I've been reading the comments on the globeandmail stories on Pakistan. and inevitably every single ones has racist comments. makes you sad when you read things like let them die, will make for less taliban, etc. read the same stuff when the plane crashed over Margallah. one hopes it's just a manifestation of the internet bringing out the worst in people. but it is tough to read about all the hatred there is for all of us - without making any distinction between terrorists and average peace-loving Pakistanis who oppose terrorism.
the Canadian govt so far as only given 2 million though supposedly 30 million will be pledged soon. but there is no sign of the donation matching program that was started with Haiti.
Quite true. Also, Haiti is very close geographically to the US which helped. People just see Pakistan as this evil place. The rarely get to know how wonderful the people of Pakistan are.
Pakistan's image doesn't help. The economic situation doesn't help.
Haiti got much more attention and donations. Geographically close. Plenty of well integrated Haitian immigrants. All factors. Here in Canada our Governor General is Haitian too.
Are Saudis, Iranis not Pakistan’s friends anymore?
By Muhammad Akram
LAHORE: Except Kuwait, Turkey and the UAE, Pakistan has failed to receive any aid for its flood victims from any other Islamic country. The three countries have offered $5 million, $269,183 and $20,027 respectively, so far. While China with $1,479,290 and Sri Lanka with $26,667 are the only neighbouring countries that have come to the country’s aid.
According to statistics, the countries most hated by Pakistanis – as per various opinion polls – the US and UK are the two major contributors so far, while the list of remaining donors does not include any Islamic country, however, prominent donors include Germany, France, Greece, Czech Republic, Sweden and Australia. According to the information available, the total amount pledged to Pakistan so far is $84,294,357, much lower than what the UN has sought in its various appeals to the international community.
The UN has launched an appeal for more than $450 million to help those affected. At least 1,600 people have died and many more are missing. This has happened at a time when Pakistan has issued new flood warnings that could last into the weekend as government and relief agencies scramble to confront the toll from a growing into a humanitarian disaster. The UN says, “Floods have decimated Pakistan: the number of people suffering could exceed 13 million – more than the combined total of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake.”
The people of Pakistan, particularly flood victims, want to know what has happened to the rulers and people of Iran and Saudi Arabia, which have not expressed any intent, let alone offering anything in aid to their Pakistani brothers and sisters. The aid to Pakistan would not be for its rulers, if there existed any misgivings, but for the people who have yet to find means to survive, as a new flood of an almost equal intensity is about to hit various districts of Sindh and Punjab this weekend.
As far as neighbours such as India and Afghanistan are concerned, Pakistan can least expect from both, since none of the two had offered anything so far.** As for India, which offered $500 million in aid during the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, the offer was refused by Pakistani authorities in the first place and whatever was allowed in was let to rot at security checkposts on the border. **
Pakistan has always looked to Saudi Arabia whenever it faced a difficulty. According to diplomatic sources, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are not enjoying the best of ties since the PPP government assumed power, replacing the quasi-military government of Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf, with whom the Saudi rulers had the best of relations like they had with every military ruler in Pakistan. The FO had always played down the souring ties with Saudi Arabia, said a source in the office.
However, international relations experts say a lukewarm response from Saudi Arabia and Iran is difficult to understand, as it is not the government but the people of Pakistan who are suffering and awaiting aid from both the countries.
really sad i agree but i dont feel particularly surprised. i think many people ARE prejudiced agaisnt pakistanis and have a really negative view of the country and its people. the media here i feel is not reporting enough either on the disaster, i remmeber for the haiti earthquake there was so much coverage and for the flooding theres much less. also the other day directly after the news on bbc there was an anti muslim documentary on. really just so sad.
mainly because there is no trusted organization who would use the donors’ money properly. inflation has made it very dificult for middle class or slaried class people to make both ends meet.
its the same nation who donated generously during 2005 earthquake, but now our very own elected democratic govt has not proved itself as it should have done. people ared oing all charity work on selfhelp or individual levels, that is why it seems no one is out there helping the needy.
See this is why i sometimes hate this website. Such a huge disconnect with Pakistan. I just spent 4 hours after my iftar packing relief supplies with my sister and friends. I spent a day or two going shopping to buy relief items. More so the guys organizing it have spent thousands of rupees. The guy organizing all of this is a childhood friend and the more i hear the more I see the average person helping in more ways than humanly possible.
And you buggers say that Pakistanis are doing nothing. I am sorry Pakistanis are putting their money where their mouth is and getting the work done. Its those of you living abroad that are doing so much less. Pathetically less.
Yes the aid has been slow but it is not new. The Kashmir Earthquake out of the 800 million dollars received 600 million was from Muslim countries. The EU and US provided nothing. Cuba sent the medical doctors. Turkey the tents. Yes there has been a slow response only because our government has been very slow to ask for it.
