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.
This is a perfect Bollywood suspense/thriller movie. Drama goes as per written script which was agreed between the actors and director until yesterday (05/07). Starting as a perfect indian movie startup with 19 people killed first day of the drama. People who died were from all kinds involved in this play , a cameramen (just to keep them away from the actual stage and let them know it is not a drama but real life), few passer-bys making sure that common men don’t get over excited on this issue like CJP. Couple of low rank rangers and few extermists/madrassah students. So the first day’s play was just as written.
The next day everything is still as per plot , the hero/villan tries to run away in burqa , the tv channels ready to take pictures and make movie , the news goes to all the world channels , ( remember historic flee of Mullah Umar on CD 70). The villan is caught as per plan and then shown on the tv in the same burqa giving an interview.
— Half time —
The movie was getting bore at this time. People were already guessing the end. But that was the end which was agreed among the players. At this moment, director decides to introduce a twist in the story. The hero/villan 2 , starts noticing that few things are not happening as per script. The change in script is to get the dead bodies of hero/villan 2 along with few others of his associates. Now this twist makes the movie all the more intersting. Hero/Villan 2 is desparate to save his life but the script has changed he and his few associates must die. There is perfect suspense now in the story. Any guesses?
The issue of LAL MUSJID is a phenomenon of many failing systems.
1) Failure of education which has never been a priority in our country. Which one of us will send a near one to such a Madrassa for education. It is poor people who send their kids here. These Madrassas never produce a scholar, what they produce are brain washed preachers of a sect.
2) Poverty which is a fertile land to reap for people like these to guys in Lal masjid.
3) Misplaced priorities and poor understanding of roots of problems eg you can not stop Prostituion by arresting people. it stems from poverty so address it.
4) failure of writ of government
5) Using every incident for personal political gains.
Don,t forget this Madrassa was established by a dictator for his personal gains and we will be facing many situations like this in future as a consequence of current dictatorship.
Long live Dictator
ive read the some ov comments here
but very sorry to say all v say these BURQA GALZ are bad doers, ya we can only appreciate n welcome the females like REEMA,MEERA,——-ETC, its our destine now, i appreciate(with shame) all those ones scolding the students ov JAMEA HAFSA
First of all my apologies to brother Adil Najam, who has been really patient to bear this a little off the topic dialogue. And others too but I left like being dragged a bit. Secondly my thanks to misanthrope for replying mostly to what I had to say. I will just pick & pint few things out.
Adnan
Fist I second to what he said, I don’t get anything in that status of Quaid para.
Let’s move further.
– The word “American
I wonder why Aziz and, moreover, his entrenched gang of thugs, seem unmoved by their Prophet Muhammad’s injunction in the Quran that “cursed are those men that wear women’s clothing and those women that wear men’s clothing”. If they truly adhere to their insipid religiosity, surely they are duty-bound to stone Aziz to death, or some such.