Iran’s flood aid to Pakistan reaches 500 tons

[Turborama]

Source: Tehran Times

September 4, 2010 -

TEHRAN -- So far Iran has sent 500-ton cargoes of humanitarian aid to Pakistan, said Interior Minister Mostafa-Mohammad Najjar who arrived in Pakistan on Thursday night.

“So far, Iran has dispatched 8 cargoes, weighting 500 tons altogether, to this country in order to aid the flood-stricken Pakistanis and these aids will soon reach 1,000 tons,” Najjar said upon his arrival in Islamabad. He went on to say that four committees from Iran’s Red Crescent, Health Ministry, crisis management council, and Majlis have traveled to Pakistan.

The crisis management council plans to set up refugee camps for the flood-ridden Pakistanis, he said, adding a five-member committee from the Majlis paid a visit to the flood-ridden areas and met with some senior members of Pakistani Parliament and Senate.

It was also decided that some mobile hospitals to be set up in Pakistan and about 90 Iranian physicians have voiced their readiness to travel to the area, Najjar stated. He also said the Pakistani government and people should know that Iran will always support them in hard times.

Read more: http://www.tehrantimes.com/Index_view.asp?code=225989

---

ETA For more on what's been going on in Pakistan since the floods began, check out my journal - even the archives are quite recent: http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Turborama

[smalll]

1. Hmm. Doesn't seem like that much. Lets take a look at the US aid to Haiti after the earthquake -

"In the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, USAID is providing 14,550 tons of food aid which will help feed 1.2 million people...

In Fiscal year 2009, USAID's Food for Peace program provided 83,020 tons of food aid to Haiti..."

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:puSjyC1WkOYJ:www.usaid.gov/press/releases/2010/pr100113.html+Us+aid+haiti+earthquake+tons&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Sayin.'

[Turborama]

2. Yes

The reaction to the historic humanitarian crisis that's unfolding in Pakistan is pitiful when compared to the instant global outpouring of enormous amounts of aid generously given after the earthquake in Haiti.

ETA 500 tons is nothing to be sniffed at. They also stated it is soon to rise to 1,000 tons, it's the least that a neighbor could do.

[Dead_Parrot]

3. That's assuming it's food, though

The biggest problem after a flood tends to be water supply: 500 tons of water treatment equipment might be quite a big deal.

[karynnj]

21. The importance is that they are responding at all

The WORLD's response has been too low. The US and Haiti had a long term relationship and the US is far wealthier.

[sam sarrha]

4. the Pakistani government will probably sell it all to China at a Profit..

[Turborama]

6. What makes you say that? Are you another racist against Pakistanis?

BTW...

China (People's Liberation Army) to send more relief materials to flood-hit Pakistan
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=4512403

[sam sarrha]

12. Pakistan is a Theocratic Cleptocracy.. they keep the majority poor and dependant. it is getting the

same way here, just like mexico the "Have it Alls" have a standard of living second only to France.. the rest are hungry, china was just a bad example

http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html
the top 1% have 42% of Americas financial wealth.. 6 times what the bottom 80% have.. only 7% and 72% of the debt.

i have lived in an Islamic Republic.. Islam is an oppressive political and legal system. they will distribute enough to make a show, but every official will skim some off all the way to distribution.. just the way it is... always was, always will be.

http://report.globalintegrity.org/Pakistan/2008/timeline

[Turborama]

14. Wrong answer which I assume is a yes to my question. Pakistan is a maturing constitutional democracy

And nothing you have said or linked to shows that the democratically elected government of Pakistan will sell to China the aid given to them by Iran.

That 1st link is about America's disparity of wealth distribution not Pakistan's, and the second link only goes up to 2008 and doesn't back up your original assertion which is based on either bigotry based on stereotyping at best or simple racism at worst.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Pakistan

[sam sarrha]

16. take your pick..>Links>>

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=pakistan+in+trouble&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=CFfJUU_GETLL2FaeqgASmsLSZBgAAAKoEBU_QNnG4&pbx=1&fp=7d27636abb450b82

Pakistan may break into 3 separate states, as a compromise similar to giving the Balkans to Hitler for peace.

certainly there are factions striving for democracy.. but they are out numbered.

