There have been a number of developments in the Lal Masjid episode since the crisis finally boiled over. After the series of events I feel saddened at even referring to the institution as a masjid.
By now, many of you must have witnessed the footage of the Lal Masjid Khateeb Maulana Abdul Aziz trying to escape clad in a burqa. How sad that the man who proudly proclaimed that he would leave the compound as a Shaheed and would not bow to any Government pressures was eventually caught trying to escape in the most disgraceful manner possible.
Meanwhile, the authorities have given the Rangers permission to return fire and kill any students who are armed and are not prepared to surrender. Although approximately 1100 students have surrendered, there are still a considerable number holed up inside the mosque. Firing was recently heard in the Mosque as the Government deadline for their evacuation was passed.
These developments only serve to further worsen our reputation. The only real achievement of the Lal Masjid brigade is to bring further disrepute to the madarassahs in Pakistan. They have also done a fine job in making a mockery out of the religion. If they thought they were successfully protesting against the Governments action-such as the wrongful bombing of the madarassah at Bajaur-they have just given them a million reasons to continue these atrocities.
At the same time, I am still forced to wonder who is really responsible for this fiasco? In a television interview Maulana Abdul Aziz said the students of the madrassah have 10 to 15 AK-47 assault rifles and a few gas masks provided by “friends.”
Who are these friends? And why are these people playing into the hands of these friends and bringing further disrepute to our country. It’s because of such events that the first news after any terrorist attack is implicitly aimed at us-with or without proof.
Let us just hope that those responsible for direspecting the sanctity of a mosque and for trying to blemish the glory of Islam are brought to justice.
At the moment the Pakistan Commandos are aiming to storm the Mosque while there is news that the students inside may have even set up landmines in the premises. Yet again it seems that the terror within will be the cause of our downfall.
There are no land mines, no suicide bombers. it is all govt. propaganda. these friends can laskar-e-taiba or even intelligence agencies.
Open your eyes and stop bashing maulvis, its the govt. to be blamed to bring this matter to this point and use it for their purpose.
musharraf is proving him indispensable at the cost of Pakistan’s image. anyone with common sense can see who is the taking advantage from all this.
http://www.dawn.com/weekly/ayaz/ayaz.htm
http://www.teeth.com.pk/blog/2007/07/06/the-lal-masjid-stage-play/
i agree with your pov haris. I reached two conclusions.The first is, if you look back at our maulvis in history, they have been an integral part of devising our foreign polciy. Take the afghan-soviet war as an example. If it hadnt been for them, the soviets(communists) would have governed and its fair fair to say that the Soviet union rather than the US would have been the super power at the moment. Therefore it was not only a victory for the us but for the maulvis as well, thereby expalining their increased confidence in running the affairs of the state. Secondly, if u recall, Musharrafs postion as a dictator was reinforced by the attacks of 911. This only goes on to prove that the western governments wanted someone in power who could keep the rising threat of extreminsm in check. This fact, i assume, musharraf has used to his advantage. However, not only to his own advantage but to the advantage of his country. Pakistan was declared as a failed state back in 98-99. If you look at the turn-around from that period to the current date, you would greatly appreciate mushrrafs efforts.
I myself am against a dictatorial rule. But if thats what it takes to tuen a country around then i support him, because i want to see this country porgress as an upcoming businessman. The problem in this country lies not with the politicians but with us, who fail to see the larger picture. Tell me this. Even if the current drama is staged and mushrraf wants to prove a point that he should be eleceted in the upcoming elections, who would you rather vote for? Either of the two leaders who didnt complete either of their terms and were known for looting you, the tax payer. Or someone who through his tireless efforts changed the countrys label of a failed state to a ‘developing nation’ once again? I dont want to make any conclusions but i have the utmost respect for this statesman. Being a Pakistani and someone who wants to contiribute to this nation of endless potential, i want to see this country progress not delve back to the dark ages. Look at the progressive islamic nations, U.A.E for example. I happen to be studying here at the moment, the shariah rule very much in place. Yet, its a very open society. Its sad to say the least. What are the ulema trying to prove?? one the one hand they say they will fight to death, the nesxt moment they are escaping in burqa? Neither the quaid or prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) envisioned an Islamic state of this sort. We live in a globalized world. I think its about time we started thinking along those lines.
@farooqui
Is it possible for “Shariah rule” and an “open society” to co-exist? When I was in Dubai a few years ago, I saw American couples french-kissing on roads while veiled native women passed by, I saw bars near mosques, prostitutes from all over the world searching for prey at night in their black uniforms as the mosques called for prayer. I saw more mini-skirts than hijabs at the malls.
Open society, yes it definitely is. Shariah rule in place? Maybe I need to read up on the definition because it didn’t look like Shariah to me. Lets not kid ourselves.
Really virtual, get caught drunk and you are sure to get 80 lashes on your behind. Adultery if proved means a stiff sentece. Rape, life imprisonment. Burglary, robbery: behind bars for a number of years. I think more than shariah we should look at this as the basic principles of a stabilized society. I agree that tourism runs this country. If thats what it takes for a country to survive then so be it. Tolerance is what islam preaches. Times change and with it our attitudes. If our view of shariah is travel back 1400 years and impose the same laws that existed then, it would be rather impractical. What we tend to forget is that we inhabit a tiny dot in collossal mass of nothingness. we’re in this together. lets keep our values intact, but for the sake of the others be a little more tolerant. Enlightened moderation, eventhough it sounds amatuerish has a lot of meaning behind it.