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?”
Too bad this does not come on Western TV – first 15 secs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N16zCc8ogew
A very interesting tradition of Holy Prophet:
[quote]Ali (RA) related that Prophet of Allah (SAW) said ‘soon a time will dawn upon mankind when there will be nothing left in Islam but its name only and nothing in Quran but its (written) words only. The mosques will be full (of people) but empty of righteous guidance, their clergy will be the worst creation under the sky, divisive movements (Fitna) will rise from them and return to them’.[/quote]
[Mishkat, Book of Ilm, Al-Fasl III, page 38 and Kanz-al-Ummal page 6 of 43]
Extremely sad what happened in Red Mosque and I condemn the use of excessive force. Had there been children of elite class, no one would have considered storming the Masjid and Madrassah. But thes were children from the poorest class which are no better than insects. They and their families have no voice So there is no sympathy.
There were hard liners and may be terrorists inside, we have no sympathy with them, but there were women and children also and they got killed. These were “innocent” and my heart cries over their death.
I am an engineer, 42 years old, married with 4 kids earning around one hundred and fifty thousands every month. Now I am mature. But when I was 20 or younger, my opinion was based on what I heard from elders like father, teacher or uncles. I hated Bhutto because they hated Bhutto (they are pro Jammat Islami). When I formed my own views, I found him the greatest leader after Jinah. My views changed about many things in life as I matured.
The boys and girls inside Mosque and Madarassah were immature. They had yet to form their own views. They believed only what they were told. They were given wrong concepts about religion, life and Jihad. If I would have been there at that age, I might have done the same what they did and believed the same what they believed and died with them.
Died with them!!! I would have died. Died. I. What a horror.
A person like me who is considered to be open minded and progressive would have died with those militants provided I had the same circumstances.
So that is why I believe most of them are innocent. They are our kids. They are victims of this system. They are victims of mullahism. They are victims of military dictatorship. They are victims of political plans of Musharraf.
How these innocent children are converted to human bombs. Why they are sent to these madarassahs, the problem lies in this system. Where every month hundreds commit suicide due to economical problems. The problem is in out political and economic system.
I think poverty, illetracy, gun control, drugs, bribery, equality, women rights and unlawfulness are bigger problems in our society then brothels and alcohal. Lets get to grass root problems. Be it conservative or liberal nobody wants to see exploitation of poor or orphan girls. Its the socioeconomic condition that has to change, which will change our behaviour. Middle-class wake up before its too late, stop being mohajir, punjabi, sindhi, shia or sunni start being Pakistani. If Pakistan goes down, we all go down. We want mullahs to call for a jihad against poverty, illetracy and discrimination.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86gKKD6Ipcw