Adil Najam
Just over a week ago, I had written: "The pictures coming out of Islamabad are not good. Not good at all." Since then, they have only gotten worse.
The city that I spent so many of my formative years in is under siege from within. But more than that the capital of the country is under assault from self-righteous zealots who not only believe that they and only they can determine who is right and who is not but are bent to enforce their will on others.
And a military government that has otherwise not been shy of using force but whose legitimacy has been shattered by its recent misuse of force, sits on the sideline like a tamashai. Either the cynics are right in believing that it prefers the distraction, or it has actually realized that the fabric of society is now so torn and divided that mistimed action could wreck inimaginable – and uncontainable – havoc… not only on the government’s longevity but on the nation’s survival.
Following the kidnapping of an alleged ‘brothel’ by the women students of Jamia Hafsa – who still hold a children’s library hostage – the leaders have not only declared victory but have upped the ante by announcing the establishment of a ‘Shariat Court’ of their own and, according to Dawn, "vowed to enforce Islamic laws in the federal capital and threatened to unleash a wave of suicide bombers if the government took any action to counter it." The report in Dawn goes on to say:
“Our youth will commit suicide attacks, if the government impedes the enforcement of the Sharia and attacks Lal Masjid and its sister seminaries," Maulana Abdul Aziz, the in-charge of the mosque said in his Friday sermon. The fresh suicide bombing threat is stated to be the strongest given so far by the hard-line clerics of the Lal Masjid, intensifying fear among Islamabad residents.
President Gen Pervez Musharraf had recently stated that he knew that the Lal Masjid’s management wilfully harboured suicide bombers. He said that the suicide bomber who had attacked Islamabad’s Marriott Hotel in January 2007, had been seen near the mosque the same day.
Maulana Abdul Aziz announced the setting up of a Qazi court in his sermon that also marked the opening of a three-day Nifaz Sharia-o-Azmat Jihad Conference. A large number of supporters had reached the mosque. The government did nothing to stop the groups of people coming from different cities and nearby areas throughout the day to participate in the conference.
Religious activists, some of whom were wearing masks, also staged a demonstration before the Friday prayers. Burqa-clad girl students of Madressah Hafsa kept a vigil atop the seminary’s roof. The activists were chanting "Al Jihad, Al Jihad". Armed with sticks, a group of religious activists set on fire thousands of video and audio cassettes and computer compact discs, "given up" voluntarily by a shopowner who, according to them, had announced to abandon "this business".
Maulana Aziz reminded the shopkeepers that they had been given a 30-day deadline to close down their "evil" businesses and switch over to some other "decent" venture and said students of the seminary would punish the shopkeepers who did not do so. He asked traders to financially "support" the owners of video and CDs shops to enableg them to switch over to some other business. Maulana Aziz urged the authorities and the people concerned to stop dealing in video CDs, putting up billboards with womens photographs, selling liquor and running "brothels" and drug dens in Islamabad.
MARRIAGE PROPOSAL: Maulana Aziz said that a "special centre" had been set up in Madressah Hafsa titled "Taibaat Abidaat Centre" to provide shelter to women who would voluntarily give up their "immoral activities". He said these women would be provided "security and protection" through "marriages". Maulana Aziz announced that he would marry any woman who repented and gave up her immoral life. “I am now 46 years old and am ready to marry a woman who is between 35 to 40 years of age. If she promises to live a life of piety, I promise that I will never refer about her past life," Maulana Aziz announced.
Maulana Aziz said that they would enforce Sharia in areas which had been under their influence. The management of the mosque informed the media that "Qazi court" would comprise 10 Muftis. However, it declined to disclose their name.
A source told Dawn that no renowned scholar had been made the judge of the "Qazi court" and it consisted of teachers of the Madressah Faridia, a seminary which was also being run by Lal Masjid.
QAZI COURT: Maulana Ghazi Abdul Rasheed, deputy in-charge of the mosque and a younger brother of Maulana Abdul Aziz, told reporters if Jirga and Panchayat system were not considered parallel judicial systems why was Qazi court being called a parallel system. “We will see whether people will come to the Qazi court or prefer going to courts of the state for seeking justice," he said.
Describing the functions of the "Qazi court", Maulana Ghazi said it would be mandatory for rival parties to submit an affidavit that they would accept the court’s decision. “They will have to obey the court’s verdicts," he replied when some reporters asked him what action would the administration of Lal Masjid take against ‘disobedient people’. He said they would launch a campaign to ‘persuade’ people to bring their disputes and social problems to the "Qazi court".
While most political forces in the country have condemned these announcements, the MMA finds itself in a particular fix on this one. According to the separate Dawn report:
"We have nothing to do with the issue," said deputy chief of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Liaquat Baloch when contacted by Dawn for comments on the action taken by some clerics and students of Lal Masjid and its affiliated Madressah Hafsa. Opposition Leader in the National Assembly and head of his own faction of the Jamiat-i-Ulema-Islam (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman refused to talk on the issue. His mobile phone was attended by a person named Abdul Sattar who said that the Maulana would not speak on the Madressah Hafsa issue. "If you want to talk on the Madressah Hafsa issue, the Maulana will not talk to you and he has said the same thing to several TV channels’ correspondents," he said.
