India-Pakistan |
Moral police go on billboard 'blackening' spree |
2014-05-04 |
[DAWN] Upscale Jinnah Super Market is abuzz with suspicion that a moral brigade is out after discovering that someone had disfigured faces of women on a few advertisement billboards on the College Road. Women advertising a beauty care salon and summer fabrics offended the unknown vigilantes who either scratched or blackened their faces. Neither the advertising agencies nor their clients reported the acts of vandalism to the police or the Capital Development Authority (CDA). "There is no use involving the police or anybody else," said advertiser Sohail Shah, adding that "the best thing is to replace the ad before the client complaints". However, alcohol has never solved anybody's problems. But then, neither has milk... religious elements are suspected to be behind the defacing of ads. Sobia Amir, owner of the salon, said her "well-wishers" thought it was the act of "right wing students". "Madressah students usually do such things. But Islamabad has seen very few such incidents," said Iskander Khan, who owns a shopping plaza overlooking College Road, which leads to a girls college. There are two madressahs in the vicinity and seminary students are often seen strolling on College Road. While the management of Jamia Fareedia, located at some distance in sector E-7, refused to comment on the defacing incident, a religious student on a stroll said there should be a complete ban on the display of "bare faces" in Islamabad, which many classify as "a liberal city". "I do not know who defaced the advertisements but they should not be there in the first place," he said pointing to the billboards hanging from the electricity poles. "These pictures are immoral and give rise to many ills in the society." Hafiz Mohammad Fahim, a holy man of the Madressah Taleemul Koran situated in Jinnah Super grounds, denied that his students were behind the act of vandalism but praised it at the same time. "We are against displaying women like this -- and feel worst for the women who pose for them willingly," he told Dawn. "Though the defacing would have been done by some pious person, we are against using illegal methods to convey the right message." His words echoed the speeches made at a recent meeting of the Milli Yekjehti Council (National Solidarity Council). There religious leaders of all sects expressed concern ...meaning the brow was mildly wrinkled, the eyebrows drawn slightly together, and a thoughtful expression assumed, not that anything was actually done or indeed that any thought was actually expended... over "vulgarity and obscenity spilling over from the media onto the streets, and spreading". They traced the unhealthy trend to "a conspiracy by the West to weaken Pakistain by promoting a liberal lifestyle". The telltale vandalism in Islamabad was reminiscent of such acts witnessed in the northwest Pakistain and in Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... years ago.In 2006, religious activists had pulled down billboards in the then Northwest Frontier Province after the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal-led provincial government warned of action against advertisements featuring women. And around the same time, the nazim ...small time big shot, the chief elected official of a local government in Pakistan, such as a district, tehsil, union council, or village council... (mayor) of Karachi Naimatullah Khan, who belonged to Jamaat-e-Islami ... The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independentbranch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... , had ordered that all advertisements featuring women needed a certificate of decency from his office. |
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India-Pakistan |
Jamia Fareedia set to reopen soon |
2008-08-28 |
The Jamia Fareedia, which was closed after the Lal Masjid operation last year, is likely to reopen in the next two or three days, Dawn News reported on Wednesday. According to the channel, Lal Masjid Ulema Action Committee head Qari Saeedur Rehman said that the government was likely to permit the reopening of Jamia Fareedia following negotiations between Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Fazlur Rehman and Pakistan People's Party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari. He also said that the committee would hold talks with the Interior Ministry over the reconstruction of Jamia Hafsa as well as the immediate release of former Lal Masjid chief cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz. Aziz was caught trying to escape in a burqa at the peak of Lal Masjid crisis last year and has been in custody ever since. |
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India-Pakistan |
Fresh threat from Lal Masjid: 'Accept demands or face consequences' |
2008-08-16 |
![]() They issued this fresh threat during a protest after midday prayer. Seminary students and other protesters shouted slogans against the US and President Pervez Muharraf. Police ringed the venue to counter violence. Maulana Amir Siddique, deputy chief cleric of Lal Masjid, threatened that the mosque students would get Aziz released by themselves if the government failed to do so before Ramazan. "The government should fulfill our demands, otherwise it will be responsible for any untoward incident," he said. He said Lal Masjid clerics had stopped tent classes at the site of demolished Jamia Hafsa as a goodwill gesture, adding the government should reconstruct the seminary and start dialogue with the clerics to resolve all issues. "They (seminarians) would start reconstruction of Jamia Hafsa by themselves if government don't do it," he said, also demanding reopening of Jamia Fareedia. Delivering Friday sermon, Maulana Abdul Ghaffar, the chief cleric, said Musharraf should be held accountable. "People will not forgive the government if it gives Musharraf a safe passage," he said. He claimed that Musharraf had confessed to selling Pakistanis to the US in his book so he should be put to trial. He went on to demand registration of murder cases against Musharraf for those killed in military operations against Lal Masjid clerics and militants in tribal areas. He condemned the arrest and prosecution of Dr Aafia Siddique in the US. Ghaffar called for a halt to the ongoing military operation in Bajaur and Swat. |
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India-Pakistan | |
Cases against Maulana Aziz, wife adjourned till 28th | |
2008-01-06 | |
The Anti-Terrorism Court No 1 on Saturday adjourned hearing into the cases against former Lal Masjid chief cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz till January 28. Maulana Aziz was produced before the court but the judge, Habibur Rehman, postponed the hearing as defence and state lawyers failed to turn up due to the elections of the Rawalpindi District Bar Association.
