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.
Mohammad sahab, aap boht he bholay badshah hain. aap k itni bari response k mere pas sirf ek he jawab hay..
Her Firown k liye ek Moosa[as] aur her Akbar k darbar me ek Mujadid Alf Sani[RA] hota hay
Go figure! aqalmand k liye ishara kaafi hay. yes Aqal hona shart hay :-)
Afshan,*sigh*. I think you are not following at all. long story short, How GHUNDAAS, the term you used for MQM could be considerered worthy and credible enough to be taken seriously while they themselves are involved in same thing? That’s my point.
Saeed shab, it seems you slept on other side of the bed. I was replying to Mohammad sahab. I think Muhammad sahab will be very displeased that you call them Mullah. Kindly do read carefully before reaching to some conclusion. That’s all I can request!. What all I know that those “Ninjas” played a good role to remove a brothem from the area which was not appreciated by aunty shamim lovers and now they are getting irked and going insane by making lame statments.
+Adnan siddiqi:- I am sure you would have noticed the Damadam Mast Qalander by leader of Meerasi Qomi Movement Altaf Hussain
And what should we call this combination of mullahs and their burqa posh ninjas who preach hate, threatens the civil society with suicide attacks, kill innocent people …..THE BEAUTIES AND THE BEASTS
+Adnan siddiqi:- Prove yourself good first so that others could follow you. Right now you guys come out as clowns rather intellectuals.
I wonder whose side you really are?
First you call MQM “meerasi qomi movementâ€
[quote comment=”44485″]Muammad sahab, if you know the ACTUAL meaning of Quran then why don’t you teach other rather wasting your time in sissy rants? what I see you have been chanting Mullahraj zindabad. What would some learn from your *mighty knowledge*? Is this what you guys will teach to your future generations. I am afraid they will be more like a garbage for Pakistan than mulllahs whom you curse 24x7x356.[/quote]
I thank you for your words Adnan bhai.
Firstly my brother, I do not see in the Qu’ran anything about priesthood – as these mullahs have infested our religion – on the meaning of the Qur’an lets turn it around – grab any ‘Taliban Madrassa’ student ask these parrots if they understand in classical arabic any verses of the Qu’ran? I think apart from a few selected meanings brainwashed into the heads of these kids they know only what the powercrazed mullah tells them. And this mullah cares NOTHING of the future of these kids and nothing for PAKISTAN.
These people the Mullahstanis these who jump up and down beat up little kids, kidnap women,shout a few verses from the Qu’ran, curse anyone that disagrees with them and are now wanting to control Pakistan(just in case their followers and potential disciples find out about the world and other people – including about other muslims)I have no intention and inshallah more and more Pakistanis are awaking to this fact – we have no intention of trusting these fanatical mullahs with our children ever again.
Imagine sending your boy or girl to this madrassa to learn about Islam – and the next thing the little kid is brainwashed put on the street looking for – what these mullahs consider prostitutes – then set these kids to attack CD and Video stalls – whether those CDs are Computer Sotware, Islamic or ‘Nach/Gana’ these programmed kids – who their parents sent to be educated – destroy – regardless – because they can’t read.
On why I have the PAKISTAN ZINDABAD, MULLAHRAJ MURDABAD – I thinks thats easy for all to see – every nation in the world is moving forward – Malaysia is a Muslim nation – they are allowed to progress and grow powerful, neighbouring India has more Muslims then us – yet they are laughing at us, because we are letting these uneducated, foulmouthed dangerous buffoons become powerful by just standing by.
But my brother Adnan, as you can see this government does not do anything against this threat, they are losing respect and authority day by day, hour by hour – we care and love Pakistan – we want Pakistan to hold its head high in the world and progress – we have a lot of potential.
But no government is going to do that for us and certainly no Mullahstani is going to let its disciples free to progress.
I ask you Adnan bhai – to help Pakistan and Pakistanis – encourage all – whatever their sect to stand with other Pakistanis up and down Pakistan for a free and progressive Pakistan, stand with us against the Mullahraj.
If you want these Mullahs sharia – then this government should give the mullahs some land – deport them there and they can have any kind of sharia to their hearts content there – but that piece of land must be given its independence and fenced of from Pakistan – thats good for the people who want these Mullahs to control their lives and their destinies and good for Pakistan- so Pakistanis can join the rest of the worlds countries like Islamic Malaysia to move its people forward.
If we do not stand up to these people now – we may as well let them run havoc with Pakistans future and rip up our passports – as no country would have us as we will not be allowed anywhere in the world – we are not even trusted with our own nations future let alone be trusted in another – would anyone allow a protaliban – crypto-alqaeda citizen in their country.
I am not the only one ‘ranting’ against Mullahism – Pakistanis are awaking – and we are collectively shouting PAKISTAN ZINDABAD – MULLAHRAJ MURDABAD! and we will not rest in defending our Pakistan and its future.
Unite and together lets show the Mullahstanis and those who wish to practice Mullahism – that we Pakistanis are AWAKE and shouting:
PAKISTAN ZINDABAD – MULLAHRAJ MURDABAD!
Afshan, how sane it is to praise a murderer condemning act of evil by others just because he hates them? I could pay attention if all of them were not said by Altaf who killed hundred of mohajirs in 90s.
Tonight I got chance to read a funny news that MQM’s rabta comittie has issued a “Research Report” about Jamia Hafsa which is actually nothing but cutting of news papers which they would have collected from various sources. The intresting thing of the report is that they don’t even know the area of Hafsa school at all. IT seems like a report which was made in drawing room.
Muammad sahab, if you know the ACTUAL meaning of Quran then why don’t you teach other rather wasting your time in sissy rants? what I see you have been chanting Mullahraj zindabad. What would some learn from your *mighty knowledge*? Is this what you guys will teach to your future generations. I am afraid they will be more like a garbage for Pakistan than mulllahs whom you curse 24x7x356.
Prove yourself good first so that others could follow you. Right now you guys come out as clowns rather intellectuals.
Speaking of Afghanistan, i think you need to read a bit ISI 101 to gain some knowledge. I give you a hint, Akhter Abdul Rahman. Go and search about him.
Would altaf bhai like to initiate a research case about murder of Hakim Saeed,Azeem Tariq and Khalid Bin Waleed? Would altaf bhai be able to face the research reports about the torture cells in Karachi? Offcourse not, he will kill the researches at first place.
I would more welcome if someone who stands up and make a research reports against crime of Altaf Hussain, Aunty Shamim and offcourse Hafsa managment to find out the real facts rather fooling others.