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Showing posts with label muslim countries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label muslim countries. Show all posts

Monday, April 7, 2014

Noah: The Legend of the Great Flood


Selama dua minggu terakhir ini saya membaca berbagai hiruk pikuk dan hingar bingar tentang film Noah karya sutradara Darren Aronofsky dan dibintangi oleh Russel Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, serta Anthony Hopkins. Banyak negara yang warganya mayoritas muslim telah melarang peredaran film ini, termasuk Indonesia. Alasannya adalah karena film ini tidak mencerminkan Nabi Nuh yang benar-benar merupakan manusia pilihan Tuhan, dan pandangan-pandangan dalam film akan memprovokasi umat Muslim dunia. Bahkan beberapa umat Kristiani dunia juga mengharamkan film ini karena dianggap tidak sesuai dengan Injil.

Tapi apakah umat Muslim dan Kristiani dunia memang semudah itu terprovokasi, hanya oleh sebuah film? Dari pandangan saya pribadi, keyakinan seseorang tak mudah goyah hanya karena menonton satu film. Dan rasa-rasanya di jaman internet sekarang, walau dilarang beredar di bioskop namun orang-orang tetap bisa mengunduh dan menontonnya secara pribadi di rumah. Kecuali memang untuk negara-negara yang melarang internet.

Beberapa tahun lalu saya pernah menulis kisah Noah/Nuh di blog ini, bersama dengan beberapa kisah Nabi lainnya dalam kaitannya dengan perjuangan manusia untuk mencapai derajat makhluk tertinggi. Berikut saya ulang lagi, khususnya untuk kisah Noah/Nuh dan legenda banjir besar.

Legenda banjir besar Noah/Nuh tak hanya dikenal di satu tempat saja. Legenda ini  juga tersebar luas dalam berbagai kebudayaan di dunia, misalnya di China, Indochina, India, Indonesia, Australia, Andaman Islands, New Zealand, Malaysia, Yunani, Jerman, Irlandia, Finlandia, Amerika (Aztec, Caddo, Hopi, Maya, Inca, Mapuche, Menominee, Mi’kmaq), Polynesia, dan lain-lain. Namun dari cerita dan legenda banjir yang ada di semua kebudayaan itu, tidak ada yang menonjolkan satu tokoh manusia tertentu seperti halnya dalam Injil atau Al-Qur’an.

Ternyata, ada sebuah tablet peninggalan Sumeria yang dibuat sekitar tahun 1700 SM dan menceritakan kisah seorang tokoh manusia bernama Ziusudra yang diberi informasi oleh salah satu dari tiga Dewa Sumeria yaitu Enki, bahwa akan terjadi banjir besar yang menenggelamkan seluruh Sumeria, dan Enki memerintahkannya untuk membuat kapal raksasa yang dapat mengangkut sebanyak-banyaknya orang. Dikisahkan bahwa Dewa Sumeria yang lain, Enlil, mengetahui bagaimana banjir tersebut akan terjadi, namun memilih untuk diam karena dia memang berniat untuk menghapus peradaban Sumeria berikut penduduknya. Dari tablet-tablet itu pula dikisahkan bahwa waktu itu di Sumeria sudah banyak kaum Nephilim, yaitu orang-orang hasil perkawinan antara kaum Annunaki dengan manusia keturunan Adam. Penganut Injil menyebutnya dengan istilah ’Fallen Angels’. Dan seperti yang disebut dalam Injil:

Gen 6:1-4: After the sons of God took human wives there were giants in the Earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became the mighty men which were of old, men of renown. The Nephilim were upon the Earth, in those days and thereafter too, when the sons of the gods cohabitated with the daughters of the Adam, and they bore children unto them.

