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.
patexpat, you forget the movement against Dr.Amir Liaquat Hussain by Altaf hussain when Mush tried to bring Amir up against Altaf. MQM secteriat in London heard about this conspiracy and next day all walls were chalked with “Sirf Altaf/Only Altaf”, to tell oponents that only Altaf noone else which itself was like challenging God. Those kids who are supporting MQM should try to meet ex MQM activists personally to understand Altaf’s doctrine, many of them used to consider Altaf more than a God. Remember those stunts? appearing image of Altaf bhai on leaves and from that day he got famous as “Peer saab”. the other example of MQM terrorism is beating up singer Sajjad Ali on his song “Chief Saab”. Several MQM acitivists beat the people who usd to play the song because they believed that song was made for Altaf bhai. Offcourse nobody knows where is Zareen Majeed now who got famous for her scandal with Altaf bhai.
There are countless stories. Altaf did have charismatic personality but unfortunately that idiot couldn’t use it for his own people. Shame on him and his Fidayeens.
Dear Akif Nizam,please enlighten us about “Bush Doctrine” which you just referred. Many of us are not aware of it. Will you please? Thanks.
my 2 cents..
Yes, no one should take the law in their own hands BUT having said that, how come no one has yet to come out against:
– abundance of pornographic material being sold (I’m against any sale of pornographic material but for the sake of our secularist brothers) to under-age youth.
– brothels being run right under the nose of the Government (I’m against ANY form of prostitution but for the sake of our secularist brothers) where women are being forced to sell their bodies and are treated as slaves.
Why has the protection of under-age youth, from porn and women from forced-prostitution has only been left to the danda-wielding girls from the red mosque?
How come none of the “Progressive-thinking” elite of our Capital have said even a word against this?
Proud to be from Karachi,
I believe Chaudries can raise a similar crowd from Gujrat and neighbouring areas if they have to organize a rally.
I do appreciate that current MQM government has done some good job but they carried the momentum from Naimatullah Khan government. When NK was opening parks, MQM used to raise voice against it that people of Karachi don’t need parks (reported extensively in newspapers) and now they themselves are opening parks. In the end its better for the citizens of Karachi so whoever does it needs to be patted on the back.
However, where were the citizens of Karachi when MQM themselves were involved in Klashinkovs, extortion, torture cells, gunny bag bodies. Were they blind or deaf? Being a resident of North Nazimabad, I have seen whole neighbourhoods being destroyed because it was considered a big thing for kids to throw away books for guns for the greater good of Mohajirs. The Sector Incharge and Unit Incharge were known as “Terror” with the biggest “terror” commanding highest respect.
The directionlessness of this mohajir community (a term which I consider derogatory to describe myself and my roots because I am a born and bred Pakistani with grandparents who migrated) is evident from their slogan “humein manzil nahin rahnuma chahiyay”. The karachiites don’t even know what MQM stands for anymore since they didnt object to Nawaz extending quota system for another 20 years when they were coalition members (that was the reason behind MQM creation). They would follow Altaf Hussain’s tune down the cliff.
MQM is the biggest Klashinkov wielding political hooligans and mercenaries in Pakistan. I remember their slogans “Jo Quaid Ka Ghaddar hai, woh maut ka haqdaar hai”, when MQM boycotted the elections “vote do, maut lo” (still visible in some walls in N. Nazimabad) “crush the corrupt Pakistan Army” and “SOS – Security Our Selves”.
I am a proud Karachiite to and proud to see part Altaf’s antics. Though Altaf’s speeches are becoming very entertaining with his various tones of voices, his singing etc.
By the way, I could not find a Pakistan flag in those pictures- nursing delusions of Jinnahpur again.
The everyday increase in incidence of these madrassa taliban taking police action, beating dancers, pressurizing women, threatening shopkeepers, and anyone who does they do not like is a really dangerous trend of ghundas holding country hostage.
May all Pakistanis rise against this trend everywhere