Mr Liaquat Baloch said that the setting up of Qazi courts and enforcement of Sharia in a particular area was an "independent decision" of the Lal Masjid administration and a reaction to the government’s "foolish policy" of promoting obscenity by propagating Gen Musharraf’s so-called enlightened moderation. When asked if he condemned the decision of the Lal Masjid administration of setting up parallel courts, Mr Baloch said the MMA believed in the Constitution of Pakistan and was struggling for its enforcement. He said the government should avoid any action against Madressah Hafsa which might lead to bloodshed. He also advised the Lal Masjid administration to join the MMA’s larger struggle for the rule of constitution in the country.
Replying to a question on the presence of party MNA Mian Aslam in Lal Masjid on Friday, Mr Baloch said that he had been sent by the party after receiving a report that some Ulema were going to announce the stoning to death punishment for someone. The report, however, proved wrong when the Ulema told the MNA that they were planning to pelt the seized video CDs with stones.
Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) information secretary Ahsan Iqbal told Dawn that the Lal Masjid Ulema were only following Gen Musharraf’s doctrine that one could use the power of gun to impose a particular agenda on the society. "There is no difference between what Gen Musharraf is doing and what the Lal Masjid Ulema are doing," he said. He said the situation reflected the crisis of governance inflicted by the seven-year rule of Gen Musharraf. During the Musharraf era, he said, the nation had witnessed a rise in ethno-nationalist militancy and religious extremism.
It is true that this government – but also all the governments before it, going back to the government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, have varying responsibilities in getting the situation to this dire stage. It is also true that this action by the Lal Masjid leadership might help the government in the very short term – by providing a distraction from the Chief Justice fiasco and also by reminding many Pakistanis who had once supported Gen. Musharraf but no longer do why they had done so in the first place.
But in the final analysis the drama that is playing out in Islamabad today is much bigger than this government or its health. This is about what Pakistan is and what it is going to be. To confuse what is happening in Islamabad today with the mere machinations of a few clerics or the survival tactics of government types is not only to miss the point, it could very well mean missing the boat on something that will influence the future of both the state and of society.
Can we consider something like this;
Turkey in radical revision of Islamic texts
‘Reformation’
Commentators say the very theology of Islam is being reinterpreted in order to effect a radical renewal of the religion.
Its supporters say the spirit of logic and reason inherent in Islam at its foundation 1,400 years ago are being rediscovered. Some believe it could represent the beginning of a reformation in the religion.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7264903.stm
It was a right step to root out immorality form the society to marry and provite shelter to the women who committed sexual immorality. Now in this modern age who can marry? Movi Aziz is apprecited that he had taken such a step to romove immorality from the society.
This is end of a country or a state when there is a situation like this.Mushrf only want to follow the American ordered as he did.He is only acting likke a pupit. He didnot have his own opinon about that matter.Now he have tochange his behaviour his tone for their existance
Who is the Biggest Qabza group of Pakistan;
PAKISTAN ARMY
For all those who live in Karachi, this is no news. In the last 15 years, we have all seen how various Station Commanders, Malir Cantonment encroached additional land in order to expand the Cantonment boundaries and subsequently put the lots up on sale for Army personnel on simple typed Station HQ letter heads giving them 99 years ownership rights.
The modus operandi of this “operation silent” has been simple and same has happened in several other cities of Pakistan. I know about Karachi as I live there and have seen how this takes place. In the middle of the night, have the jawans to put up a post 200 yards into state land and once that was done, demolish the original post/gate (entrance to Malir Cantt). Over the years I have personally seen this happen so many times that it literally became a joke in the area. I once spoke to the D.C Malir (whom I knew) and he was extremely candid stating that there was nothing he or his predecessors could do about it.
Today Malir Cantt has a qabza over 1000′s of additional acreage on all four sides;
Towards Drig Road, they have extended at least two furlongs in, almost touching the Airport Colony (In fact, you can say that they have houses inside Airport Colony now).
On the Super Highway side, they extended at least one mile and I have seen the gate demolished and new one built on state land at least 7 times over the period (I used that entrance weekly from my small piece of agriculture land next to super highway as a passage to DHA rather than use Sohrab Goth).
On the race course side towards Gulshan Iqbal, same thing and today the Cantonment is almost next to race course grounds. This was prime land and in mid 80′s after the qabza, it was alloted to all officers (retd and serving) who wore red stripes. I know two Brigediers who were lucky to get those and still reside there (Good men but they do not know better and have many reasons to justify their conscious about it)
The fourth boundary which got extended was all into agricultural lands (99% owned by moquami Sindhis). These were barani agriculture lands on 30 years lease and some were coming in their families since the British times. every 30 years the family would extend their lease by paying a fee for next 30 years and generations had lived by growing agriculture produce. they made their money mostly during and after rainy season as the lands had no water and they did not have enough resources to tap into the natural water underground reservoirs.