Kaum Nephilim ini berukuran raksasa, dan bersifat memberontak terhadap Enlil. Menyadari bahwa kaum Nephilim adalah suatu kesalahan yang membahayakan Annunaki, Enlil sengaja mendiamkan ketika akan terjadi banjir besar, dengan harapan semua Nephilim tersebut akan mati bersama dengan seluruh manusia yang telah diberikan pengetahuan oleh Enki. Enki sendiri sependapat dengan Enlil mengenai kaum Nephilim itu, namun ia tidak setuju apabila manusia juga ikut dimusnahkan. Oleh karena itulah ia memberitahu salah satu manusia yang bernama Ziusudra tadi supaya membuat kapal raksasa. Akhirnya banjir besar pun terjadi dan peradaban Sumeria beserta kaum Nephilim musnah, kecuali Ziusudra dan pengikutnya. Apakah Ziusudra adalah Nabi Nuh atau Noah? Inilah yang belum terpecahkan, tapi yang jelas tablet Sumeria itu dibuat jauh sebelum munculnya Kitab Injil ataupun Al-Qur’an.

Berbicara tentang kaum Nephilim, Goliath (dalam Injil) atau Jalut (dalam Al-Qur’an) yang dilawan oleh Nabi Daud/King David adalah salah satu keturunan Nephilim yang tersisa. Legenda Titans, Hercules, Perseus, Achilles, dan Theseus dari Yunani juga merupakan manifestasi dari kaum Nephilim. Hanuman, dan Garuda dari India juga dimitoskan sebagai setengah ’Dewa’. Tapi di sisi lain, legenda kaum Nephilim memunculkan beberapa anggapan keliru yang menyebutkan bahwa manusia pada waktu itu semua berukuran raksasa.

Sampai dengan abad ke-20, para sejarawan dan agamawan dunia (terutama penganut Injil) bertanya-tanya mengenai kaum Nephilim ini. Sebab di Injil sendiri tidak ada penjelasan detil mengenai apa dan siapa kaum Nephilim, bagaimana mereka dapat ‘jatuh’ ke Bumi dan berapa lama mereka ada di Bumi. Hanya ada beberapa ayat yang menerangkan bahwa Nephilim adalah raksasa dan sebagai hasil perkawinan antara ‘anak-anak Tuhan’ dan manusia.

Sumber yang mengisahkan penyebab banjir besar itu juga tidak ditemukan. Ada pihak yang berspekulasi bahwa pada saat itu adalah akhir dari zaman es, sehingga es yang mencair menimbulkan banjir besar. Tapi ada juga yang berspekulasi bahwa di saat itulah Planet Nibiru melintas mendekati matahari, sehingga menimbulkan pole shift atau pergeseran kutub dan bencana lainnya. Kutub yang bergeser tersebut tentu saja mencair dan memunculkan banjir besar tadi.

Sampai suatu ketika di tahun 1773, seorang penjelajah dari Skotlandia bernama James Bruce menemukan gulungan teks kuno di suatu tempat yang kini disebut Ethiopia.

Belakangan, 11 gulungan teks yang berbahasa Aramaic kuno itu disebut dengan The Book of Enoch, berupa catatan atau kodifikasi bersejarah dari Enoch, kakek buyut dari Noah atau Nabi Nuh (ayah dari Methuselah yang diperankan oleh Anthony Hopkins di film Noah). Dibuat berabad-abad sebelum munculnya Injil, konon Nabi Isa atau Yesus pun mengakui adanya buku ini.

Book of Enoch terdiri dari 108 bab, berisikan tentang era kehidupan Enoch, kakek buyut dari Noah/Nuh, generasi ke-7 dari Adam. Sebelum diketemukannya teks ini, hanya sedikit referensi sejarah yang menyinggung keberadaan Enoch. Teks yang ditemukan ini masih dikategorikan tertutup untuk umum, tapi keberadaannya diakui oleh pihak gereja. Dalam istilah keagamaan, buku ini adalah apocryphal (hanya ditujukan untuk orang-orang yang memiliki wisdom) dan pseudepigraphical (dibuat sendiri oleh tokoh di Kitab Suci). Apa isi Book of Enoch ini sehingga pihak gereja terkesan enggan untuk menyebarkannya ke publik, malah ada beberapa yang justru menentangnya karena dianggap penghujatan terhadap agama?

