Another Lal Masjid in the Making?

"strict politically-motivated interpretation.
700 armed men, who freely did target practice there
US benefits from the instability in the region to maintain military presence here
bearded men in white robes think they are doing some great service to religion by dedicating their lives to militancy
I wondered if the ones behind this billboard actually realized what they were portraying."

If these misguided mullahs had the slightest intellect they would be doing something constructive as all these efforts are negative and no where close to what Islam propagates.

Same old mullahs new tricks.

After all, all those who accept the funding from US or other non-Pakistani sources are not only committing an act of treason against Pakistan but also against the faith of Islam and it's teachings.

It certainly amounts to another Lal Masjid or Peeli Masjid in the making as covered by this article and should be demolished before any construction takes place.

"Strict-politicaly motivated..."
BTW, what is the actual interpretation, that so many people are missing in so many different places (London, Madrid, Mumbai, New York, Pakistan,Thailand...)?
You people should have rectified the interpretational problem (if anything is actualy there) during the first Jihad (invastion of Kashmir in 1947/48) from the newly formed country of Pakistan.

I spent some time in Bahawalpur; went to S.E.College (two years to be precise). Still have close family there too.

It is a shame that such a peaceful part of the country would come to this. There was also the open firing on a congregation at a local church following 9/11; a very close friend's life was permanently affected by it.

Makes me sad but what is one to do?

uh-oh...with the paki rupee at an all time low, importing all those phosphorus grenades is going to cost a bundle.

shake and bake and debt..

#3 Posted by akcheema on June 9, 2008 4:32:31 am

cheemabhai: before 9/11, the jihadis were killing people outside allah's most favored nation..they were actually armed and trained in the land of the pure...after 9/11, they're just going the same thing closer to home.

Re: # 5; posted by arjun

I know Arjun; unfortunately, it is sad nevertheless.

It was absolutely another matter to conquer 6 to 16 year old school girls in Islamabad but this time it is going to be napak fouj whose ass is going to be phosphorized. This time they are ready. As state machinery in Pakistan has gone out of control denying constitutional rights to its citizens, it is absolutely mandatory for all Muslims living in the country to arm themselves and protect this country and their families from this criminal outfit of foreign agents, pimps, and criminals who are running the country. This fine point just keeps slipping over people's head that it is the state machinery that is ultimately responsible for keeping law in the society; it has failed; repetedly; what is people to do?

Re: # 7 Unstruly;
You are obver reacting! You have to give democracy a chance in Pakistan. Look at the bottle as half full and not half empty. The newly elected govt of Gilani will march ahead very slowly but will succeed! It is not easy to become a clean person after all therse years Pakistan was a sickman of South Asia.

Even India which is a democracy which took charge of the reins of the state as pakistanis did, is a FLAWED DEMOCRACY with its share of criminals corrupt politicians, Fascist parties and fundamentalist Hindu parties. It takes time for any meaningful changes to strike roots.

Kamath

Re: # 8

Kamath sahib; this type of democracy has been given enough chance. Only thing that has changed in last three months is that, People Party has become the new Q-league and NS' ML has become what were the harami moulvis in the last 5 years. As a matter of fact the ruling elite of this country is one and same - whether its bearded haramis, or foujis, or feudal pirs or nouvou industrialists - they are all corrupt, pro-western, and incompetent.

Had these a/holes been serious about returning Pakistan to a fair and equitable society they would have sent this soowar dictator to jail thru the first session of national assembly. Foujis are the harami galore who are protecting this dctator and a currupt, inefficient, and incompetent system, for their own benefit, with their guns. Dream on, but things are not going to change without a popular dedaly revolt. And its written on the wall.

The misery of Pakistan can be traced back to dead rag heads of 7th century Arabia. Someone ask these knuckleheads that there is shortage of food in Pakistan, and they are conducting conferences on “Azamt-e-Quran�? as if that will satisfy their hunger and feed their kids.

Good piece Ahmad Bilal. Except when you conclude that US is somehow in a roundabout way involved in creating this monster. No matter what happens in Pakistan, US is the easy one to place a blame on. Hard ones to blame are the more obvious ones. But let’s not dare blame Islam for all our ills.

the only way the state can restore balance here is by applying total and overwhelming force.

It will be damned if it does and damned if it doesnot (you can see this from the statements made by Zeemax and Urstruly here and els where). So it might as well do it and get damned - atleast for some time its write will run. And when the State does a flag march or the sipahi turns up people will shiver in the 50 degree heat.