[Turborama]

17. Nope, still nothing that backs up your assertion. n/t

[sam sarrha]

19. you said.. "Are you another racist against Pakistanis?" their gov isnt a Race, islam isnt Racial

[Turborama]

22. I asked, "Are you another racist against Pakistanis?" It's a yes or no question.

Your failure to answer that simple question coherently and your avatar of a crusader tell me all I need to know.

Thanks for keeping this thread bumped for others who might have missed the OP, though.

[sabrina 1]

15. Just Islam is an oppressive system?

I see you did say that it is beginning to happen here which is true. And it certainly was true of many European countries until not so long ago.

I have friends who live in two different ME eastern countries and one who worked for the British State Dept in Jordan. I also have met many people from Pakistan and India. I found that we all had a lot in common. They, like us, loved their respective countries but were not happy with some of their political and religious leaders.

Pakistan recently elected a government in a move away from its previous military rulers.

As for the poverty there, India has huge poverty levels also, it is a democratic country. But India's government, as was pointed out to me by another DUer, has been making strides in reducing their poverty. I believe the goals of the current Pakistani government are the same.

This disaster will set the country back as far as reaching some of its goals, but with help from the World community hopefully they will be able to overcome this.

It is vitally important right now to support these people, and to support the sectarian government.

I prefer to view issues like these as human issues, not necessarily as ethnic or religious issues. Because they are not new to this world. People are not poor because of Islam, just as they were not poor because of Christianity. Colonialism contributed far more to the state of the world today than any other factor. In Africa, in South America, in the ME, in Asia.

I hope one day that we can get past viewing other countries as somehow different than us. Because the people are not different. And all countries have had periods of oppression so why assume that Pakistan's problems stem from their ethnicity or relition? I believe they have not yet recovered from the British Empire's interference and theft of their resources. It takes time to get over Colonialism.

I think they will be okay in the long term, but for now they need help and I hope they get it.

[sam sarrha]

18. the average Muslim is like everyone else.. they just want to live.. but, there is a what is called

the Iron Law of Oligarchy- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_law_of_oligarchy -
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/opinion/28iht-edcohen.html
Behind the walls of Evin Prison, and in shadowy detention centers like Kahrizak, thousands were detained, beaten, abused; and dozens lost their lives. We will have to wait for the full accounting. Meanwhile we have this testimony:

“The man intones, ‘In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. ...’ Mohsen braces himself. There is a terse whisper and the instrument comes crashing onto the soles of Mohsen’s feet. An unimaginable pain shoots through his body to his temples, a pain to drive one mad. Mohsen is dimly aware that he is screaming. His wrist and ankles are being cut up as he thrashes against his bonds.

“The beating continues. Before each blow, the man calls, ‘Ya! Hossein!’ After a while he stops to catch his breath. He speaks to Mohsen. He calls him a Hypocrite and a traitor to God. Then he starts again.”


in Islam Muhamad set up a Caliph system- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliphate -

where do you get your information about Islam.? do you know what Abrogation is.? do you know what the Hiddah, Sunna and the Sira Books are.. do you know that the Koran is not chronological and can not be understood without the 3 afore mentioned books. do you know what the significance of day one of their calendar. 1AH.?

"...212 The Apostle Receives the Order to Fight
The apostle had not been given permission to fight or allowed to shed blood before the second Aqaba. He had simply been ordered to call men to God and to endure insult and forgive the ignorant. The Quraysh had persecuted his followers, seducing some from their religion, and exiling others from their country. They had to choose whether to give up their religion, be maltreated at home, or to flee the country, some to Abyssinia, others to Medina.
When Quraysh became insolent towards God and rejected His gracious purpose, accused His prophet of lying, and ill treated and exiled those who served Him and proclaimed His unity, believed in His prophet, and held fast to His religion, He gave permission to His apostle to fight and to protect himself against those who wronged them and treated them badly.
The first verse which was sent down on this subject from what I have heard from Urwa b. al-Zubayr and other learned persons was
213 The meaning is: ”I have allowed them to fight only because they have been unjustly treated while their sole offence against men has been that they worship God. When they are in the ascendant they will establish prayer, pay the poor-tax, enjoin kindness, and forbid iniquity, i.e. the prophet and his companions all of them.” Then God sent down to him: ”Fight them so that there be no more seduction,” i.e. until no believer is seduced from his religion. ”And the religion is God’s”, i.e. Until God alone is worshipped..."