Akan menjadi terlalu berkepanjangan untuk mengupas seluruh 108 bab dalam Book of Enoch, tapi yang kita bahas hanya overview atau ringkasannya saja. Dikisahkan pada jaman Enoch, muncullah kaum The Watchers atau sons of heaven yang dianggap sebagai fallen angels di Gunung Armon/Hermon. Jumlah mereka sebanyak 200, dan dipimpin oleh Samyaza (dengan jajaran pimpinan: Urakabarameel, Akibeel, Tamiel, Ramuel, Danel, Azkeel, Saraknyal, Asael, Armers, Batraal, Anane, Zavebe, Samsaveel, Ertael, Turel, Yomyael, dan Arazyal). Para pendatang dari langit ini ternyata dipenuhi hawa nafsu, sehingga masing-masing mengambil manusia perempuan untuk dihamili. Tak hanya itu, mereka juga mengajarkan manusia ilmu sihir, mantera, dan meminum darah hewan. Lebih jauh lagi, salah satu fallen angel bernama Ramuel atau Azazyel mengajarkan manusia untuk membuat senjata dan berbagai perhiasan, sehingga manusia menjadi terpecah belah. Sementara dari perempuan-perempuan yang dihamili itu, lahirlah generasi raksasa (dalam Injil: Nephilim). Di samping itu, perilaku tak senonoh juga semakin merajalela di masyarakat yang tadinya tenteram dan damai. Kaum raksasa yang dilahirkan pun akhirnya memberontak terhadap manusia sendiri, sehingga manusia memohon bantuan Tuhannya.

Akhirnya Tuhan mengutus 4 malaikatnya: Michael, Uriel, Raphael, dan Gabriel untuk menangkap kaum ‘malaikat pemberontak’ itu dan memusnahkan kaum Nephilim. Namun sebelumnya Uriel diutusnya untuk memberitahu anak dari Lamech (a.k.a. Noah/Nuh) untuk melindungi diri dari bencana banjir besar yang akan terjadi. Mengapa Noah yang diberitahu, karena Noah adalah salah satu ‘anak Tuhan yang sempurna’. Kemudian 4 malaikat utusan Tuhan itupun berperang dengan Samyaza dan 200 pasukan The Watchers, hingga banjir besar melanda Bumi dan memusnahkan seluruh permukaannya, tentunya kecuali Noah/Nuh dan seisi kapalnya.

Kesan ketika membaca The Book of Enoch adalah bagaikan menonton film Star Wars. Apalagi kisah di atas hanya separuh dari isi keseluruhan buku itu. Separuhnya lagi merupakan deskripsi rinci dari pergerakan benda-benda langit seperti matahari, bulan, bumi serta tata surya yang kemudian membentuk kalender surya yang akurat. Menurut tulisan di buku ini, pengetahuan tersebut diperoleh Enoch ketika dia ‘berjalan bersama Tuhan di langit’. Menarik bukan?

Jadi apabila dikaitkan dengan ‘Dewa-Dewa’ Sumeria yaitu Annunaki, kesimpulan sementara adalah sebagai berikut: Annunaki sudah hidup di Bumi selama ratusan ribu tahun dan dianggap sebagai “Dewa/Tuhan” oleh manusia. Selama 7 generasi sejak Adam hingga Enoch, manusia yang telah dibukakan akses ke Pohon Pengetahuan oleh Enki telah mengalami hidup yang tenteram, makmur, damai, tanpa ada peperangan apapun. Perlu diingat, waktu itu satu generasi manusia dapat mencapai rentang waktu ratusan tahun.

Suatu ketika, di Gunung Hermon mendaratlah ras makhluk asing kedua yang disebut oleh Enoch dengan “The Watchers”. Seperti halnya Annunaki, manusia juga menganggap mereka ‘Dewa’ yang datang dari langit. Namun berbeda dengan Annunaki, ras ini lebih buas dan mempunyai kegemaran berperang. Dengan pasukan sebanyak 200, mereka pun membabi buta masuk ke masyarakat manusia dan memperkenalkan ilmu pengetahuan baru yang memicu satu hal yang masih ada pada manusia hingga saat ini: hawa nafsu. Manusia pun terprovokasi dan semakin menikmati apa yang diajarkan oleh kaum The Watchers. Sampai akhirnya, Nephilim sebagai hasil dari perkawinan antar makhluk itupun merajai dunia dan menguasai manusia. Disinilah kemudian posisi Annunaki terancam, karena proses penambangan mineralnya di Bumi menjadi terbengkalai, padahal di saat yang sama mereka juga mengetahui bahwa dalam waktu dekat akan muncul banjir besar. Mungkin saja, beberapa hasil tambang terakhir belum sempat dimasukkan ke dalam cargo mereka, karena manusia yang seharusnya mengerjakannya ‘disibukkan’ oleh The Watchers.

