India-Iran Ties

Re:#11 by Salim_Chauhan

Salim, your interact sums up the dismal state of affairs in Pakistan. Muslims in India, who some years ago were envious of their relatives in Pakistan are today happy with their choice of having stayed back in India and living in a democracy rather than being called ``refugees`` had they gone to Pakistan.

Strategic thinking in India is provided by some cool dudes, not all in Govt. service and inclusive of some of Islam`s most renowned scholars from the Deobandh stream.

I guess you know who I mean...........

Rest later.

Re: # 17

chennai,

It sounds like wishful thinking on your part but ground realities are quite different on both sides of the border. We drawing-room scholars can deduce our own conclusions but realty is there to stay for quite a long time. The abstraction in my comment is intentional :)

Thanks,

haideri

Just to clarify some factual and historical issues raised by a few - like haideri and faruk.

Shias form over 20% of India`s Muslims which is a large amount considering that in Pakistan they are only 15% and overall in the Muslim world too they form 15% of the total Muslim population.

Regarding the `historical ties` between India`s Shias and Iran please read up on the extremely close ties between the South Indian Sultanates - like Bahmani, Golconda and others -with the Persian empires. Many of these rulers were Shia and very often the Persian King intervened on their behalf with whoever was the North Indian Muslim ruler of the time, whether the Khaljis, Tughlaqs, Lodhis or the Mughals. Also the entire dynasty of Oudh (Awadh) was Shia and they had close ties with the Persian emperors. Remember whenever there was a decline in power of the main ruling dynasty or empire numerous small kingdoms came up and they all appealed to other rulers/empires to help them.