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?”
CJ, Well I think the snake you are talking about is a danger to Karachi and can be controlled in future. The snake I am taking about is not mullahs or MMA.
Snake is OBL and his fellows Taliban who are fighting iraq and phalistine fight on pakistani soil. This snake can turn Pakistan into Iraq. Second it is matter of time. I think mush because of his uniform don’t have political will to “silence” this snake. But I am sure BB will do the job. If not then USA will cross border and will do job by itself and that will be even more costly.
We simply can not co-exist wil OBL fellows and their Taliban.
Well reaction to lal masjid killings in NWFP (80 security personal dead in last 3 days) reminds me of Hamid Karzai.
He said “Pakistan is feeding a snake which can bite Pakistan too”.
We thought that this sanke will not bite us but Afghanistan but we were wrong.
I think on one hand we need to court moderate religious elements and try to listen their complain. On other hands we should finish Waziristan show once for all. I dont think it is problem of “fire-power”. It is issue of political will. The peace accord is not simply working.
The Mullah preaches JIHAD and understands nothing of Islam or Jihad – it brainwashs a little kid to go forward and become a shaheed whilst the mullah sits in a lap of luxury.
Why are people not screaming about the deaths the mullahs have been responsible for – not only in lal masjid but also those who were sent to fight the americans and the afghans? where are they – maybe because they think the mullah knows islam?
What Islam does this mullah preach that instills hate, fear, calling everyone kafirs and learning to kill in the name of Allah SWT?
What Islam does this Mullah preach that says that the Last Prophet Muhammad PBUH told him to kill and fight and cause fitna!?
Yet the Mullah is defended and supported and encouraged – this is a battle not just for the soul of the Pakistan but the cause of Islam – we must defend our religion and use all available means to expose and fight the fitna of mullahism – a mullahism that never belonged in Islam in the first place!
I think this is a Jihad – The Mullah causes division and hate within muslims and the nation and we must engage in this Jihad against Mullahism
Pakistan Zindabad!
Read the following column by Dr. Shahid Masood
http://www.scribd.com/doc/193528/Shahid-Masood-Jan g-Lal-Masjid
“Every country has an army, whereas Pakistani Army has a country”.
Is it possible to preach tolerance by being intolerant? I suspect not.