Untuk menyelamatkan kepentingan mereka itu, kemudian Annunaki memutuskan untuk menyerang The Watchers dan kedua ras makhluk asing itu pun berperang. Sementara itu, seperti tertulis di bagian pertama, Enki menyuruh Ziusudra/Noah/Nuh untuk membuat kapal, mengantisipasi banjir besar.

Posisi Enki pun menjadi terpojok, karena dia yang menginisiasi pertama kali supaya manusia mendapatkan akses ke Pohon Pengetahuan. Hal inilah yang kemudian diputarbalikkan oleh Enlil dan pengikutnya, jadi seolah kerusakan manusia adalah dampak dari akses tersebut. Enlil juga menyebut Enki sebagai sumber dari segala pengaruh buruk terhadap manusia. Perlu diketahui, nama lain dari Enki adalah Teth, Set, Tat, Sat, dan akhirnya kita semua memanggilnya: SATAN.

Ketika Annunaki menemukan bahwa manusia dapat menyelamatkan diri dari banjir tersebut, mereka memutuskan untuk meninggalkan Bumi dan membiarkan manusia membuat peradabannya sendiri hingga kini.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Divide and Conquer

The paranoia is in bloom, the PR transmissions will resume
They'll try to push drugs keep us all dumbed down
and hope that we will never see the truth around
(So come on!)

Another promise, another scene,
Another package not to keep us trapped in greed
With all the green belts wrapped around our minds
And endless red tape to keep the truth confined
(So come on!)


They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious

Interchanging mind control
Come let the revolution take its toll
If you could flick the switch and open your third eye,
You'd see that we should never be afraid to die
(So come on!)


Rise up and take the power back, it's time that
The fat cats had a heart attack, you know that
Their time is coming to an end
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend

They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious

("Uprising" by Matt Bellamy - MUSE)



http://english.pravda.ru/world/asia/15-01-2008/103426-benazir_bhutto_osama-0/

Benazir Bhutto named Osama bin Laden’s killer before her death

15.01.2008

Benazir Bhutto, who was killed in a suicide attack at the end of 2007 stated in November that the Osama bin Laden, the head of the international terrorist network al-Qaida, had been killed. Bhutto claimed that she even knew the man who had killed the prime suspect of 9/11 terrorist attacks in the USA. According to Bhutto’s words, Bin Laden was killed by Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh – one of those convicted of kidnapping and killing U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl.

Bhutto released that statement on November 2, 2007 in an interview with Al-Jazeera TV channel. Bhutto spoke in English in the program titled Frost Over the World. However, no one paid any attention to her words. Speaking about the enemies, who did not wish to see her back in Pakistan, she said: “Omar Sheikh is the man who murdered Osama bin Laden.”

The video of Bhutto’s interview to Al-Jazeera can be found on YouTube (click to watch the video). The assassinated Pakistani prime minister says the words about Bin Laden’s killer during the second minute of the interview. She stays absolutely calm when she pronounces the names. More than 600,000 people have already viewed the video.

Correspondent David Frost, who interviewed Bhutto, did not even care to ask more questions about the sensational statement. Frost, who is believed to be an experienced journalist, did not even ask Bhutto when Bin Laden was killed.

Benazir Bhutto’s interview to Al-Jazeera received very little attention from the media. There was practically no newspaper in the world who published the news on its front page, although tens of thousands of people discussed the news for two months. It just so happens that even Al-Jazeera messed it up.

There was no official who commented on the information. Not a word was said from the CIA and the FBI. They did not even lift a finger to reject it. Absolute silence. But the U.S. administration promised a reward of 25 million dollars for Bin Laden’s body, dead or alive.

Benazir Bhutto is now dead. She cannot say anything about her sources of information.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/04/osama-bin-laden-pictures_n_857568.html

Osama Bin Laden Pictures Will Not Be Released, Obama Decides

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will not release photos of Osama bin Laden’s dead body as proof that he was killed, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said in a Wednesday briefing.

