Adil Najam
The news is developing by the moment. But the bottom-line is clear. The security forces have taken control of the Lal Masjid from militants after a severe gun-battle. But the story is far from over.
It will continue to unfold. There are too many unanswered questions. They will certainly be asked and discussed threadbare; here at ATP and elsewhere. But the real story of tomorrow remains the same as the real story of yesterday. Can a society that is so deeply divided against itself learn the lessons of tolerance? This question will continue to haunt us well into the future, in multiple shapes, in multiple forms, in multiple contexts.
This is a question that we at ATP have confronted from our very beginning and will continue to confront. But now is not the time to ponder on this. Even though what has happened had become inevitable over the last many days, I am too heartbroken to be able to do so.
Right now I can think only of Muzammil Shah (photo, from Associated Press, above). This photo was taken as he waited for his son who was inside the Lal Masjid. I do not know whether his son was there voluntarily, or as hostage. But I do know what the look of Muzammil Shah’s face means. The more important question is whether his son came out alive or not. I pray that he did.
Analysts - me included - will discuss what happened at length. They will try to understand the meaning of all this. What does this mean for Pakistan politics? What does this mean for Gen. Musharraf’s future? What does this mean for Islam? For Democracy? Does the fault lie with Abdul Rashid Ghazi and his militant supporters for creating a situation that could only end this way? Why did he not surrender? Is the blood of everyone who died not on his head for his stubboness and arrogance? Or, maybe, it is the government that is to blame because it did not act earlier? Act differently? Waited just a few days more for a negotiated solution?
Right now all these questions seem really petty and small. This is not the time for scoring cheap political points. This is not the time for spin.
Moreover, there are too many questions to ask. To answer. The head hurts as you think of them. But the heart hurts even more as you look at the face of Muzammil Shah.
Maybe the only really important question is the one that you can read between his wrinkles: “Why? Oh God, why? Why must things happen this way?”
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Adnan there is NO CLERGY SYSTEM in ISLAM! The Political Mullah implants itself between Allah SWT and the Human - we should not tolerate this.
We should deal with the Political Mullah as a rat that is destroying our fresh crops!
There must be NO COMPROMISE with the Mullah!
and those supposedly defending them
Azra, fact of the matter is that noone yet couldn’t give a concrete definition of “religious extremism” and everyone used it for his own purpose. First of all,tell me that is it a sin to defend mullahs? do you want to say that rabis are not defended by jews? or do christians and hindus never pay respect to priest and Pandit respectively? Or you want to say that rabis,pundits and pontiffs are NOT evil or they are god-like structure?
Those who speak about extremism are confused themselves, they just hear something on media and just vomit it out. If a mother stops her son for not going outside in curfew so would it be called a extreme act?similarly if a teacher scolds his student and asks him to do homework so is that teacher a educationist extremism? is the message of Islam Amar Bel Ma’roof and Nahye ‘An el Munkar? is example of religious extremism? According to Islam, One can’t complete entire Quran in less than three days. This is the best example of discouraging Extremism that is reading Quran all the time. If some molvi advises me not to do it because it’s not good so should I start abusing him just because he dared to teach me.
The slogan of religious extremism is raised by only those who want Quran in one hand and a glass of whine in other hand so that they can show to world that they are moderate and liberal, Deen o Dunya saath saath . So please keep the things in perspective.
As baber said ,credit where it’s due then this should applicable for everyone not for favorites only.
This regime is pretty quick in taking action against political dissent. So it cannot be accused of inaction entirely.
For me, a crazy mullah like Abdul Aziz and a drunken moron like parvez musharraf, both are Pakistanis and I would not like to see any of them killed in cold blood.
As for the ‘hashar’ of lal masjid, lets not forget the ‘hashar’ of golden temple at the hands of indira gandhi and what happened subsequently. I hope that Pakistan does not suffer the same fate.
[quote]Is running brothels legal in Pakistan?
If no, then action should be taken against those running these. If the government does not want to act against them then it should change the law.[/quote]
What other law is not broken in Pakistan? And what else is done by Government for people? Does the government provide water? Sewerage facilities? Anything else? No.
Lack of action on brothels is part of same no-action policy of government as anything else. On the other hand why are brothels the most important issue for Mullahs? How much of Pakistani public have access to them? People are dying everyday for lack or food, clean water, medicine and due to floods etc. Why aren’t Mullahs making saving human lives their first priority? Because its all politics. To prevent people from dying requires a lot of efforts and since most are less off and probably have no (or unaccounted for) votes, it doesn’t work politically for Mullahs to work for them.
[quote]If the people don’t want brothels around then they should try to change such government by their votes that does not take action against these.
But the question is that if the government does not want to implement the law and the people don’t have their democratic right to elect their rulers (thanks to the military), then what should they do?
If the rulers don’t accept the verdict of ballot, then it will encourage the use of bullets.
[/quote]
I don’t agree but sure go ahead. You have seen the hashar of Lal Masjid.
Is running brothels legal in Pakistan?
If no, then action should be taken against those running these. If the government does not want to act against them then it should change the law.
If the people don’t want brothels around then they should try to change such government by their votes that does not take action against these.
But the question is that if the government does not want to implement the law and the people don’t have their democratic right to elect their rulers (thanks to the military), then what should they do?
If the rulers don’t accept the verdict of ballot, then it will encourage the use of bullets.
Ammar, btw read the article I linked above. This is the sort of thinking we need right now, not the typical Mullahs mentality that this Kashif guy depicts.
If Prophet himself was not a daroga on the rest then what right do these Mullahs have to create mischief in earth and to force their shariat on others?
Has he mentioned the two points I have mentioned above? No. Killing of ranger incident is very serious. No government can tolerate that.
Strangers ! pls read it again, u will find that he also criticized the Lal Mashid holders. Its not one sided.