The “Talibanisation” of Pakistan…
…is now a REAL possibility.
Close on the heels of mention in my last post about the Pakistani moral police, I came across this piece of news in today’s newspapers: “Pakistan minister earns clergy’s wrath for hug“. The report said:
“…A Taliban-style Islamic court here has issued a fatwa against a woman minister for posing in an “obscene manner” with French paraglider pilots and called on the Pakistan government to sack her.
The decree against tourism minister Nilofar Bakhtiar was the first to be made by the self-styled court at the Lal Masjid since mullahs announced its formation on Friday…”
While the Pakistani government “condemned the fatwa”, it said it will try and resolve the issue with negotiations (Did someone say something about not negotiating with a guy who has a gun to your head?).
Later in the morning, came across this: ‘Pak govt hand-in-glove with jihadis‘. To quote,
“…The top rights panel in Pakistan has accused the government for being hand in glove with the radical Islamists and encouraging the Talibanisation of the country while attacks on minorities, particularly Hindus in Sindh, continue unabated…”
The report slammed the government’s inaction following the raids on DVD and music shops and said, “The lack of action after the excesses committed by the female students of the Jamia Hafsa in Islamabad exposes the deep-rooted links between the military and religious jihadi groups in the country”
The HRCP said the dire warnings of forced Islamisation, suicide attacks and the setting up of a Qazi court by the clerics running the controversial Lal Masjid are even grimmer.
“…The panel report has also highlighted the attacks on non-Muslim citizens across the country. “False cases have been registered against Hindus in Sindh, where they have been especially targeted as a means of political victimisation” the statement by the HRCP said. It has also mentioned “attacks on temples, churches and other places of worship.”
Some of you may remember the article in Outlook on “Sindh’s Stolen Brides” and my post on this topic which the report commented on, “The trend of forced conversions, especially of young women, is continuing most notably in Sindh,” the HRCP said.”
Connect the dots – and be really worried.
* Image courtesy: Wikipedia
http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-59864.html
Lahore’s dancing girls strike over ‘Mujra ban’
Taliban: Marry us or else…
Link Courtesy: Sh Kak
More sad news: Stop shaving beards: Taliban’s edict for Swat men
and Music on buses “vulgarâ€: Taliban
Thanks to Sh Kak for the links
*** COMMENT EDITED ***
Check out:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6022878.ece
And it seems that Afghanistan (the country that was supposed to become democratic under Karzai) plans on legalizing marital rape .
*** NOTE by MODERATOR ***
@ Harapriya: Pl. refrain from abusing any faith. I would urge everyone to exercise restraint in their use if words – particularly in view of recent developments. I hope you understand.
***
Related Link: ‘Please stop’: Taliban flog girl, 17, as she begs for mercy in ‘honour’ punishment by Debra Killalea, 3rd Apr ’09 [ link via Pushpa Rajguru ]
CAUTION: Pl. be aware that the video footage is very disturbing and (I believe) not suitable for children.
@Harapriya: It is their faith, their religion and their country. They are doing everything according to their faith. They have to interpret everything and implement the law. They are doing it in a very perfect manner. It is indeed very sad that civilized world don’t understand them and their faith. Can we blame them ? On the contrary we should encourage them from the sidelines !!!
New Work Times on the bad week women are having:
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/03/setbacks-for-women-in-israel-pakistan-and-afghanistan/?emc=eta1
@KSV. Yes it is their country and their faith. However when does something become a human rights violation that can initiate global condemnation and global action?
And in light of the increased Islamization of India, is this a fate that Indian women should look forward too?
@Shantanu. I realize that one has to be careful what one says . However I have a quick question–which country’s laws apply here? Where you reside, where I reside or where the person who gets offended by comments on the web resides? I would like some clarification. Thanks.
@Harapriya: Do you think they are human beings (sorry if I am too harsh) ? They have lost that quality long long back. Do you think they are bothered about global condemnation ? Do you think there will be any effect on these people by the so called global condemnation ? They are in a vicious circle. They cannot come out of it due to the indoctrination they are being subjected to. They are being sucked into the vortex of hate. There is no escape. What we can do is to insulate our country and our citizens from these men possessed (you know by what).
@KSV. My concern was the women. Women in almost every country have to abide by laws which they had no input in creating. What is particularly cruel about the situation here is that the women are condemned to participating in the society and live within norms that they might not agree with and cannot escape.
If more and more women are violated, does that call for military intervention to rescue them?