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India-Pakistan |
Umme Hasaan denied entry into Jamia Fareedia |
2007-10-29 |
Police on Sunday barred Jamia Hafsa Principal Umme Hasaan and around 40 students from entering Jamia Fareedia, a Lal Masjid madrassa, disregarding the Supreme Courts orders. Umme Hasaan, wife of former Lal Masjid chief cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz, went to the madrassa in E-7 to take over administrative control. The Supreme Court had recently ordered the Islamabad administration hand over control of the madrassa to her. Police said they had denied Umme Hasaan and her students entry into the madrassa because they failed to produce the deputy commissioners permission. They said Umme Hasaan would be allowed to enter the madrassa when she did so. |
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India-Pakistan |
Fire Lal Masjid clerics if they cause trouble, says SC |
2007-10-19 |
![]() On October 2, the SC ordered the opening of Lal Masjid and endorsed government-proposed Maulana Abdul Ghaffar as temporary cleric and Maualana Abdul Azizs nephew Maulana Aamer Siddique as Ghaffars deputy. Siddique was appointed on an undertaking that he would not create any disturbance in the mosques affairs. The bench said that permanent clerics would not be appointed until the appointment dispute was settled permanently. It ordered the government to compensate the legal heirs of all those killed during the operation against the mosque. The court directed Jamia Fareedia to offer its facilities to the students if the government failed to provide them with an opportunity to continue their studies by October 30. It said Umme Hassan, the wife of Maulana Aziz, would be the principal of the girls madrassa. |
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India-Pakistan | |
Govt ordered to open Lal Masjid for prayers from today | |
2007-10-03 | |
![]() Hearing a suo motu case, the bench consisting of Justice Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi and Justice Javed Buttar The bench directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to complete the construction of a proposed educational project at the site of the demolished Jamia Hafsa in a year. The SC bench set an October 15 deadline for the Islamabad administration to ensure the shifting of girl students of Jamia Hafsa to Jamia Fareedia, which was sealed during the military operation. It asked the Islamabad sessions judge to find the legal heirs of those killed in the operation within a month and compensate them within two months. Justice Buttar declared that Lal Masjid would be used only for prayers and no madrassa would function on its premises.
