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.
SyedFM:
not everything titled “sharia” is sharia, especially “sharia” which is political, particularly that “sharia” which should be better tiled “backward tribal customs of this geographic region” - did you ever hear any “shariah” politician say anything about karo-kari or otherhonour killings ? - wake up - this kind of “sharia” is not what it seems - it is trying to dress up islam in barbaric clothing. beware of the mulla, zia ulhaq types, and anyone trying to bring “true” islam and true “shariat”.
اپنے کیے کا کوئی علاج
ایک بات سمجھ میں Ù†ÛÂ?یں آتی Ú©ÛÂ? میوزکà ˜Å’ یونیÙË⠀ رسٹی Ú©ÛŒ مخلوط نشستیÚ ºØŒ ØÂÂجامتØÅ ’ لڑکیوں Ú©ÛŒ تعلیم ØŒ رقص، ÙÂ?لم بینی وغیرÛÂ? ایوب خان، ÛŒØÂÂیٰی اور بھٹوکے زمانÛ†™ میں بھی ÛÂ?وتی تھیÛâ€? مساجد بھی آباد تھیںÛâ€? مذÛÂ?بی مدارس بھی بھرے ÛÂ?وئے تھےÛâ€?عà ™â€žÃ™â€¦Ã˜Â§Ã˜Â¡ بھی ÙÂ?عال تھےÛâ€? لیکناس وقت دھمکیÃ℠¢Ã‹â€ ں، ڈنڈوںà ˜Å’ توڑ Ù¾Ú¾ÙˆÚ‘ اور مارپیÃ⠄¢Ã‚¹ کا رØÂÂجانوبائی Ø´Ú©Ù„ میں کیوں Ù†ÛÂ?یں تھاÛâ€? کیا اس زمانÛ†™ Ú©Û’ علماء کمزور عقیدÛâ€℠¢ Ú©Û’ تھے یا آج مذÛÂ?ب Ú©Û’ نام پر جÛÂ?الت زیادÛÂ? ÙÂ?روغ پارÛÂ?ÛŒ ÛÂ?Û’Ûâ€?
BBC Urdu
i don’t understand this, why didn’t we rallied against the ghunda raaj back in 90’s , when u could only pray that the person going outside his home , would return safely and not in a bori.
why don’t we rally against the bhatta gatherers or mobile-snatchers ?
we oppose danda bardars shariat implementor but don’t say a word against T.T bearers.
why we are fearing from shariah in the country which is created in the name of Islam?
Its sad that we had some bitter examples of the shariah implementation around us, but can’t we worked that out??
I m not saying that you should join with them. there are two things regarding current shariah implementation ,their cause, and their implementations. you can object their implementaion but you shouldn’t object their cause (if its the implementation of shariah). Infact we should think about how we can contribute towards it.
jeaayyyy mqm!!
i fully support this cause n stand against lal masjid ghundas…… its not even a masjid…..
Since more and more actors and singers joining MQM rather educated people[docs,engrs etc] which was a past tradition. Salma Agha managing all things of today’s rally so it would be better to rename MQM as Meerasi Qaumi Movement.
Thankyou Altaf bhai,I hope in near future we will be able to see your live Thumkay from London.
Apart from this,many
ignorantreligious questions asked by Altaf bhai, I wonder why didn’t he contact his darling religion minister Dr Amir Liaquat Hussain to learn some basics about Islam. If calling from London to “AlimOnline” is “expensive” for him then he could order some of his immoral chaps like Waseem Akhter etc to make a call from Karachi and ask the questions on behalf of Altaf bhai that whether beared is in islam or whether music is haram etc etc.I am sure that respected guests of Amir Liaquat and Amir himself will help his leaders to getrid of some ignorance. Infact I emailed Amir liaqat to educate his ignorant quaid a bit about Islam who is rather becoming a reason of embarassment for Mojahir community.
It matters less to me who is doing this than what it is about. I am so glad that people are rising and say NO to mullah vigilantes and Taliban style tactics. I don’t like MQM but that does not take away from the purpose. The purpose is a good one.
Just like the JUI and MMA tried to highjack the CJ demonstrations by trying to ‘own’ the issue, the MQM is trying to do the same here. What they have both realized is that people are fed up with some things (Military in the CJ case and Mullahs in this Lal Masjid case), as politicians it is their job to try to capitalize on that. But ultimately just like no one really allowed JUI and MMA to own the CJ issue people will not allow MQM to own this issue. What is heartening is that people are saying NO to mullahs just liek they are saying NO to military.
It is ironic that Govt is prosecuting CJ but won’t go after prostitution and people selling adult movies to kids. I am happy to see someone trying to enforce these laws.
Here we go agian, lal masjid students implementing shariat by danda; http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/apr2007-daily/14-04-20 07/up45.gif