Hazaras to Form Defense Force in Pakistan

[AWP]

This won't end well at all if they are serious and could potentially spill over into Afghanistan.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/pakistans-hazaras-arms-over-attacks-061553272.html

http://news.yahoo.com/terrorized-ethnic-group-form-force-pakistan-064954081.html

Condemning the Pakistan government for doing little to protect them, the small ethnic group has vowed to set up their own defense force to deal with Sunni extremists they blame for the bombing and a series of other ferocious attacks that have killed nearly 400 ethnic Hazaras in the past 18 months, nearly half in the first two months of this year.

"Our community is only interested in education and business, but terrorists have forced us to take up whatever arms we have and take to the streets for our own security."

At the moment they operate as volunteers under the name, Syed-ul-Shohada Scouts, registered as part of the Baluchistan Scouts Association, an affiliate of the worldwide scouting movement.

 

[pardus]

Huh, I had no idea Hazaras were even in Pakistan.

 

[Marauder06]

This won't end well at all if they are serious and could potentially spill over into Afghanistan....

"The worldwide Scouting movement?" They named their organization after a spinoff of the Boy Scouts? That's interesting. I would have thought the name stemmed from Tochi Scouts or Frontier Scouts or something.

 

[AWP]

"The worldwide Scouting movement?" They named their organization after a spinoff of the Boy Scouts? That's interesting. I would have thought the name stemmed from Tochi Scouts or Frontier Scouts or something.

The fact that they are willing to openly band together and claim to protect themselves through violence if need be is significant to me. Like Pardus, I wasn't aware of a Hazara population in PKL, so I have to wonder if they are leftovers from the Soviet occupation. In recent times they occupied that swath from Bamian to Chaghcharan in the center of the country, but have always been like Forrest Gump on the school bus; "Seat's taken"and they've been squeezed out.

This is one of those things that could go away or it could grow...if it does the latter I think there will be issues.

 

[Viper1]

The fact that they are willing to openly band together and claim to protect themselves through violence if need be is significant to me. Like Pardus, I wasn't aware of a Hazara population in PKL, so I have to wonder if they are leftovers from the Soviet occupation. In recent times they occupied that swath from Bamian to Chaghcharan in the center of the country, but have always been like Forrest Gump on the school bus; "Seat's taken"and they've been squeezed out.

This is one of those things that could go away or it could grow...if it does the latter I think there will be issues.

I read Thomas Barfield's book on Afghanistan and I came to a similar conclusion. I theorize that it is why so many Hazarans are in the Afghan Security Forces. They have been beaten up and downtrodden throughout history even though they've played a major role in trying to re-establish the country at various times.

 

[Viper1]

http://www.amazon.com/Afghanistan-Cultural-Political-Princeton-Politics/dp/0691154414 The book on Amazon.com. Quite a worthy read for anyone coming over here.

 

[AWP]

Sigh....another book in the queue.

 

[SpitfireV]

I searched some Hazara birds a few years back, sounds like there's quite the presence in Quetta at least. Many moved there once the Taliban started their cleansing.

 

[moobob]

The Hazaras are some of the only people over there I usually like...

 

[AWP]

Ain't no conflict like the Sunni-Shi'a conflict, 'cause the Sunni-Shi'a conflict don't stop.

http://news.yahoo.com/bomb-attack-kills-25-karachi-pakistan-police-163626213.html

KARACHI (Reuters) - A suspected suicide bomber attacked Shi'ite Muslims as they were leaving a mosque in Pakistan's commercial capital on Sunday, killing at least 45 people, in another signal Sunni militants are escalating sectarian attacks.
"It was a powerful blast on a congested Shi'ite-dominated area," senior police official Shabir Ahmad Sheikh.
Senior city official Hashim Raza said at least 45 people had been killed and 149 wounded in the blast in Pakistan's biggest city.

 

[SpitfireV]

The Hazaras are some of the only people over there I usually like...

They're probably the biggest Afghani population here, being caught up to by Pashtuns I would say (the census is in a few days, it will be interesting to see the results). They're probably one of the few Middle Eastern/Central Asian groups that haven't given us a terrible amount of trouble, though some are a wee bit crooked.

 

[Marauder06]

The only Hazari I've ever met drove me around in a cab in downtown Sydney one night.

 

[AWP]

The only Hazari I've ever met drove me around in a cab in downtown Sydney one night.

I didn't know pardus lived in Sydney.

 

[SpitfireV]

Google image search for "Hazara taxi driver" brings out his true character.

 

[pardus]

Google image search for "Hazara taxi driver" brings out his true character.

LOL, do you see what's written on the garage door behind him? "STABIMATIC" I don't know what it is but I want one!

 

[SpitfireV]

LOL, do you see what's written on the garage door behind him? "STABIMATIC" I don't know what it is but I want one!

I hadn't noticed but that is the cheery on the icecream!

 

[AWP]

Fire and all-cotton man jammies? Check

Kicking your "horse"? Check

Motherfarking STABIMATIC? Awesome!

The two guys in the background need a thought/ speech bubble.

Major League Motorcycle Kicker.

That picture is gold. Great find!