Adil Najam
I must confess that after our recent posts on the vigilantism by folks at Jamia Hafsa and the Lal Masjid I had hoped not to write about this issue yet again so soon.
This is not because I shun controversy or duck issues. It is merely because discussions on this issue tend to be prone to slogan-mongering from those holding extreme positions on all sides, they tend to drown out the more serious and more thoughtful deliberations that are so needed, and they quickly turn into mud-slinging matches which take up too much of our time in cleaning up the mess made by those who routinely ignore or are incapable of understanding and following our comment policy. Having said all that, let me also say that it is intellectually dishonest to simply ignore events and trends that are tearing apart the fabric of society.
With that rather long preamble, what has really prompted this post are two things I saw in today’s Dawn. The first is a set of two ads on behalf of ‘The Citizens of Karachi’ (clicking on the images will take you to larger and more readable versions). The first starts off with:
“Are You Ready? Do you want danda bardar and klashnikov shariat?
IF NOT THEN… come to attend the rally in lage number and show your solidarity against the danda bardar and klashnikov shariat.”
I found these ads to be yet more evidence of a polarized society. More than that, I wonder who put these ads? Any clues, readers? I also wonder how many - and who - will show up on the 15th at this rally (starting 2:00PM near the Mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam)?
The second item appears on the back page of Dawn (and most other papers) and is much more disturbing. Here is the story in full:
Militants Beat up Dancers
LAKKI MARWAT, April 12: Clashes between militants and villagers in the Dhoda-Shah Hasankhel area on Thursday morning left two people injured. About a dozen people were taken hostage by the militants.
Sources said a group of Taliban militants had beaten up some transvestite dancers, shaved their heads and broken their musical instruments near Abdulkhel as they were going to the Dhoda village to perform at a wedding on Wednesday night.
Villagers decided to take revenge by raising a Lashkar against the Taliban, the sources said. Light and heavy weapons were used and the Taliban also fired rockets during the clash which lasted for several hours. The Taliban took 12 villagers hostage. Five of them were later freed while the others were in the custody of the Taliban till late evening, according to the administrator of a seminary, Hafiz Amanullah Khan.
A heavy contingent of police and Frontier Constabulary personnel reached the area. A ceasefire was brokered by some local ulema who held talks with village elders and the Taliban. The sources said the situation was tense and additional contingents of the FC had been summoned.
What is common between both stories is that the battle lines in a divided society are being drawn. The only possible good that could come out of this is for the mainstream of the country to recognize the difference between being ‘religious’ and ‘religious extremism.’ Maybe it will take such actions to remind people that we can be religious without being religious extremists; that faith should help flourish a culture of caring, not of violence.
Saif, if my answer was silly then question was more sillier.
Saif, you should have asked this question from Allama, Jinnah and others who did realize tht Muslims are not being able to lead life according to their religion. I would love to see the texts by Jinnah or Allama where they said that they needed a country so that they can promote dance culture. Do try to make some sense before making an argument. even a layman know the reason for the creation of Pakistan but not liberals who lives in fools paradise and believe that Pakistan was all created for “THEM”.
The battle is really on.
Saw this in Daily Times today:
“Students of a Madrassa near Kasur detained three Geo television employees on Friday when they were spotted filming the madrassa following complaints of two missing students. The detainees were later released at the intervention of police, Geo television reported. The channel reported that Shaharyar and cameraman Irfan were filming the Jamia Rahimia in Jhamabar for a story involving two missing girl students from the madrassa. Male students, seeing the reporter, came outside and snatched the camera from Rasheed. They forced the two and their driver into the madrassa and tortured them. The channel contacted police who obtained their release and directed the channel to obtain police protection before filming madrassas”
Readers are again requested to keep discussions on topic and maybe take their personal dialogue on unrelated issues to personal email communication. Thank you.
Assalamu Alaikum
I think what the students of Lal Masjid and Hafsa Jamia have done is really bad. It is also unislamic.
But I am very disappointed in this discussion. You are talking as if they are the real representative of Islam and what they do is right Islam. Those who are liberal are using this to make all religious people look bad. And those who are religious by defending them are also making all religious people look bad.
Let us all who are Muslims please unite and rally against these people in Lal Masjid but for Islam that is peaceful and tolerant.
Thank You.
mullah raj must be stopped in its tracks - whoever - WHOEVER - stands up to the mullah who now is infecting the capital - we need to stand with - up to these mullahs.
its clear cut to me - and probably most pakistanis - you have one side that doesn’t use religion to attack others and use as a tool to brainwash people and the other side which uses religion for all kinds of powercrazed and antistate antiislam stuff.
i don’t like the ppp or mqm or in fact any politicians or mullahs - but its in the NATIONAL INTEREST TO STAND UP TO THE MULLAHRAJ.
We need to have an across the board demonstration by citizens of Pakistan against this evil of mullahism - this is more of a threat to the existance let alone the progress of pakistan then anything else.
Pakistan was not created for the crazed mullah. It is time Pakistanis stood up shoulder to shoulder to be counted, only in numbers can we defeat this threat to the nation and its youth.
Lets join forces and Demonstrate against mullahism.
Pakistan Zindabad, Mullahraj Murdabad!
bay-chara Quaid i Azam, bewaqoofoun ki behas mein phir phas gaya. pashtata ho ga, mulk bana kar!
Dear Nazir
I am against all the ‘extremism’ Liberal or relegious.
Yes, u r right no one can support the sueside bomb attack on Masajid & Madressas or in public places where innocent people lost their lives, There is no link with Islam. W.R.T. Lal masjid & Jamia Hafsa, it is non issue, it is an effort to diver the public attention from CJ case & divide the nation. It is an effort to put Mush case in America to support him, it may be used as launching pad of BB. Qaari Hanif of Wafaqul Madaris clearly said that demand is correct but method is wrong. In the given link the same thing is expressed.
But, what NGOs want, they want to make another Golden temple in Islamabad. Can u support Asima with her slogan? if ur answer is yes, then keep in mind it can never be happened in Pakistan (Inshallah)
The definition of “Fasad” is just that any approcah other than Islamic perspective is Fasad fil arz
[quote comment="44215"]Sorry I missed the link
http://kashifhafeez.com/mazameen.php/quote
Abduallah, with all due respect can you even think for yourself instead of giving references to other sites all the time? I have answered your last link and also posed other questions and you haven to been able to answer any. While someone else may say you have run away I would very politely (purely out of respect for ATP) say you have avoided the questions. Once again..Which one is a bigger sin; a) naach gaan or b) mullah induced murder of the innocent such as those via suicide bombings? What about fasaad which is even bigger sin than murder? Do you ever condemn Mullahs for their wrong doings and much bigger crimes than naach gaana? If not what does that make you? Certainly not an honest person.