On Thu, 2003-01-30 at 06:51, Praedor Tempus Atrebates wrote: > How many citizens in Iran and Afghanistan are or were truly happy with the > fundamentalist governments they have or had?
I'm sorry to say it gets much worse. In the 1930's and 1940s, in the North West Frontier Province of what is today Pakistan, there was a Puhktoon leader, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, who embodied just about every noble impulse you could ever want in a progressive leader at the time. The British imprisoned him for 15 years, then the new Pakistani Government for another 15 years (altogether more than Nelson Mandela). His "crimes"? Opening schools, liberating women and the peasantry, unifying his people, and worst of all, fighting against colonial rule with dedicated nonviolence (Khan was close to Gandhi). In short the Puhktoon people had a truly enlightened leadership not that long ago but it was smashed to pieces by outsiders. And look at the state of Puhktoons today -- the Taliban, appalling poverty and repression, and more. If you're interested in this hidden and little known history, you may like to check out: http://www.asianreflection.com/twoislamicsoldiers.shtml and http://www.asianreflection.com/khanafghanistan.shtml Damon -- Damon Lynch <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Want to buy your Pack or Services from MandrakeSoft? Go to http://www.mandrakestore.com
