nation as more in 2015, and the crown prince have donment of Muslim issues but rath- day called the sanctions quote “un-
for decades was its cause célèbre. important than continuing to always paid separate visits to Beijing. On er “balancing support for them with productive and cynical” and “an
Saudi support for the Muslim popu- nurture that leadership role in the his trip in 2019, the prince appeared the imperatives, sensitivities and attempt to play to partisan divides,”
lation has been conspicuous by its broader Muslim world,” said Haw- to defend China’s alleged repres- priorities of the state, knowing that urging both Republicans and Dem-
absence in the disputed region of thorne. “It’s a gamble, but it might sion of Muslims and signed a deal to different contexts dictate different ocrats to condemn the action.

Kashmir, with the Pakistan govern- turn out well for them in terms of build a $10 billion refining and pet- realities,” said Prince Abdullah, the ROLE, P24
A Sad Day for American Democracy
n By Perwaiz Ahmad daggers, explosives, Confederate flags, banners

Fullerton, CA reading “Stop the Steal”, to hunt and capture key
officials, dead or alive! The mayhem continued

heodore Roosevelt, 26th President of for three hours before the National Guard could
the USA, once said, “Patriotism means quell the rioters.
Tto standby the country. It does not I have followed many elections since 1976,
mean to stand by the President”. seen candidates with academic excellence, who
A rude awakening awaited were great debaters, orators, communicators
most Americans on January 6, and rich in vocabulary, who believed in smooth
2021 when they witnessed an transition of power but never has a President
anarchy-like situation on Capitol in the last century been so inadequate in his p’s
Hill, next to the White House. It and q’s, so disparaging in his remarks, so impo-
was beyond the imagination of lite in name calling and so uncivil towards his
many because for over 100 years opponents and the media in the public arena.

no President had dared to derail the election re- Hats off to Liz Cheney for spearhead-
sults by force, even if they were controversial. ing the anti-Trump vote in her Party, and nine
Metaphorically speaking, “If it looks like a duck, other Republicans out of 201 who showed cour-
swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then age to vote for the impeachment. Finally, Vice
it probably is a duck”. Donald Trump shot him- President Mike Pence had to distance himself
self in the foot when he called for an all-out war from his boss under a very tense and precari-
against those who opposed him because he re- ous situation. Along with Nancy Pelosi, Mike
fused to accept the results of the 2020 Election. Senator Elizabeth Warren, little Rubio, loser President in 2016, gets 73 million popular votes Pence also became a target of Trump’s loyalists
Long before Trump was elected President McCain, etc. in the 2020 Election then America must have to “capture and kill”.
in 2016, his journey up to his nomination was In 2020 Donald Trump’s derogatory tweets been prepared to see American army protecting
full of controversy: derogatory name calling, against Joe Biden were hideous, and at times, Americans against Americans. Donald Trump VISAS FROM P1
confrontational stance, improper behavior, below the belt: said loud and clear before the 2020 Election, “I receive applications for national identity cards
Military Draft dodging, etc. Nevertheless, he “April 25, 2019: “Welcome to the race will not accept the election results if I do not and other similar documents. All these services

outsmarted his opponents by pitting one group Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelli- win”. Nobody, especially a President in his right are now available online. The change will affect
against the other, appealing to the extreme gence, long in doubt, to wage a successful pri- mind, would utter such words in a public fo- millions of Pakistanis living in North Amer-
right, the Evangelicals to “clean the swamp”. mary campaign. It will be nasty – you will be rum, especially someone who did not win the ica and Europe, particularly in the countries
He did not learn or mend his ways to deal with dealing with people who truly have some very popular votes in 2016. that do not allow dual citizenship.
people on both sides of the aisle in Congress as sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will When all the counting and recounting of Even in countries like Australia, Britain,
well as his chronic enemies. He loved slight- see you at the Starting Gate!” votes failed to deliver favorable results, includ- Canada and the United States, which allow
ing the media including the New York Times, May 10, 2019 : “Looks to me like it’s going ing his three appointed judges who passed their dual citizenship, people prefer to travel on visas
the Washington Post and CNN to name a few, to be Sleepy Creepy Joe over Crazy Bernie. Ev- verdict against him, he became unhinged by stamped on their current passports. Traveling

snubbing journalists during press conferences eryone else is fading fast!” inciting insurrection. In desperation he tweeted on passports of their country of origin often

which soon became his forte. March 2018: Joe Biden “trying to act like “we are going to the Capitol Hill to fight like invokes suspicion.
In 2016 we witnessed a candidate who a tough guy” but was “weak, both mentally and hell, if you don’t fight like hell you won’t have a “It is good for those who are computer

violated all the norms of a civilized society. He physically.” country anymore”. savvy and are good at filling out forms,” said

acted like a school bully using insulting prefixes Candidate Trump once said, “I could His message resonated far and wide to his Saadat Ali, a Pakistani-American in German-
for his opponents such as crooked Hilary, sleepy stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot base, 10,000 armed men rioted at Capitol Hill town, Maryland. “But there are many who can-

Joe, low energy Jeb Bush, cheating Obama, somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters.” on January 6. They came in droves after months not. We need some system to help them out.”

crazy Burney, shifty Adam Schiff, Pocahontas If, after uttering these words he becomes the of planning, fully armed with guns, pipe bombs, – Anwar Iqbal, Dawn

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