Carney read from a transcript of a presidential interview with CBS' “60 Minutes” set to air Sunday. In the interview, Obama says he discussed the issue with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and intelligence teams and they all agreed it was best not to release the images.

"It is important to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence or as a propaganda tool," the president said in the interview.

“We don’t need to spike the football and I think that given the graphic nature of these photos, it would create some national security risk,” he said. "We don't trot out this stuff as trophies."

Obama said there is “certainly” no doubt among al Qaeda members that bin Laden is dead so “we don’t think a photograph in and of itself is going to make any difference.”

“The fact of the matter is, you will not see bin Laden walking on this earth again,” he added

Top U.S. intelligence officials have been increasingly divided over the benefits of releasing photos as proof that the al Qaeda leader was killed Sunday during a U.S. raid on his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

House Intelligence Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) announced Wednesday that he opposed the photos' release because the action could complicate matters for U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The risks of release outweigh the benefits," Rogers said in a statement. "Conspiracy theorists around the world will just claim the photos are doctored anyway.”

He questioned how Americans would react if al Qaeda killed a top U.S. military leader and released photos of the body on the Internet. “Osama bin Laden is not a trophy,” he said. “He is dead and let’s now focus on continuing the fight until Al Qaida has been eliminated.”

Senate Intelligence Chair Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has also said that she sees no need to release photos since other evidence has already proven that bin Laden is dead.

"The DNA has been dispositive,” she said.

But Senate Homeland Security Chairman Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and the panel’s top Republican, Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), said during a Monday press briefing that it “may be necessary” to release photos to prove to the public once and for all that bin Laden is dead.

“My own instinct is it’s necessary to release those pictures,” Lieberman said, “but I will respect whatever decision the president makes.”

In stark contrast to Obama's final decision, CIA Director Leon Panetta declared Tuesday during an interview on "NBC Nightly News" that there was never “any question that ultimately a photograph would be presented to the public.”

“The bottom line is, you know, we got bin Laden and I think we have to reveal to the rest of the world that we were able to get him and kill him,” Panetta said.

Carney declined to weigh in on Panetta's comments, saying only that the president made his decision Wednesday morning.

At the Wednesday briefing, Carney also insisted that the manner in which bin Laden was killed was carried out lawfully. The fact that bin Laden wasn’t armed when he was killed has raised questions about whether U.S. military operatives had any intention of capturing him alive -- which intelligence officials have said was an option.

The team of Navy SEALs had the authority to kill bin Laden if their safety was at risk, Carney said, and the raid was conducted in a manner fully consistent with the laws of war. “There is simply no question that this mission was lawful…. We acted in the nation’s self-defense,” he said.

Carney wouldn’t give any details about whether others on the compound were firing at them or how bin Laden resisted arrest.

“We’ve gotten to the point where we cannot cross lines” by giving more details on the operation, he said. “We’ve revealed a lot of information and been as forthcoming with facts we can be. ... We’ve gone to the limit of our ability to do that and still maintain some of the things we need to maintain and be kept secret."

Carney also left open the possibility that enhanced interrogation techniques may have been used to compel al Qaeda operatives to give information about bin Laden’s whereabouts.

"I can’t categorically rule out" that such techniques may have been used at some point in the process of tracking down bin Laden, he said.

This article has been updated to include the press secretary's comments about President Obama's "60 Minutes" interview.


Thursday, July 9, 2009

Kazakhstan: The Unlikely Contender



After watching “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan”, I started to wonder if it’s true that Kazakhstan is all about shooting bears, backward and insignificant.

Maybe some people would say, “So what???”

Pretty surprising for me, it turns out that this unlikely contender sitting on the border between the European and Asian continents is indeed important in many ways, some mundane and some quite extraordinary as I will show below.

First, some basic background Info:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kz.html

“…Kazakhstan's economy is larger than those of all the other Central Asian states combined, largely due to the country's vast natural resources and a recent history of political stability.”

“…extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from the plains in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia.”

“…border countries: China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,224 km, Russia 6,846 km, Turkmenistan 379 km, Uzbekistan 2,203 km”

“…major deposits of petroleum…”

“…Kazakhstan, the largest of the former Soviet republics in territory, excluding Russia, possesses enormous fossil fuel reserves and plentiful supplies of other minerals and metals. “

“…Major deposits of natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium”

“…republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch…”

“…religion: Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%”

“…legal system: based on Islamic law and Roman law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction”


But still, is this really important, or is it just a conspiracy geezer reading too much between the lines?

