Pakistan in the Middle, But Farther East

Submitted by M Tovey (United States), Oct 27, 2016 at 18:35

Pakistan remains a mystery for many in Western culture because many of the cultural things of Pakistan were assumed from previous cultures and societies. While that area comprising Pakistan and Bangladesh remained under Hindu control, the undercurrent Muslim population were always at odds with the surrounding cultures and only for a limited time in earlier history did Arab influences remain strong. Over time those influences dissipated.
Separating the Muslim culture in 1947 achieved a form of autonomous Islamic influences; but Pakistan was still affected by its amalgamate history and only when the radicalized fundamentalists of Islam pressed an advantage over an apostate mindset of being Muslim, did the world find out that Pakistan potentially presented itself as being problematic if the wrong people gained control over Pakistan's military defensive capabilities and made them offensive. The minorities have no chance.

What to look for is Iran's influences regionally; but then there's Afghanistan in between; and the Russian connection to Iran may be complicated by that.

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