Showing posts with label Swat Flogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Swat Flogging. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Enforcement of TTP Sharia Law in Pakistan.


ISLAMABAD: Negotiators representing Pakistani Taliban insurgents said Wednesday there was no chance of peace in Pakistan until the government embraces Islamic Sharia law and US-led forces withdraw completely from neighbouring Afghanistan. The tough conditions appear to deal a blow to hopes that peace talks with the Pakistani government could end the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) insurgency that has rocked the country since 2007. Maulana Samiul Haq, the head of the TTP's three-man talks team, told news agency AFP there could be “no peace” in the region while there were still US troops across the border. His comments were echoed by his fellow TTP negotiator Maulana Abdul Aziz, who also said the TTP's long-held commitment to imposing sharia law across Pakistan was not open to debate. “Without sharia law, the Taliban won't accept (the talks) even one per cent,” he said. “If some factions accept it, then the others won't accept it.” “Their real agenda is sharia,” Aziz said, suggesting that all Pakistan's secular courts based on the common law system be abolished. “I don't think the government will accept this but they should, because war isn't the way forward.” On Afghanistan, Aziz said an endorsement of the security pact with Washington would scupper hopes for regional peace. “We think these (Afghanistan and Pakistan) are two brotherly countries. Peace in Pakistan means peace in Afghanistan and vice versa,” he said. If Afghanistan signs the agreement, he said, “war will continue, and the clash between Muslims and the US will continue.” “If the agreement goes ahead, then the losses they (US) have experienced before, they will experience once again,” he added. “If Americans remain in Afghanistan, there will be no peace in the region, it will be same, it will be unsafe,” said Samiul Haq. REFERENCE: ‘Without sharia, TTP won't accept talks’ 2014-02-05 19:50:57 http://www.dawn.com/news/1085105/without-sharia-ttp-wont-accept-talks


Ugly Role of Pakistani Media, Pervez Musharraf & Lal Masjid (2007)

 
Ugly Role of Pakistani Media, Pervez Musharraf... by SalimJanMazari


Thursday, May 31, 2007 Lal Masjid has 10,000 suicide bombers: Abdul Aziz ISLAMABAD: The Lal Masjid administration has more than 10,000 suicide bombers on the mosque premises and more than one lakh across Pakistan, claimed Khateeb of Lal Masjid, Maulana Abdul Aziz. “The suicide attackers are ready to operate anywhere/anytime in Pakistan,” he said at a press briefing at the Lal Masjid on Wednesday evening. “We consider suicide attacks are right in Pakistan in few circumstances, while we consider them as absolutely justified in the context of Afghanistan and Iraq,” he said. “Our students enjoy the moments when a police or Rangers operation looms, and they get bored when the situation normalises,” he said of the situation inside Lal Masjid. He said, “We favoured the Taliban not only in the past, we favour them even today.” Responding to a question that the strategy adopted by the Lal Masjid administration to solve different problems was helping Musharraf’s agenda to bring liberalism in the country and that analysts think that the clerics were operating on the direction of agencies and basically helping the regime to achieve its agenda, he said it was totally wrong. “We are not operating under the command of some agency, and I am ready for ‘Mubahela’ in this regard,” he added. He said the Musharraf government was not taking any advantage to fulfil its agendas from the actions of the Lal Masjid. However, at this moment Aziz’s younger brother Maulana Abdul Rasheed Ghazi took the mike from him and further elaborated the answer saying, “Sometimes it happens. Someone takes advantage from some action, which is actually not aimed to support him.” He said: “When we were fighting against the USSR, the US had taken advantage of the situation. Our struggle against the USSR was not aimed to benefit the US, but they took an indirect advantage of our struggle.” He also cited the example of the war of Muslims against Persia which indirectly benefited the Romans. Aziz also disclosed that Gen (retd) Hamid Gul had told him during a conversation that according to the Constitution, any citizen of Pakistan can play the role of a ‘law officer’ if he observes some illegal activity somewhere and not find law-enforcement authorities there. The Lal Masjid cleric said that not a single finger was cut during their peaceful movement. Asked why the administration did not do something for the poor and depressed class of society and confined its version of Islam to CD shops and brothels, the cleric said they could not do anything for improving the condition of the poor with their resources. However, they could stop people from doing wrong. “We are doing what we can do,” he added. REFERENCE: Lal Masjid has 10,000 suicide bombers: Abdul Aziz BY our correspondent Thursday, May 31, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=8218&Cat=13&dt=5/31/2007


2009-04-14 Sharia for other parts of Pakistan also: TNSM BATHKELA The Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) said Tuesday that after Swat and Malakand, Sharia will be implemented in other parts of the country as well. While talking to the media in Batkhela, the TNSM chief Sufi Mohammad said that the Taliban and TNSM will work alongside the government for the implementation of Sharia and will maintain peace in the region. Sufi Mohammad also said he will not abolish the peace camp he established in Malakand and will continue the peace process in the Swat valley. The TNSM chief added that once Sharia is implemented in Swat and Malakand it would soon after be extended to other parts of the country. He also urged all TNSM loyalists to work towards furthering the peace process. Earlier, Sufi Mohammad had welcomed the signing of Sharia bill as a positive sign. REFERENCE: Sharia for other parts of Pakistan also: TNSM http://www.dawn.com/news/457279/sharia-for-other-parts-of-pakistan-also-tnsm