@Harapriya: Do you think that these women want them to be rescued ? They too are ardent militants themselves. They are hand in glove with their male counterparts from militancy to implementation of their cult. You can wish to save only those who want to be saved. You say “If more and more women are violated, does that call for military intervention to rescue them?” But unless the “root cause” is not removed or at least moderated nothing is possible.
But as far as I am concerned these very people wanted to inflict a thousand cuts on our Mother India. Now I see the Bhasmasur they have endowed with all the destructive power is after them. As I said earlier why we should we bother whether they are men or women. They are simply Pakistanis. Let us see what happens to those hate-mongers who lived by the sword. As the maxim goes these devils are sure to die by the sword.
KSV Subramanian:
“As I said earlier why we should we bother whether they are men or women. They are simply Pakistanis.”
Whether they are Pakistanis or not, they are human beings. Humanism trumps religion in its ubiquitous message of intrepid secularism and anti-nationalism. We are bound by our very existence to at least attempt to find a solution to the pestilence of Islamic extremists, or extremists of any other faith. Caste, creed, culture, nationality, religion and ethnicity must be shoved into irrelevance in the struggle for a peaceful humanity that respects human rights.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2009/apr/21taliban-creating-new-terror-havens-report.htm
@ KSV @ AR
Women can play very imprtant role in rearing human being by shoving love, care, creed, respect for other religion, culture, nationality and ethnicity. Today women of pakistan has failed to raise the level of security to their friends, children and husbands. One of the reason Islam do not give importance to womanhood.
One become fighter to fight the extremist is called extremists? No. Because of their rigid ideology, we must surrender? No. Its futile to talk of love to those who are violater of human rights then and now. Who has no remorse killing someones wife, children and husbands. Language of love is for those who understand love. Women of Pakistan is helpless!
Caste, creed, culture, nationality, religion and ethnicity must be shoved into irrelevance in the struggle for a peaceful humanity that respects human rights.
My peace of mind or respect for human rights is not contingent on those list of identities you mentioned. If yours is connected to those identities, that is, you cannot achieve peace and humanism as long as you have those identities, then you’re welcome to shove those identities into irrelevance for yourself – as Gandhiji said, “be the change you want to see in the world”. As for me, let me decide on my own which identities I choose or not – I don’t need fascists dictating to me about identities, peace and humanism. 🙂
@Kaffir, Well said!
@ AR: I would strongly urge you to read this article…
The Politics of “Identity”
We can then carry the discussion re. humanism, nationalism etc on that thread.
Thanks.
German Army Can’t Protect Afghan Girls’ Schools
Resuming the schooling of Afghanistan’s girls became a much-celebrated post-Taliban achievement for the international community, but that success is now at risk.
Six schools in the northern region of Kunduz closed following Taliban threats in recent weeks. The German army says it can’t protect them.
More here
After reading this post and some of the thoughts, I beginning to believe that the solution to this whole mess should begin with the empowerment of women in Islamic nations. Too long have a bunch of mullah’s dictated their whims on society.
Time for a change.
Read Nicolas Kristof on the “Creeping Talibanization” of Pakistan http://tr.im/tPw9
Courtesy Ashok-ji, this brief excerpt from Psychiatrists cannot undo Taliban brainwashing:
* Would-be suicide bomber still considers suicide attacks best way to tackle any person who becomes hurdle in implementing sharia
…”I am ready to carry out a suicide attack against any target with approval of my ameer (chief),” said 15-year-old Hamad, who claimed he received 40 days of training from the Taliban after being held last year.
Hamad, who talked by telephone from Qambar village in Swat, is now among a group of teenagers being treated by military psychiatrists. Hamad’s father, Furqan Ahmad, found his son receiving militant training in the Swat town of Charbagh last February, two months after he mysteriously disappeared and before the latest military offensive began.
…”The Taliban completely brainwashed my son, who was studying in ninth grade. He is now even more violent and doesn’t let his mother and sisters watch TV, calling it un-Islamic,” Furqan said.
Here is the olive branch of Taliban, kid of US + Pakistan to one of it’s parents
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pak-taliban-chief-threatens-to-target-india/529471/
This is a case of spoilt child raising policy by US and Pakistan
*** NOTE by Shantanu ***
This link should be on the AfPak post…I am letting it stay here for a while but the thrust of the story is not on the Talibanization of Pakistan.
I am repeating…Pl. post links on the relevant threads otherwise they will be deleted without notice.