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India-Pakistan |
Govt warned of attacks by female bombers |
2007-09-24 |
![]() There are chances that that male and female former students of Jamia Hafsa, Jamia Fareedia and Lal Masjid that managed to escape from Operation Silence could carry out suicide attacks across the country, the intelligence agencies reports said, according to sources. The report also suspected involvement of students from these madrassas in the suicide bombing on July 17 in Islamabad. Intelligence agencies had forwarded detailed reports to the Interior Ministry as well, the sources said, following which authorities had issued special instructions in this regard. Police told to keep an eye on burqa-clad women: In the report, sources said, authorities suggested that police seniors across the country immediately issue instructions to keep a close eye on suspicious women wearing shuttlecock burqas and/or youngsters roaming near important installations, especially foreign ones, as well as important personalities, law enforcement personnel and important public and business places. They said that the ministry had also circulated special letters in this regard to senior security and administrative officials across the country. Provincial police officers (PPOs) of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, NWFP, and the Islamabad police inspector general (IG) had also been especially directed to take precautionary measures on an emergency basis, they said. |
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India-Pakistan |
Nuggets from the Urdu press |
2007-08-27 |
![]() Daily Jang, quoting from the American magazine Online, reported that Osama bin Laden died of typhoid last month in Pakistan. The Saudi head of state and the President of France were secretly briefed, but the Pakistani government and the agencies didnt confirm the news. The last time Osama appeared in a video tape was in 2004, and after that only a few audio tapes (of poor voice quality) have appeared, claiming to be the voice of Osama. Stomach belt created panic in a bus As reported in daily Express, a bus conductor saw a passenger with a belt under his shirt and started screaming, Suicide bomber! Panic ensued, and passengers jumped from the windows of the bus. In Mianwali, a local madrassah student, Hafiz Mohammad Shahzad, boarded a bus for Bannu wearing a belt under his shirt. When panic broke out, he showed his belt to the people. It was meant to reduce a sagging tummy. Why are Shujaat and Ijaz ul Haq targeted? Sarerahe wrote in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, that the female students of Jamia Hafsa claimed that they kidnapped the Chinese women of the massage parlor and Aunti Shamim at the behest of Ijaz ul Haq and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. Chaudhry Shujaat and Ijaz ul Haq have disguised their original brand and have coloured themselves to join enlightened moderators. Why didnt the female students target the surgeons of this operation? Instead, they targeted these two leaders, because Chaudhry Shujaat is a religious man and Ijaz ul Haq is the son of a pious man. Cambridge producing terrorists As reported in daily Khabrain, it is usually assumed that religious seminaries are centers of terrorism, but all the Al Qaeda groups who have been busted so far have not had anyone educated from these madrassahs. Osama bin Laden and Dr Aymen Al Zawahiri studied from Western universities and reacted against American policies. Indian national Kafil Ahmad, who rammed his jeep into Glasgow airport, was a PhD from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. Thief let off on the recommendation of MPA As reported in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, police arrested thieves red handed, stealing pipes from a factory in the Kot Abdul Malik area. Police left the head of the gang after sifarish from a local MPA, Gul Agha. The factory owner demanded that the head of the gang should be arrested again. Radio license for Al Qaeda supporter As reported in daily Jang, the PPP demanded an FM radio license from the governor of NWFP. The governor has given a radio license to the son in law of Sufi Mohammad, Maulana Fazalullah, who is poisoning peoples minds against democratic forces. The PPP wanted a radio channel to spread its party program to the people. Crocodile tears of religious leaders As reported in daily Khabrain, Maulana Abdul Aziz said through his lawyer that no religious leader, including Wafaq ul Madaris, is entitled to file a writ petition in the Supreme Court on the behalf of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid. He said that these people were responsible for our problems, and now want to destroy our case to achieve their political goals. The chairman of the ulema council, Hafiz Mehmood Ashrafi, said that those who were calling the Ghazi brothers American agents are trying to take control of Jamia Fareedia and the Lal Masjid and are shedding crocodile tears to prove themselves innocent. Blasphemy against Holy Quran As reported in Daily Pakistan, in Holland a member of parliament and leader of the Freedom Party, Gate Bailders [that'd be Gert Wilders], demanded the banning of the Holy Quran in Holland, and compared it with the book of Hitler. His remarks have insulted Muslims, and the Public Prosecutor will decide whether to take Gate Bailders to court. Why didnt Al Qaeda raise the Kashmir issue? In daily Nawa-e-Waqt, famous columnist Haroon ur Rashid asked why Osama bin Laden and Aimen al Zawahiri never raised the issue of Kashmir? Is it because they have links with a certain sect, which is still against the creation of Pakistan? Do they have links with India, and are part of an international conspiracy against Pakistan? Lawyers beat up Khalil Malik As reported in Daily Pakistan, Khalil Malik, the owner of a paper and a presenter on PTV, was severely beaten by lawyers in Rawalpindi. He made derogatory remarks against Chief