This is taken from http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/6639732.html

“…China and Kazakhstan on Friday issued a joint statement, agreeing to further deepen their strategic partnership. Both sides reiterate that further deepening of this partnership is the priority of their foreign policies. The two countries will maintain and enhance high-level political dialogues, intensify cooperation in the fields of culture, economy and trade, energy, communications as well as science and technology. The statement said that Kazakhstan reiterates that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government of China. It opposes ‘Taiwan independence’ in any form.”

Well that seems clear and fine, though surely Kazakhstan is hitting a bit above its head on the Taiwan Issue? Going against the US and all.... well anyhow it seems the Chinese are keen to have very close ties indeed:

From the same site as above:

“…The joint statement was issued during Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev's state visit in China from April 15 to 19 at the invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao.”

That's weeks ago only.

And despite of the above, for some time the country also had “Strategic” partnerships with the other world players too.

http://www.huliq.com/12861/u-s-envoy-calls-kazakhstan-strategic-partner

“…U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said after meeting with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in Astana that the two countries are “strategic partners.”

Strategic partners with China and the US and also openly attacking a strong US supported ally Taiwan...hmmm it gets much more interesting.

http://www.huliq.com/27719/us-ngos-want-to-ban-kazakhstan-from-nuclear-technologies

“…Four non-governmental organizations in the United States have called on the Bush administration to ban Kazakhstan from nuclear technologies and from buying 10% in the Westinghouse nuclear power company from Japan's Toshiba.”

And yet, the sale went ahead!

Also from the same site as above:

“…The organizations' letter, which has been sent to a U.S. Treasury committee for foreign investment, also said Kazakhstan's nuclear facilities and materials were not protected, and added some people in the country were involved in illegal trade in nuclear materials.”

The country certainly seems to be given a big leash by China and the US, while basically they both want Kazakhstan as a best friend, even bending rules to achieve that. Especially when you consider the fact omitted from the CIA world fact book on its true leadership nature:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kz.html

“…Kazakhstan's scarce democratic principles continue to wither. In the past several years, the president has harassed the independent media, arrested opposition leaders, and passed a law making it virtually impossible for new political parties to form. In Dec. 2005, President Nazarbayev was reelected with 91% of the vote. In May 2007, Parliament voted to do away with term limits, thus allowing President Nazarbayev to remain in office indefinitely.”

How did the US react?

http://www.huliq.com/22451/u-s-says-kazakh-reforms-a-move-in-right-direction

“…The U.S. State Department says recent amendments to Kazakhstan's constitution, which include a change allowing the president to stay in office for life, represent on the whole a step in the right direction.”

So why do China and the US love this country so much when it goes against their main geopolitical goals elsewhere, as shown below, which following the Taiwan situation is very opposite in traditional world politics, and again very recent:

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssUtilitiesElectric/idUSLD84093020090513

“…Kazakhstan and South Korea signed $5 billion worth of long-term energy and technology agreements on Wednesday in a move allowing South Korea to increase its presence in the oil-rich Central Asian nation. The agreements, signed during the visit of President Lee Myung-bak to the former Soviet republic, include deals in power, technology and other sectors, a Kazakh official said.”

So they have been busily courted over the last few months... The main friends of China & South Korea, whilst enemies of Taiwan and strategic partners at the same time with the USA....hmmm anything else?

http://www.nytimes.com/marketing/iht/search/?iht

“…Dmitry Medvedev visited neighboring Kazakhstan Thursday on his first trip abroad as Russia's new president.”

http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/06/10/kazak-russian-relations/

“…Medvedev stated; “Astana did not become the first foreign capital that I have visited as president of Russia by chance. The main thing is that Russia values the genuinely friendly and mutually-advantageous relations with Kazakhstan, our strategic partner.” President Nazarbayev went even further, calling the two nation’s bilateral links tighter than those of any other two states on earth.”

