True
largely true. Even though Saudi government tried, it took a while before the major flow of money was “officially stopped”, unofficially however it has never stopped.
But no one is blaming Saudi government for “officially funding” extremism in Pak.
Then why some Pakistani jump up from their chair and start arguing in favor of Saudi government?
We all know that Saudi government’s “official” stance is now against the extremism due to many factors.
However we should also not forget that Saudi royal family is bitterly divided on the “extremist Islam” and “peaceful Islam”.
The royals are banning and attacking each other on mundane things like TV and movies and on much more complex level such as “interpretation of Sharia and Jihad”. Don’t you read newspapers about Saudi? We all know how an important prince just survived a suicide attack. That clearly shows that extremist factions of Saudi royals are ready to kill the other.
The point is that Saudi royal family (that ultimately is the Saudi government) and their security apparatus has turned into at least two main factions. One that is pro-extremism is the one that funds and protects Jihadis “inside” and “outside” Saudi.
Saudi King these days, is riding the two tigers. I hope and pray that Saudi King succeeds in continuous control of extremist tiger and not get “eaten” by it.
Oh and BTW Pakistan should be self confident enough to encourage the “peaceful-version of Islamic factions” from Saudi, and keep a strict watch on the “extremist” faction.
And I believe at the government level Pakistan has started, though much belatedly to watch and control the gulf-flow of “extremist charity” money to Pak. Although it is a daunting task in the face of deep involvement of the gulf in Pak finances, hawala scheme, and above all our “mental” subservience to the a typical Arab “charity” form Gulf in the name of our religion. The same mental subservience that springs up in defense of Saudis whenever we discuss the extremist finances flowing into Pak.