Adil Najam
UPDATE: Reports in the Pakistan media suggest that the Lal Masjid leader has finally been arrested while trying to escape wearing a burqa. According to a BBC update:
The leader of a radical mosque besieged by Pakistani security forces in Islamabad has been caught trying to escape wearing a woman’s burqa. Security forces seized Abdul Aziz as he tried to leave the Red Mosque amid a crowd of women… He was wearing a burqa that also covered his eyes,” a security official told the AFP news agency about the cleric’s escape bid. “Our men spotted his unusual demeanour. The rest of the girls looked like girls, but he was taller and had a pot belly.“
ORIGINAL POST: Things are moving fast and the showdown at Lal Masjid, Islamabad that began this morning is now ready to turn into an even more real battle. The day took the lives of at least 10 people, possibly more. These included policemen, soldiers, by-standers, a journalist, and a number of Madrassah students. (For details see our earlier post and update comments on it, here).
The latest – and this keeps changing by the minute – is that in a mid-night press conference the government has given an ultimatum to the management of the Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) to surrender. There is no indication that they will. In the past things have always ended with ‘negotiated settlements.’ This time the likelihood of this happening is much less. A curfew has been imposed in the area. Tanks have been called in. So have special forces.
Metroblog Islamabad is doing a wonderful job of keeping abreast with breaking news. It reports, through Dawn TV, that 111 Brigade (Army) from Rawalpindi has already assembled around the mosque. Ambulances have been fully stocked. Hospitals are on alert. An ultimatum for time has been given (3.30 PST… NOW!). The entire area has been cordoned off.
Here is a news clip from ARYOne, broadcast earlier.
In an article written last week for The News, I had argued that inaction was not a solution and because of so many delays and policies of apeasement some confrontation was now becoming inevitable.
This episode [i.e., the Chinese massage parlor case] will further embolden the already violence-prone brigands at the two madressahs and we are likely to see an escalation in their demands as well as their tactics. Meanwhile, the government has once again demonstrated an inability and/or unwillingness to act decisively. The much-cherished ‘writ of the state’ continues to rot in tatters.
This, it seems, is what happened when earlier the Lal Masjid management incited this escalation in response to the government’s build-up of force around the mosque. In that article, I had gone on to argue that:
Just like standing still in the middle of the road at the sight of the blinding lights of a truck speeding towards it does not save the life of the stunned deer, doing nothing about this escalating crisis out of fear that doing anything will only make things worse is not going to help the government, or Pakistan. Something needs to be done, and done fast.
I had called in the article for the government to “act to judiciously dismantle militancy at Lal Masjid.” This situation has to be responded to. But the key word remains “act judiciously.” What is really important is how that action is taken. Further bloodshed should be avoided. At least minimized. One hopes that any action is intelligent action and all steps are taken to minimize loss of life. Not just because one does not wish to create needless ‘martyrs.’ Much more so because all life – and everyone’s life – is precious.
The technologies to undertake low casualty offensives are available. The will and sagacity to do so is needed. The test for the government – acting with force in the very center of the Federal Capital – is not only what it does, but how it does it.
Photo credit: Associated Press, B.K. Bangash.
To those are getting into the debate of Sharia, I would like to say it’s not that simple and I don’t see a single muslim country where it has been applied in its entirety! Each mullah/sect has its version of Sahria! Some sects openly call for killing other muslims while there are those who declare others kaafirs. The simple fact is these MAULVIS are illitrate and extremely opportunists; they get their wages for causing FITNA from their respective countries, even from non-muslim powers. The Lal mosque saga is a very sad one for the future of Pakistan: one one hand it shows a bunch of unemployed, illiterate and underclass taliban-like people, taking orders from their exploiters and on the other hand we have seen the complicity of other so-called Ulamaa, who did not play their active role in stopping these criminals, thus becoming part of the problem.
It is therefore pointless to talk about sharia and religion because the masses are fed up with mullahs, their version of Islam and the religious hatred and murders they are causing, almost in all the muslim countries.
Dear Mb, since you are a newbie therefore I had suggested you that whatever points you raised were already discussed a lot but since you and me love each other alot, therefore I would like to explain once again[with permission of adil najam]
Those who called our leaders kafir-e-Azam & thrashed Iqbal & Sir Syed as English agents have hijacked this la
Someone would have said but you didn’t try to find out that Jinnah’s mUSLIM status was offended by leftist as liberals and secularists as well and declared them a person who is NOT aware of Islam.