These people were pushed out one after the other and same lands were alloted to Majors, Colonels, brig’s and generals, again on Station HQ letterheads. The Army junta brought in their equipment on cheap rentals from military supplies and drilled tube wells. Today most of these farms are being used as resorts for Karachi residents at the rate of $7000 a day on weekends and people are paying as that is the only safe place where families could go with piece of mind (security provided by cantt).
Now what happened to the poor Sindhi who toiled that land for ever. They were evicted and their are still 1000′s of applications with DC Malir, Muktharkar, Tappadar from these people with no relief nor will they ever get one.
I can give you several facts about D.H.A extension Lahore and how land was grabbed from the miserable poor people by the hand handedness of the present Corps commander, Lahore, but we all know that. Those who choose to ignore it or avoid talking about it TODAY is because they support Mush and will choose to stay silent, others are those who are part of this qabza group with strong connections within the military and are reaping dividends. They did so yesterday and will again in future. Same people will cry wolf tomorrow when another General usurps power and everyone who is silent today will wake up to reality they had already known. Same mental phenomenon, where they see Lal masjid ammunition and scream bloody murder but looked aside on March 12th when Karachi was blazing with gun fire! Did anyone see that or was everyone watching CNN or Fox TV that day?
AS FOR LAL MASJID, THE MAULVI’S WERE REAL BAD PEOPLE. HOW DARE THEY DO QABZA ON A SINGLE PROPERTY OWNED BY CDA. THAT IS SO NOT RIGHT!
BUT ALAS, WE THE PEOPLE OF PAKISTAN ARE STUPID AND EASILY EXPLOITED AND DECEIVED. YOU CAN SEE IT ON THIS FORUM..
Eric Margolis put it nicely, “Musharraf, seems prepared to see his nation destroyed rather than lose his grip on power.”
General Beg brought good points. Sadly, Mush does not care about the future of the country, he only cares about extending his rule at the expense of the country.
http://www.ericmargolis.com/archives/2007/05/time_to_save_pa.php
KAWA1,
Good post! Keep it up!
From another perspective, army has encroached on civilian institutions including that of presidency. If Lal masjid mullas committed a sin by taking over land near a nallah, how about the army that has encroached on every inch of the bloody civilians’ domain.
It was worth listening to General (R) Aslam Baig about the current military action in Waziristan on Dr Shahid show. He said that these were battle hardened people who have never lost a battle nor ever given up. The British Empire tried and failed, the Russians tried for 11 years and ultimately lost, U.S and NATO are frustrated and ultimately will walk away.
Our stupid commando turned President does not realize that he has involved the Pak Army jawans in this mad expedition to conquer the unconquerable and make them our enemies for ever – long after the white man has left the area, we will face these warriors who have the capability to strike deep inside Pakistan. The current funding $$$$ will vaporize as happened after the Afghan War. I wonder where the money will come for Armed Forces when the West pulls the plug.
I hope that Musharraf realizes that the time has come for him to walk away. The senate Chairman should take over as an interim President, hold free elections in the country and let genuine political leadership hold negotiations with the tribal leaders and negotiate with the West.
If he looses this opportunity, we are heading to a total disaster and we will face the consequences for years and years to come. What we see now is just the tip of the ice burg!!
Difference Between Mullah Militancy and MQM Militancy?
And Why The Use of Force on One While Justifying The Other?
Imran Khan along with millions of Pakistanis are trying to find an answer to this dilemma. Unfortunately this question is not being raised by Pakistani media or other forums for scare of reprisal by this fascist party, MQM. The history of this party is known to all and is responsible for hundreds of assassinations on the orders of it’s leader Altaf Hussain.
Today we face a greater question, when we find the military dictator (who unfortunately is the President of our country) supporting this terrorism and using this party for slaughtering innocent people in order to ensure his own survival.
In the Lal masjid’s case, not a single bullet was fired by the Mullah’s to instigate a confrontation. Yes, they were armed but did not draw first blood.
In MQM’s case on March 12th in Karachi, on the orders of Altaf Hussain the party killers started indiscriminate firing on innocent people who were there to greet the Chief Justice in Karachi. The Law Enforcing Agencies stood-by and watched the slaughter and in fact allowed their own vehicles to the party sector in charges to move ammunition? The Corps Commander, Karachi played golf and Musharraf stated that we would fight power with power!
For all those who are so concerned about madrassa’s and Islamic militancy, it is hard to swallow how the very same people justify or keep mum on the March 12th massacre by MQM while condemning the mullah’s of Lal masjid for militancy and applauding the Army commando action???