Wonder if any of this money will -- somehow or other -- find its way to the jihadists, as part of the "financial jihad" (jihad al-mal)? "UAE to give $1bn to Pakistan," from the Daily Times, November 28 (thanks to Jeffrey Imm):
ISLAMABAD: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has agreed to provide $1 billion to Pakistan to help improve the country’s balance of payment situation, Investment Board Chairman Saleem H Mandiwala said on Thursday. He said that President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to the UAE was successful. He said that various UAE businessmen have shown great interest in exploring investment opportunities in Pakistan.
That's fine. Pakistan should ask for much more, from the UAE, from Qatar (whose Al Thani family has been very busy buying up hotels particuliers, of the XVII and XVIII centuries, all over Paris, then transforming them, putting in five sous-sols for le parking, and the obligatory gym, and so on), from Kuwait, and from Mr. Big Himself, Saudi Arabia. The Americans have already given and given and given. Let those rich fellow members of the Umma come through. And if they don't? If they continue to hoard for themselves the oil wealth that Allah of course meant to be shared, equally, by all the world's Muslims -- well, then, teach those rich Arabs of the Gulf a lesson they won't forget, that they have to share and share alike with members of the Umma.
And keep it up until they come through with something nominal, say -- sixty billion dollars this year, with a lot more to come later on.
Wonderful.
Perfect timing. Those attacks in Mumbai must have cost Pak (and probably BangTheDish) a pretty penny. The $1 Billion will help out a lot.
This is, like, the first time a Muslim country gave money to another Muslim country, isn't it? It's certainly the first time an Arab counry gave to a non-Arab country. It's only a nominal sum, but I like the precedent that it sets. Let the wealthy Arabs take care of the rest of the Muslim world. That means fewer Ikhwan front groups and fewer mosques here. Let them do their dawa in Pakistan.
The U.A.E. has 500 billion, at least, in surplus funds. What utter cheapskates. If I were Pakistani, I'd demand that they fork over more. And if these rich Arabs didn't comply? I'd remind them that the oil comes from Allah, and was given to the Muslims collectively, as the best of people, and the Arabs had better not forget it. Because if they do, we Pakistanis, and all the other non-Arabs, well, we have ways.
The gulf states have gotten fat off our money, for oil. Even though we are celebrating cheaper oil these days, the US should face facts and understand that cheap oil fuels our dependence. Only when capitalism-driven investment in alternatives is potentially profitable can we end this insanity. This would mean taxes on oil or at least gasoline. It is a bitter pill but one I hope we will swallow soon.
Anyone who is interested in a conservative case for government intervention in the economy on this particular issue should read "The Road to Serfdom" by Fredrich Hayek. He makes clear when, and only when, it is permissible for the state to intervene in the economy, and the problems that the oil economy spawns surely qualified. Without oil money the global Jihad would be a shadow of its current self.
Does this mean we don't have to pay them anymore?
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has agreed to provide $1 billion to Pakistan
as a reward for Mumbai jihad?
Now Hugh, you know that Allah said that Arabs are the best of people (3:104, 3:110). And they're not getting any money either.
What more do expect the land of the pure is Bankrupt as near as Dammit. I think that the Saudi's gave them a lot of free oil a few months ago or wavered payments. They are doing the heavy lifting for the O.I.C at the moment in the U.N. be somewhat embarrassing if they went Officially Bankrupt. I think that they are in negotiations with the I.M.F. at the moment for a 4 billion dollar loan and the conditions could be somewhat onerous to say the least, we wouldn't what that crimping there style now would we. What is a Billion dollars here or there when O.P.E.C. should pull in around 900 Billion dollars this year alone. It is nothing more than a large tip the Arabs give too there tarts.
Saudi Arabia's near bankrupt too, Holger.
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2008/11/schadenfreude_p.html
hehehehe