Muhammad Abrogated all peaceful cooperation with non-Muslims.. all Revelations of tolerance and cooperation were over written and he became a war lord..only asking for 20% of all loot and slaves taken. all the warm and fuzzy stuff turned into genocide. Koran 9:5 ..'hunt them down an kill them where you find them'..

after Muhamad left Mecca there were no more benevolent revelations.

the Muslims born into Islam today who are peaceful are being taken over by Arabification: Wahabia spread by the Saudi Royal Family..funded by Oil, the same that motovated the gang of thugs that did 9-11
http://biphome.spray.se/hyla/wahabia/01.htm

of their traditional beliefs. Dar fur is a prime example.. there is Raging Jihad in northern Nigeria..moving south, jihad is spreading war into Uganda, .. read Tears of the Desert, Slave by mede nazer, books by Wafa Sultan also on youtube, Nonnie Darwish,

dont respond if you dont have a education on the subject. sound bytes dont educate. few westerners know anything other than what C.A.I.R has fed them. no one will say anything to keep from pissing off our oil source... i lived in an Islamic Republic. did you know under Sharia there are 422 crimes against Islam that will get you the death penalty.? they micro manage everyones lives.. the moderates wont last, they dont gave a chance.

[OhioChick]

5. Saudi Flood Aid ot Pakistan: First, Largest, Not Politicized

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia has quietly bypassed the United States as the
single largest aid donor in real terms so far. Riyadh’s commitment to
helping the victims of Pakistan’s devastating floods has crossed
US$140 million.

The Saudis have also outdone themselves. The Saudi military and air
force set up a back-to-back air bridge between Saudi Arabia and
Pakistan, sending thirty large cargo planes carrying hundreds of tons
of relief goods. The air bridge continues to operate.

With more than $120 million sent in cash, the first 3-day
international telethon to raise funds, and 30 major air relief
shipments to land in Pakistan in what is the largest air bridge in
support of flood victims, Saudi response was better than any other
nation.

The only exceptions are UAE sending six helicopters when the United
States initially provided only five, . After
its initial reluctance, US surpassed any other donor by providing
three large cargo planes in addition to ten more helicopters. Most of
the pledged US aid money is, however, ‘recycled’ from earlier aid
commitments to Pakistan and is not new. And, according to Ahmed
Quraishi, Project Pakistan Senior Fellow at Project For Pakistan In
21st Century, an independent Islamabad-based think tank, US help is
politicized, meant to shore up a pro-US govt. in Islamabad in the face
of better performances by the Pakistani military and Pakistani
charities in responding to the humanitarian disaster.

More: http://pkonweb.com/2010/08/saudi-flood-aid-to-pakistan-first-largest-not-politicized/

[Turborama]

7. "Saudi response was better than any other nation."

That's the 1st time I've heard that. It's also the 1st time I've heard of a telethon for these millions of devastated people, let alone a 3 day one.

Thanks for sharing.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ronnie624]

9. When the U.S. buys oil from Saudi Arabia,

after the purchase is made, the money still belongs to the United States? And when Saudi Arabia provides humanitarian assistance to another country, it's really a result of superior U.S. technocracy, not Saudi Arabian generosity?

Truly fascinating.

Nonsensical, but fascinating.

[Turborama]

10. Racism is nonsensical

I don't find it fascinating, more like disturbing.



Edited to take out "usually". Racism is nonsensical, period.

[ronnie624]

11. Agreed. n/t

[Rhiannon12866]

13. Thanks for posting this...

It's good news for the people affected, even if it is from the Saudis...

[karynnj]

20. Fascinating

Though it sounds naive, it really seems like the fact that Shiite Iran and India are both among the countries offering help in this catastrophe should help these countries see each other more clearly as people. It would be something if the aftermath of this disaster is breakthroughs in replacing hostility with something better.

Thank you for the incredible series of posts you have made.