The evil started the day someone proposed to add the word ISLAMic with republic of Pakistan.
May I enlighten you that one of the DEVIL was Mr.Jinnah as well who wanted to make this state an Islamic state? NO i was not told by some molvi,i am talking on basis of two speeches by Jinnah which were referred several time on this forum as well. ANd Mind you, those speeches are not OBSCURE like his 11th august speech which seculars used to declare Pakistan a secular state. Use SEARCH option to find those speeches on this forum.
This by logic gave the Muslims an upper hand & made the non-muslims 2nd class citizens.
In India, Hindus are considered 1st class citizen so in US, Ameircnas are 1st class citizens.
You are by default prejudiced if you think just because we are Muslims so Islam is something above other religions.
I don’t know in which context you used the term “prejudice” but as far as considering Islam “better” or above than other religion then it has reasons, one is human nature which asks one person to feel proud of something. Ask a Hindu, he would praise Hinduism first. The famous Indian drama director Ekta Kapoor’s all dramas are based on Hinduism and I respect that lady that she’s passionate to spread word of her lords by using her skills.Something which muslims should do as well. Similarly A jew would feel more proud on his religion than anything else. Second is Islamic point of view, meray bhai if you read Quran then Allah itself says that He selected Islam His favorite religion and He cancelled all previous shariah. Now whether ALlah was right or wrong, i leave it upto you but feeling proud for something doesn’t mean rejecting other religion. Anyone who know basics of Islam understands that Islam talks more than any religon on earth about minorities.
I told you once on one of KMB post that generalizing is not a good thing. Generlizing scholars is like generalizing that all pathans are “homos” which is very common perspective in Pakistani society. If you suggest that there should be NO ulema then I am afraid next day you would suggest that there should be no teacher in school or varsity. You need to learn importance of a mentor in a society. After parents,teachers are our mentors. In a religious environment, scholars are religious mentors. You have no idea what comes out in absence of relgious clergy. Just look at USA, despite of all technology and civilized advancements, they are helpless to stop the decline of moral values in their society. as far as Islam is compatible or not, it was also dicussed on a recent post that Quran ans science. If you talk about social values than it’s Islam which even appreciates and rewards if you remove a stone from road. At one side it gives sawab to the person while on other hand,this act saved many to fall due to the stone or any other obstacle on road. Zakat is the most solid and organized religious concept which doesnt exist in any other religion. so being mouth piece of others and saying something is not compatible is very childish.
Since when our Ulema preached dialogue, since when they invested billions into institutions like the Al-Azhar by 4th Fatimid Caliph or “The Academy
Operation lal masjid is a blockbuster success. I think Lollywood has just found it’s saviors, the iintelligence agencies.
My hat off to the 3 stooges Moe (Musharraf), burqa-clad mulla and Ghazi sahib on this brilliant episode.
http://free-pakistan.blogspot.com/2007/07/3-stooge s-and-lal-masjid-operation.html
For the diehard fans: this episode will climax either on the weekend when the APC convenses in London or late next week, when the SC verdict is announced.
shariat needs to come from within you and your understanding of islam, you must practice it over yourself before others.
unlike these mullahs who take little kids to be their slaves and servents and disciples – they want to become god – and we need to fight them – all of these mullahs, enough is enough – no more experiments on muslims in pakistan by illetrate mullahs
The last many comments seem totally out of place, irrelevant and on wrong post. Guys, this post is on Lal Masjid. WHAT has sharih got to do with this?
Here is a case of a bunch of criminals and kidnappers and blackmailers who were terrorizing society and rightly a police action was taken against them. WHy make it any more complicated than that?
Just because they go around having beards and wearing burqas (at teh same time in one case) and give themselves fancy but meaningless titles like Maulanas does not mean that they are speaking for any religion. As a muslim i certainly do not see any of them as an aalim i deen. They are behroopias. What they do or do not do has nothing to do with religion. The Waco Texas people also thought they were about religion. It is only you who are turning them into some sort of religious leaders by talking about them as if they are. What they have done and what they want to do has nothing to do with Islam. It is just criminals using Islam as a disguise for their own sick ideas just like they tried wearing the burqa as a disguise. Again, by talking of them as religious leaders you will make them religious leaders instead of the criminals they are. But that is what they want!