The Alliance is called: The Islamic Alliance against terrorism.. So yes, definitely it is strictly that..the Problem in inviting Iran is that it will make this coalition suspect in the Eyes of the US and its allies who consider Iran a terrorist and a pariah state (true or false, that is their prerogative), the alliance wants to avoid to be brought to a conflict with the West by all means, that is why inviting Iran now is out of question..
Some good points there SC. Pakistan has always been in the US camp though we are realizing its folly. Yet the Hudaibiyah treaty is the greatest proof that when you can't fight your enemies you ally with them and/or accept their wishes. Thats what the prophet did with Mecca and in the end he surpassed them and beat them. So I understand this treaty with US though I despise the US. So as you said, concerns of further isolation from US are a major reason our leaders are not aligning with Iran. Irans isolation and being loggerheads with arab nations is also a reason.
Pakistan has a big Shia' community, and wants to avoid any external sectarian war spillover on its territory.. furthermore, the fightings in Iraq, Syria and Yemen all have Sunnis and Shia' fighting each other as well as Sunni vs Sunni, ISIS is mostly Sunni and it is the main enemy targeted by this coalition, but if any Shia' designated terrorist group emerges in a Muslim country, it will be targeted too..
Bro every time I have said this I have received flak but in Pakistan and Afghanistan atleast shias have been at the receiving end of most violence. Recently shias were dying daily in Quetta at hands of LeJ, glad army took control and was given extra rights and has delivered. Even today a terror bid was foiled, before that a suicide vehicle was caught on afghan border. We need a more pro minority policy, supportive not only of shias but also ahmedis, christians hindus and others.
I am a sunni btw but it doesn't require a scientist to admit this.
As far as what you said I agree. Interesting to note shia rulers like Assad have oppressed sunnis and sunni rulers like Saddam have oppressed shias. This reality, and our inability to live together and love each other is at the heart of the problem. A lot of sunnis and shias are pro saudi and iran respectively. Your country has to come first but they don't realize it. But as I said the problem also centralizes on the fact that we sunnis have failed to express support for shias when they were dying. Even now TTP's favorite location of attack is imambargahs. So we should admit this. There is no shame in it. Calling a zulm a zulm is a basic tenet of Islam.
So leaving this coalition will be in the best interest of Pakistan if it fears a sectarian war because of some potential confrontation with some terrorist Shia' groups.. and that might irritate Iran, or/and cause internal security problems in Pakistan..
Some sort of balance would be the key. But the question is who is going to decide this delicate balance and what it actually means. Pakistan has to devise a policy though that is neither anti Iran nor anti Saudi. Even I do not know how to apply this. If you have solutions do share. The key aspect atleast for us Pakistanis is our ability to stick together and love each other regardless of not just sect but also ethnicity. Bengal was lost on an ethnicity problem. So lots to focus on but no actual solutions for the entire mess.
the same Idea applies to the GCC who's main aim is to prevent internal security problems caused by their Shia' apparently and some ISIS Sunnis too..
Agreed. We are between a rock and a hard place, as they say. Both Iran and Saudi have been wooing us. I am surprised Sharif who was saved by Saudis during Musharraf's time has not succumbed to Saudi pressure. I would have expected Pakistan to be far more pro Saudi, though thank God saner minds the media raising it has caused us to be a little more neutral.
So this might be already conflicting.. the coalition has 40 members, If Pakistan leaves, Algeria will join it, it already started accusing Iran of trying to spread Shiism in Algeria, so it will stay at that number and will fight its own fight, it is not a Pakistani fight apparently..
Well I am surprised Oman and Sudan are becoming anti Iran. Oman beat the Dhofar rebellion with Iranian help. Sudan too had received help in its conflict in the south though now the south is divided from Sudan. As I said Iran's problem is its extreme isolation. It is the classic case of a country that hasn't played its cards right. I respected Iran's anti US stand but it acting like a typical sectarian country supporting a tyrant like Assad has changed my perception of them.
