Behind the Chairman’s Door

After the events of the past week in Islamabad, I was shocked with the reports in the newspaper this morning that the military should not have taken action against the extremists inside Lal Masjid. Granted, the people that have come out against the action are the reason that the problem exists in Pakistan today. Let’s start with some snippets from today’s paper and then I’ll give you my point of view on the whole topic.

Qazi Hussain Ahmad - Leader of the religious alliance known as Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and Supreme Leader of Jamaat-e-Islami

“The military dictator and the government is wholly responsible for loss of precious lives during operation against Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa on Tuesday. In his reaction on the Lal Masjid issue, the MMA president strongly condemned the way government handled the issue. “There was no justification behind brutal use of force which resulted in loss of lives,” he said.

“On one hand most parts of country are hit by floods while on the other hand fashion shows and other vulgar programmes are being organised in Lahore,” he said.

Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman - Leader of the opposition in the National Assembly

If the government was allowed for another six months, it would bring more complications for the country. “No one could be pleased on this “game of blood and fire” and every citizen appears deeply concerned on this state of the affairs taking place in the heart of the capital,” he maintained.

To a question, he said all the religious political parties of the country as well as the Tanzeem-ul-Madaris never endorsed the attitude of Maulana Abdul Aziz and Maulana Abdur Rashid Ghazi. “Even today I don’t endorse this particular attitude,” he clarified.

To another question the opposition leader said it reflects the policy of the government that it wanted to convoy to the western world that it is fully prepared to advance their agenda and promote their culture, but the actions against these dens of obscenity is to be taken as a threat to the writ of the state.

Liaqat Baloch - MMA Deputy Secretary-General strongly condemned the action and alleged the government of taking political mileage of the situation.

Labour Party Pakistan (LPP) - Who are you?

Chairman Nisar Shah and General Secretary Farooq Tariq has also strongly condemned the military action against the defying religious forces in Islamabad adding the use of arms would never solve anything.

Saleem Zia - Acting President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Sindh expressed shock over Lal Masjid killings and held the government responsible for it.

Maulana Abdur Rashid Ghazi - Lal Masjid Deputy Leader

…. does not want bloodshed; while the government has used heavy weaponry against the mosque using the language of power.”

‘We are not concerned about food, the safety and sanctity of human lives is our prime concern,’

When he was asked about his surrender, he was annoyed saying, ‘We are not terrorists; terrorists are asked to surrender their weapons; we want negotiations to end the standoff.’

Tell me something, where have all of you religious leaders been for the past 6 months, while these terrorists were kidnapping citizens and foreign nationals, threatening shopkeepers and barbers, and threatening suicide bomb attacks around Pakistan? Did you just wake up and realize that there was a problem when they decided to attack security forces that had been deployed to protect the law-abiding citizens of Islamabad?

I have really gotten tired of listening to these people bash the Government of Pakistan at every turn, while doing nothing to stop the extremists themselves. Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman only got involved when the police, Rangers and Pakistan Army surrounded Lal Masjid in the intent to bring this situation to an end. And his involvement only brought forward demands from the extremists that the security forces should be removed and that they would consider negotiations after that was done. The Deputy Leader of Lal Masjid even dared to ask that he be allowed to stay as the head of the madrassa and he would testify against his brother.

Where were you when they kidnapped Aunty Shamim and accused her of running a brothel? Where were you when 4 Islamabad police officers were kidnapped and held as ransom until arrested Lal Masjid students were released from the jails? Where were you when Chinese nationals were kidnapped creating a situation with one of Pakistan’s oldest allies? Where were you when Maulana Abdur Rashid Ghazi threatened suicide bomber attacks if the government dared to attack them? Where were you that today you sit in judgement of a government that showed extreme patience with these thugs? Why have you condemned the government for using force, while saying nothing about the destruction that was taken out on government buildings by the Lal Masjid brigade? Why have you condemned the government for using force, while saying nothing about the firing, pelting of rocks and use of petrol bombs on security forces by the Lal Masjid Taliban? Do you still believe that a one hand makes a clapping noise?

You blame the government for the law and order situation in Pakistan, while you take out caravans around the country to try to topple them. But let’s take a closer look at your political record.