Blame our government. Blame donor fatigue. But don't *ing blame the Pakistani people when they are doing so much *ing more than you lot sitting in the West.
^ who was blaming the pakistanis? Rather i thought non muslim international communities were being blamed in this thread. Myself i was referring to non pakistanis. Chill CM dude
Well, I am very glad to hear that Pakistanis are doing everything they can. I did not assume otherwise. But we never hear any good news form Pakistan out here in the rest of the world. Even here on GS, when TLK asked for people to give good news about Pakistan, pretty much nobody could come up with a thing. (Oh, let me see, it was agreed that Pakistani guys have nice eyes...) We WANT to hear good about Pakistan and we're not getting any such news. So thank you CM for telling us some.
See this is why i sometimes hate this website. Such a huge disconnect with Pakistan. I just spent 4 hours after my iftar packing relief supplies with my sister and friends. I spent a day or two going shopping to buy relief items. More so the guys organizing it have spent thousands of rupees. The guy organizing all of this is a childhood friend and the more i hear the more I see the average person helping in more ways than humanly possible.
And you buggers say that Pakistanis are doing nothing. I am sorry Pakistanis are putting their money where their mouth is and getting the work done. Its those of you living abroad that are doing so much less. Pathetically less.
Yes the aid has been slow but it is not new. The Kashmir Earthquake out of the 800 million dollars received 600 million was from Muslim countries. The EU and US provided nothing. Cuba sent the medical doctors. Turkey the tents. Yes there has been a slow response only because our government has been very slow to ask for it.
Blame our government. Blame donor fatigue. But don't *ing blame the Pakistani people when they are doing so much *ing more than you lot sitting in the West.
you cant correct one error and make one yourself, the community has sprung into action in US and there is a lot going on, so lets not assume what us lot are doing or not doing.
but technically you are correct ....a few million people in US can not do as much as 170 million ppl in Pakistan so people there can do more collectively and also directly since they are there.
The question is do we want to make it some sort of who is doing more sort of pissing contest, or try and make sure individually that in our communities we encourage people to do as much as they can and as quickly as they can, share what is working in different communities/cities and apply that elsewhere, share info on groups working there whether major NGOs or small local teams or teams that have gone from US, UK etc.
lets not counter negativity with negativity, its may be the easy thing to do but lets aim for something higher
..and people, dont get disheartened by seeing idiotic comments on news stories, the type of people they are coming from are bigots, focus on your friends and communities.
idiots will be idiots and last thing we need to be doing is giving up due to such morons. lets do what we can.
Yeah comparing the Purchasing power for 60% of a population who live under a dollar a day, are severely affected by the floods with the community in the US is a really fair assessment Ironic you mention a pissing contest when the majority of you regularly right off the Pakistani community as not doing enough.
Also my statement stands. The benefit of having friends in NGOs working in Pakistan for the flood. Donations have been slim in the US and UK. And this just not for the non-Pakistani community.
Lastly as the comments you see on these websites, the lack of support from the West is merely another indication that they do not consider Muslims worth anything.
Yes the aid has been slow but it is not new. The Kashmir Earthquake out of the 800 million dollars received 600 million was from Muslim countries. The EU and US provided nothing. Cuba sent the medical doctors. Turkey the tents. Yes there has been a slow response only because our government has been very slow to ask for it.
Blame our government. Blame donor fatigue. But don't *ing blame the Pakistani people when they are doing so much *ing more than you lot sitting in the West.
REALLY!!! Are you sure? Nothing ... no millions in aid, relief supplies, doctors emergency personal.....nothing.
On a normal day most Pakistani bash the hell out of west but I agree at the time of devistation like that these things do not matter. Everyone , be it USA or other countries...be it you and me can do much more. But after getting help one should atleast aknowledge it.
Ireland has provided some tents and other aid to Pakistan as well. Northern Ireland has provided 250,000 pounds... People around the world have realised what a major disaster this is and they are beginning to help.
There is a time and place for everything, and I think this is not the time and place to argue about these things, let people do the best they can then get into who does what and how much.
as far as comparison, you may have missed that I noted both financial and direct personal help, someone being there in a position to help can do much more directly than someone oceans away.
as far as comments on the websites, they are just as representative of people as mobs in Pakistan are representative of people there.
Donations have been slow to start, there is a difference between now and the earthquake in what I see expats doing, and what I see locals doing, I am not sure of the reason. economy may be one, concern about corruption could be other, because it would make no sense why people who gave for earthquake relief are not giving as much now.
as far as lack of support, what are the top 10 countries in terms of amounts pledged?
Ironic you mention a pissing contest when the majority of you regularly right off the Pakistani community as not doing enough.