Seems to be THE strategic partner of all the worlds powers then, and loved by them all no matter if it goes against their other allies openly... so how about relations with other very important geopolitical countries? What's been happening unnoticed by the world's media and average Joe?

From Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL):

“…Iran and Kazakhstan both possess huge oil reserves, so it was expected that Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad’s visit would focus on exports of Kazakh oil through Iran. But the most sensational energy news to emerge from the Iranian leader's visit concerned not oil, but nuclear power. At an April 6 press conference in Astana, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev restated his government’s position that Iran, “like any other nation in the world, has the right to peaceful nuclear energy."

Wow… weeks after signing deals in South Korea (which cannot happen without USA) and China, Kazakhstan gets a visit by the most despised person in Washington!

I know as I looked into this more, I became very confused about this little known, regarded and talked about country being so chased by all the world players, being in such a unique political situation with them, being so strategically important especially considering as said it is based on Islamic Law and has an almost totalitarian regime.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Iranian_Leader_Backs_Kazakh_Proposal_For_Nuclear_Fuel_Bank/1604048.html

“…Nazarbayev described ties between Kazakhstan and Iran as "growing day by day."

“…Last year, the two countries expanded their cooperation in oil exports, with talks on Kazakh investment in building new refineries in northern Iran to handle Kazakh oil.”

“…President Nazarbayev, while standing beside President Ahmadinejad at the press conference, praised U.S. President Barack Obama for his proposal on nuclear-weapons reduction.”

“…On April 7, the Kazakh parliament’s press service announced Nazarbayev had extended an invitation to Obama to visit Kazakhstan “at his earliest convenience.”

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/kazakhstan/

“…Kazakhstan found itself owner of one of the world's largest nuclear arsenals.”

“…The other major Soviet military facility on Kazakh soil is the Baikonur space launch facility, the home of the Soviet space exploration program and, until 1994, Russia's premier launch site for military and intelligence satellites. Kazakhstan and Russia debated ownership of the facility, while the facility itself suffered acute deterioration from the region's harsh climate and from uncontrolled pilfering. In 1994 Russia formally recognized Kazakhstan's ownership of the facility, although a twenty-year lease ratified in 1995 guaranteed Russia continued use of Baikonur.”

“…Chemical and biological weapons were produced in Aksu, and chemical weapons were manufactured in Pavlodar.”

http://newshopper.sulekha.com/news/china-far-ahead-but-kazakhstan-still-desires-india-alliance.htm

“…Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Nurian Yermekbayev told a visiting IANS correspondent: 'We are interested in India's partnership in information technology (IT), space research and oil exploration.”

“…For India, the most attractive oil domain outside the Persian Gulf is the Caspian Basin. Recognizing this, India is already trying to befriend the region and gain a foothold. “

“…But experts say India must do more to build meaningful relationships with countries such as Kazakhstan. Says strategic expert Sanat Kushkumbayev: 'It's time India looked towards east in its close neighbourhood rather than focusing only on the west.' “

MAIN QUESTION: What has Kazakhstan got that is so important that it seems to have the ear of all, and carte blanche behavior diplomatically?

The obvious is the huge oil and mineral reserves.... and maybe pre-Depression I would have put this down to that. But with the depression also comes the drop in demand and price for a very long time to come. Also to be considered is the fact that it sells to everyone anyhow: Iran, Russia, US (set it up in Kazakhstan’s visit in 2006), China and has new pipelines being built now to all these countries. This concludes that Kazakhstan does not seem picky who it sells the oil to.

So if this is not the reason, then what is really up?

Having brought this to your attention, I will say something from a bit of confidence: this unknown country may one day soon or a few years down the line be all over every newspaper and news broadcast in the world. And in a world changing way: the seeds are certainly there.

More References:

http://news.google.co.uk/archivesearch?q=kazakhstan%27s&scoring=t&hl=en&ned=uk&sa=N&sugg=d&as_ldate=2008&as_hdate=2008&lnav=dt

http://en.rian.ru/world/20070507/65054917.html

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V52-4KJ753J-2&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=44cadcda79e499ee4259a6c6550a5c2d

http://articles.latimes.com/2004/jun/20/news/adfg-space20

http://www.cacianalyst.org/?q=node/1798

http://eurasianet.org/resource/kazakhstan/hypermail/200705/0010.shtml