Lal Masjid’s chief cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz on Monday decreed that Gen Pervez Musharraf’s government was “un-Islamic” and it was obligatory for every Muslim to wage jihad against it for rule of law and speedy dispensation of justice. “The government is un-Islamic and the present system and political hierarchy have failed to deliver,” said Maulana Abdul Aziz in an interview with Daily Times at He was accompanied by his younger brother and deputy Ghazi Abdul Rashid. “We have no intention to wage a war against the government leading to a bloodbath. However, if it launches a crackdown on Jamia Hafsa or Lal Masjid, of course our movement would automatically turn into a militant movement,” Aziz said.
He said democracy was a flawed system. “Democracy is nothing but counting of heads. It cannot differentiate between good and bad people, as in this system the vote of a devout Muslim equals the vote of a frail Muslim,” he said. Asked to comment on suicide attacks, he said: “Suicide attacks in Pakistan are un-Islamic, but if the government took action against Jamia Hafsa, we would allow our followers to launch suicide attacks against it to save the honour of our female students.”