I say the State should turn the place into total rubble. and ensure that the land in not habitable for a few years - use phosphorous grenades followed by phosgene.

write=writ in #11

"I wondered if the ones behind this billboard actually realized what they were portraying. Beneath the billboard, the cityscape was filled with common Pakistanis going about their everyday struggle for survival."

Pakistan is turning into another SICK state like Palestine......the seed of hatred have been sown.......the cult of violence has been NORMALIZED in the society........people ACCEPT JIHAD as the summum-bonnum of a momeen's life.....every PAkistani wants to be a Shaheed......

This is the sign of a truly SICK society!!

Ahmed Bilal,

Hope your father is in good health, excellent article not only because it carries a worthy message, it also talks about Bhawalpur, one of my favorite small cities of Pakistan.

I remember Bhawalpur with its peaceful yet beautiful streets, extremely generous and hospitable people and rich history. Now this, seems the country fabric has been infected to the core, time to pack up and leave or start packing a six piece.

Love it. This may not appeal to those living cosy lives in some comfortable parts of the world and having hallucinations or strong cravings that why those people in Pakistan do not listen or heed to their adivces and be free for ever. It was April 1984. Gen. Cia-ul-Haque's Islamic dynasty was at its zenith. A retired subedar grabbed my left arm and asked me, "have you offered prayer?". I told him no. He was chairman of Salat committee. He did not question further but I knew the consequnces. All God fearing forces in the world were focussing to defeat the unbeliever Russians. Isralei sold arms so did Indians. Indians sold old WWII Le Enfiled rifles also known as 303 or 3not3. Never got used. Upto that part was OK. But one who will not offer pray would be treated as Russian too even he/she has no clue about it. My official documents have the following five titles for me: Athiest (dehria), communist, Melhid (do not know how to translate it), anti-Pakistan and anti-Islam. I went to Islamabad's AabPara the same day. Lal Masjid was the headquarter for CIA-ISI-Mujahideen axis. Mujahideens were selling the military hardware in the adjacent Jumma Bazar (except guns). I bought two sleeping bags, couple trousers, coats, hats, etc. They were dirt cheap and I needed for my venture across high mountians along India-Pakistan bloody line of control in Kashmir. I decided to drop them off in my room at Blue Star hotel near Zero point. The owner, a Jamiate, asked me for help. What do you need? I inquired. He told me to translate. There were two CIA guys looking for Rahim Khan. I asked what do you want to know about him. In short they wanted to know when he was arriving. I had some too-too-main-main with them. Blue star was my residence for some weeks. The CIA would hand over tens of thousands dollar to individua. 'Mujahideens' will run pockets full of cash sometimes over $100,000. One day I saw Rahim in the second floor - small lobby. Just few sofas could pack there. He looked at me and asked if I was going for Jihad. He probably got confused with my beard and Noorani face. I told him I did not believe in this jihad. It is US-Russian conflict and people dying in this war are wasting their lives. They are not going to heaven. They are just dying. Rahim pulled out his AK-47 and was about to shoot me when a teenager boy grabbed the gun barrel and asked him to stop. This teeanger was the son of Mujahideen leader. The family was on its way from Saudi Arabia back to Peshawar. Rahim told me (yelled at me), that his two brothers who were engineers in the USA got martyered in Afghanistan. You say they are in hell. I was scared as Rahim had AK-47 in his hand but I did not show any sign of fear. I moved back to my room. Then it was May 1992. I had some personal business in Islamabad again. I went to Peshawar Moor. The USAID office was located in two small size rooms. The USAID office during 1980s was housed in a multistory building in Blue Area. Inside these two rooms was one guy with his feet on a table. A water cooler, a rolled small carpet in the corner, a fax and a phone machine. The jihad shrank to these two rooms. I asked him, what happened to your big office. He offered me cigrette and told, we are done. Our project is over. Russians are out of Afghanistan. I asked him, have you seen the scale of destruction in Afghanistan? He said, "congress has no more funds for this project any more". I looked around and thought, I may start believing God if HE takes some revenge from those who destroyed 3 million people and a entire country. Now, I think I am starting believing GOD.

Let’s put Ahmed Bilal's concerns aside and look at this issue with the legal rights these people have to open a school and maintain it.
First, they have a democratic right to assemble and that can't and should not be denied to them if there assembly at that school is peaceful and laws are violated.

Is the organization unlawful?
Is the organization violating any local laws?
Is the organization violating a social or cultural issues or customs?

I think just because they are congregating at a certain place, is not enough reason to place a ban on these people.

Sounds like the people in the neighborhood have no problem with them. In that case, what rights others have to remove them from the area?