Cameron’s recent foray into dhimmitude — from extolling the nebulous, politically correct construct known as “real Islam,” to calling Gaza a “prison camp,” to his understated comments on Pakistan as an exporter of jihadist terrorism — has failed to win hearts and minds here.
And Pakistan’s posture is but a variation on the idea of “Say Islam is a religion of peace, or we’ll kill you”: Say Pakistan is a great ally and an honest partner with intentions as pure as the driven snow, or lose what little cooperation you’re actually getting, and any terrorism that follows will be all your fault. ISI? Never heard of ’em.
“Islamist protesters in Pakistan burn effigy of David Cameron as diplomatic row grows,” by David Barrett for the Telegraph, July 31 (thanks to Twostellas):
Relations between Britain and Pakistan have been strained since Mr Cameron bluntly suggested during a visit to India that its Islamic neighbour was responsible for exporting terrorism.
About a dozen protesters from the Islamist group Shababe Milli yesterday burned an effigy of the Prime Minister outside the Karachi Press Club, chanting “Down with Cameron.” One placard read: “Cameron – the loose mouth.”
In London, Qaman Zaman Kaira, the Pakistan information minister, said that President Asif Ali Zardari will raise the issue during his official visit to Britain this week.
The developments came after it emerged that Lieutenant General Ahmed Shujaa Pasha, head of Pakistan security agency Inter-Services Intelligence, called off a trip to London planned for next week when he had been due to discuss security co-operation with British intelligence.
Mr Cameron said during his India trip that Pakistan must not be allowed to “promote the export of terror whether to India, whether to Afghanistan or to anywhere else in the world.”
The Prime Minister later conceded Pakistan had made moves against terror organisations, but said “it still needs to take further steps”.
Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Pakistan’s ambassador to Britain, called the comments “an immature reaction from an immature politician.”
The Foreign Office declined to comment on Lt Gen Pasha’s cancelled trip, saying it did not discuss intelligence matters.