Justice Chaudhry during the movement for his restoration. A case was logged against him by the Bar Association. He came to appear in the case against him and female lawyers showed him their shoes. He surrendered and gave an unconditional apology before the court, and lawyers withdrew their case against him. Who was Abdullah Mehsud? Tanvir Qaiser Shahid reported in Daily Pakistan, that Abdullah Mehsud, after failing to join the Pakistan Army, went to Karachi and was admitted on the recommendation of Mufti Shamzai, to Jamia Banoria, a famous seminary of the Deoband school. He was a favourite student of Mufti Jamil Ahmad. Both Mufti Shamzai and Mufti Jamil were supporters of the Taliban and were advisors to Mullah Omar. Abdullah went to Afghanistan and was Mullah Omars Government received billions for Lal Masjid As reported in daily Jang, Maulana Sami ul Haq, head of Jamiat ulema Islam (Sami), said that the Lal Masjid operation was done on American instructions. He said that Pakistan received 10 billion dollars for this operation. He said that the presence of arms in madrassahs is propaganda. He said that we are trying to bring madrassahs into mainstream national life. Urdu wasting students time As reported in daily Khabrain, the Minister of Education, Qazi Javed Ashraf, said teaching Urdu is waste of time and that our cricketers get in trouble when they speak in English. He said that the subject of Islamiyat, which doesnt teach brotherhood, patience and true Islamic traditions, should not be taught. Addressing a teacher training workshop, he said that female teachers would be employed for co education up to primary level schools. Chinese kidnapping to avenge murder As reported in Daily Pakistan by Tanvir Qaiser Shahid, Mufti Jamil was killed in Karachi along with Maulana Taunsavi of Khatam-e Nabowat in 2004. Mufti Shamzai had already been gunned down by unknown assailants. Two days after the killing of Mufti Jamil, two Chinese engineers were kidnapped, along with their Pakistani driver, Shaban, and Constable Asmatullah. Three of the kidnappers were Afghan, with two Mehsud tribemen. The leader of this group was Abdullah Mehsud. Naeem Bukhari beaten by Lawyers As reported in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, famous lawyer and TV host Naeem Bukhari, who wrote a letter to Pervez Musharraf against Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, was beaten by lawyers in Rawalpindi. Naeem Bukhari said that he was ready to apologise, but the lawyers insisted that he should beg forgiveness in his underwear in front of the Bar Association members. PPP cant have contacts with the government Nazir Naji wrote in daily Jang, that Pakistan is divided into two classes: rulers and the oppressed. Historically, the oppressed are represented by the PPP, while the ruling class is represented by the establishment. When there is a chance for the PPP to come into power, the establishment starts yelling and throw all kinds of allegations at the PPP. Those who level allegations think of serving the establishment as their right, but when Benazir contacts Musharraf then she becomes the target of allegations. |
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India-Pakistan |
600 'suicide bombers' lurking in twin cities |
2007-07-29 |
![]() During interrogation, former Lal Masjid prayer leader Maulana Abdul Aziz said that five to six hundred students of the two madrassas had been trained, equipped and brainwashed to carry out suicide attacks. These students left the madrassa according to a plan before the final operation against the mosque was launched, the source said, adding that some female students had also been trained to provide support to these bombers. During the debriefing of students captured from Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa, the security agencies learnt that the teenaged students believed that President Pervez Musharraf and his team were kaafirs (non-believers) and agents of the US and had to be killed. The bombers are targeting army and law enforcement personnel to avenge the killings of their colleagues and Abdul Rashid Ghazi, said the source. According to intelligence reports, at least 60 operatives are masterminding the attacks against security personnel. Investigations have revealed that these operatives are operating from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, the source said, adding that military actions alone against the militants would not bear the desired results. Neither the operation nor massive killings can resolve this issue. It will instead trigger an unending bloodbath throughout the country, the source quoted Maulana Aziz as telling his interrogators. |
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India-Pakistan | ||||||||||
Suicide attack on police claims 14: 'Taliban' back at Lal Masjid | ||||||||||
2007-07-28 | ||||||||||
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India-Pakistan |
CDA set to reclaim Hafsa, Fareedia land |
2007-07-12 |
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is waiting for the conclusion of Operation Silence to reclaim 18 acres of state land encroached on by Jamia Hafsa and Jamia Fareedia. CDA Member (Estates) Brig (r) Asad Munir told Daily Times on Wednesday that the Interior Ministry had directed the CDA on July 4 to demolish the structures built illegally at Jamia Hafsa. He said the CDA would also clear the land encroached on by Jamia Fareedia, but the government had not issued orders for this yet. The two madrassas encroached on a total of 9,094.45 square yards (18 acres), Munir said, adding that the CDA had been struggling to get back the encroached land since 2001 when the Lal Masjid started building illegal structures on the state land. The government had initially allotted 660 square yards of land to Lal Masjid in 1988 to establish a madrassa for women. An additional 138.8 square yards were allotted to Jamia Hafsa in 1993. |
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