You stood in full opposition to the Women’s Protection Bill, threatening to resign from the National and Provincial Assemblies, if it was passed. It was passed and you didn’t resign. You said nothing when Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi(TNSM) marched into the Malakand division of the NWFP and preached their extremist beliefs over illegal FM radio stations. You said nothing when the children of the NWFP were denied polio shots because you, in your infinite wisdom, claimed that “America was using the shots to sterilize future generations of Pakistanis.” You did not author, support or pass any legislation in our National or Provincial Assemblies to denounce suicide bombings in Pakistan. You did not author, support or pass any legislation against honor killings. You have done nothing to ensure that every person in Pakistan has the right to an education; rather you believe that only men should be educated and women should have nothing more than a religious education. It is you and your supporters that believe that women have no rights in Islam and should be treated as property.

You grasp at religion when it suits your interests, yet forget it when it does not. And let’s not forget that you have been principle supporters of the Taliban in Afghanistan, holding rallies in Lahore, Peshawar and other cities of Pakistan, where buses were loaded up with Pakistanis to go and fight the American forces to “free Afghanistan.”

And in all of this you claim to want democracy? Please. You wouldn’t know democracy if it came up and bit you in on your overfed asses.

Can you tell us, the people of Pakistan, where your funding comes from? Since not one of you has a job or business, who is paying for your Land Cruisers, Prados and Corollas? Who has paid for the lavish homes that you live in while screaming about the needs of the common man? While people die from hunger on the streets of Pakistan, you attend lavish dinners with your “religious” cohorts. Why have you not espoused the beliefs in Islam that require us as Muslims to take care of the poor, widowed and orphaned? Rather, you are in complete support of the “Beggar’s Mafia” that patrols the streets of every city and village of Pakistan, asking for money rather than working.

I know your answer to all these questions: it’s the government’s responsiblity. That is nothing more than a cop-out to avoid your own responsibilities as citizens of this nation and Muslims. And if I am not wrong, all of you have been part of the last 5 governments, so in my opinion, you are the government and as responsible for the inaction as any other member of the National and Provincial Assemblies.

And while you give your full-throated support to the extremists, you all assemble on British soil under the guise of All Parties Conferences to plan the overthrow of the government… as a matter of fact, there is another meeting in London this week. They all assemble in Nawaz Sharif’s home, who was exiled from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia for attempting to hijack a plane carrying the Chief of Army Staff, in the Mayfair district.

To all the Brits, he is not a British citizen and fully in support of the “Islamization” movement in Pakistan. And your government allows him to live in London, hosting “religious” leaders from Pakistan anytime he chooses. He left Saudi Arabia under the false pretenses of getting medical treatment (a hair transplant) and never returned to Saudi Arabia. I strongly urge the British government to arrest these people that are using British soil to plan the overthrow of a government and further the Islamization of Pakistan.

But it doesn’t stop there… the MMA is the ruling party in Baluchistan and the NWFP, both regions infamous for extremist behavior and protecting Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters. What have you done to stop it in the areas that you are the government?

And to the Deputy Leader of Lal Masjid, please don’t confuse yourself, you are a terrorist. You have threatened the sitting government with suicide attacks, kidnapped people in the name of Islam, and swore to declare Jihad against the government to achieve your objectives. In any country of the world, that is a terrorist.

And since not one of you understand that if the Government of Pakistan was dead set on using force, it would have been done 2 DAYS AGO; rather than allowing people to surrender and leave the mosque. Over 1200 people came out of the mosque and surrendered to security forces, including the leader of Lal Masjid, Maulana Abdul Aziz, who tried to escape dressed as a woman. If the Government of Pakistan was dead set on using force, it could have happened anytime during the day on Wednesday, instead they kept extending the deadline to allow everyone to come out. While inside the mosque, women and children were held hostage and not allowed to leave, even though the parents stood outside begging for their children to be handed over. The Government of Pakistan’s operation was planned to start at 3 am on Wednesday, instead it was held off until the Deputy Leader of Lal Masjid, Maulana Abdur Rashid Ghazi, refused to surrender unless HIS demands were met, even after promising a group of Ulema (religious scholars) that they would surrender and give up their weapons around 12 midnight Thursday.

What happened in Lal Masjid is your fault, Maulana Abdul Aziz’s fault and Maulana Abdur Rashid Ghazi’s fault. You failed Pakistan as religious leaders as you were not able to control the extremist problem, nor were you effective in bringing this situation to a peaceful end. This did not happen because of a single incident, but a collection of incidents over a 6 months period, where you all sat quietly and silently endorsed the behavior with justifications like “fashion shows and other vulgar programmes are being organised in Lahore,” and that “no crime to talk about the promulgation of Sharia.” It is not a crime to see development and growth in Pakistan. It is however a crime to take the law in your own hands, further contributing to the law and order situation of Pakistan.

Until we, as Pakistanis, stand up to these thugs, nothing will change in this country.

[ratings]

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