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.
“You mean action of extremist altaf bhai who is responsible of killing of his own party people and several other young karachiites? Yes I am also unable how these enlightened souls are favoring such ghunda people.”
Adnan Siddiqi. No, I don’t see anyone here at all defending the violence of the MQM. I have just read comments again and not a single person is doing that.
What surprises me is people defending the actions of the Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa in this and other posts. I can’t imagine how anyone can defend criminal and violent behavior either by the MQM ghundas or these Madrassa ghundas. The MQM rally from everything we have read had no violence in it. Did it?
[quote comment=”44307″]Let us please realize that most religious parties and people in Pakistan do NOT support the actions of Lal Masjid people. These are the actions of extremists and not of Muslims. I cannot understand how people here on this forum (supposedly educated) are defending the actions of these extremists.[/quote]
Indeed you are correct, this is the reason that the silent majority of Pakistan need to come out in force and demonstrate against mullahism and mullahraj.
This is an opportunity for all of us – to work for our national interest Pakistan, put aside any differences and strike out for Pakistan, for too long we have waited for others to take the lead in fighting for our nations reputation both in Pakistan and Internationally.
We need to prove it to ourselves and our people as well as our freinds and enemies internationally – and the foul mouthed – rabid attitute mullah who doesn’t even know the meaning of the Qur’an and it wants to take over Pakistan – we have seen the paradise they created in Afghanistan – we need to show all that we are Pakistanis – we are awake – and we are able to stand united against this threat!
Pakistan Zindabad – Mullahraj Murdabad!
I cannot understand how people here on this forum (supposedly educated) are defending the actions of these extremists.
You mean action of extremist altaf bhai who is responsible of killing of his own party people and several other young karachiites? Yes I am also unable how these enlightened souls are favoring such ghunda people.
Saif, foul language really? Look who’s talking here. It means the foul language used by anti mullah cabal is part of educated which they give to their kids? Stop bullying and before condeming others, try to fix people of your own tribe.
Thanks saif for giving your fatwa. I congratulate you to join the right wing cabal:-)
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I wonder what would our inhouse liberal say about Musharraf’s offer[tinyurl.com/39fksy] to visit Israel[right Jews Mullahs] to resolve the issue? Would they condemn the offer of Musharraf because he’s willing to talk with right wing zions? If there is no hypocrisy then they should condemn such talks.
At one side our secular president feel irks to talk right wing people of Pakistan and threatened them to kill by firing missiles while on other hand he’s ready to meet right wing extreemist of other country. Do I feel hypocrisy right here?
and I liked the response of the isareli reader:
“Musharraf – go and set your peace records correct with India before you offer it for Mid-East. Funny a guy who pats Iran, licks Osama, swears friendship with Syria – exports terror to Kashmir is offering peace. Did I forget to say he sounds like Gaddafi?”
These macho liberals/seculars are real reason to embarass pakistan in western community as they give reason to defame Pakistan by their silly tactics.