Ansar Abbasi & GEO TV & Swat Girl Flogging


Ansar Abbasi & GEO TV & Swat Girl Flogging by SalimJanMazari


(2009) Sharia law enforced in Malakand  PESHAWAR, April 15 The NWFP governor promulgated on Wednesday the Sharia Nizam-i-Adl Regulation of 2009, providing for appointment of Qazis and restoration of the executive magistracy system in the Malakand division and Kohistan. The regulation replaces the Sharia Nizam-i-Adl Regulation of 1999, which had been in force in Malakand and some other Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (Pata). The new law will apply to Pata, except for the tribal area adjoining Mansehra district and the former state of Amb. Regular courts have not been functioning in Swat since March 17 when they were stopped from taking up cases by Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-i-Muhammadi chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad. The regulation defines Sharia as injunctions of Islam as laid down in the Holy Quran, Sunnah, Ijma (consensus view) and Qias (analogy) and requires a Qazi or an executive magistrate to seek guidance from the same sources. According to the new law, the conduct and character of a judicial officer and executive magistrate should conform to Islamic principles and he should decide all cases in accordance with Sharia. The regulation envisages two appellate forums Darul-Darul Qaza and Darul Qaza, which would operate in Malakand region. Darul-Darul Qaza would be equivalent to the Supreme Court and Darul Qaza would have appellate jurisdiction similar to that of a high court. The Darul Qaza would be constituted under Article 198(4) of the Constitution which deals with the appellate jurisdiction of high courts, and the Darul-Darul Qaza would function under Article 183(2) of the Constitution, dealing with the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. An Ilaqa Qazi should be a duly appointed judicial officer in the province but preference should be given to judicial officers who have completed Sharia courses from a recognised institution. The Sharia Nizam-i-Adl Regulation also repeals the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Ordinance of 2001 and revives the executive magistracy, including the district magistrate, additional district magistrate, sub-divisional magistrate and other executive magistrates. The system was abolished on Aug 14, 2001. An executive magistrate would be empowered to deal with cases which carry a jail term of up to three years under the Pakistan Penal Code, like breach of peace and public nuisance and cases relating to deviation of licences and permits. The law also abolishes the offices of Muavin-i-Qazi (assistant to qazi) and Aalim Wakeel, provided in the 1999 regulation. Both officials used to guide the Qazi courts in Malakand on Shariah issues. The regulation also focuses on speedy disposal of cases. Qazis would now be bound to decide a civil case within six months and a criminal case within four months. Any Qazi who fails to comply with the schedule would be censured and adverse remarks will be entered in his service record if he receives three letters in a year. According to the new law, the number of pending cases before Zila Qazi, Izafi Zila Qazi and district magistrate should not exceed 150. The maximum number of cases pending before Aala Ilaqa Qazis (senior civil judge), Ilaqa Qazis and executive magistrates should be 200. If pending cases exceed the court`s capacity, the provincial government will be required to set up new courts. The First Schedule of the Regulation enlists 94 laws which will apply to the Malakand region and Kohistan. Apart from the appellate courts, there will be five categories of courts the court of zila Qazi (district and sessions judge); Izafi Zila Qazi (additional district and sessions judge); Aala Ilaqa Qazi (senior civil judge); Ilaqa Qazi (civil judge) and executive magistrate. The regulation also provides a mediation mechanism. Subject to mutual consent of the parties concerned, any civil or criminal case may be referred by a court to a Musleh (mediator) or Musleheen (mediators) before recording evidence. However, cases under the Hudood laws or those against the state cannot be referred to mediators.Malakand division includes seven districts - Swat, Buner, Shangla, Chitral, Malakand, Upper Dir and Lower Dir. The promulgation of the regulation had been due since last year when its first draft was prepared by the caretaker government and further steps were taken when the coalition government of the ANP and PPP was set up in the province after last year`s general elections. REFERENCE: Sharia law enforced in Malakand WASEEM AHMAD SHAH 2009-04-16 00:00:00 http://www.dawn.com/news/457662/sharia-law-enforced-in-malakand

Introduction of the Deobandi Scholars by Mullah Muhammad Shafi Okarvi http://www.scribd.com/doc/188158859/Introduction-of-the-Deobandi-Scholars-by-Mullah-Muhammad-Shafi-Okarvi

Ahl-e-Hadith Mullah say that Deobandis & Barelvis are Kaafir



 
Ahl-e-Hadith Mullah say that Deobandis... by SalimJanMazari


(2009) Taliban to take `struggle` to new areas ISLAMABAD, April 15 Pakistani Taliban will not lay down their arms in a northwestern valley as part of a deal that included the introduction of sharia law but will take their “struggle” to new areas, a militant spokesman said on Wednesday. Details of the deal have not been made public but government officials backing the pact have said part of it was that militants would give up their arms. However, a Pakistani Taliban spokesman in the Swat valley said they would be keeping their guns. “Sharia doesn`t permit us to lay down arms,” Muslim Khan said by telephone. “If a government, either in Pakistan or Afghanistan, continues anti-Muslim policies, it`s out of the question that Taliban lay down their arms.” The government has struggled to come up with an effective strategy to counter terrorism, alternating in different areas between military offensives and peace deals. Some Taliban fighters last week moved out of Swat and into Buner district, only 100km from Islamabad, and Mr Khan said his men would push into new areas. “When we achieve our goal at one place, there are other areas where we need to struggle for it,” he said. Militants infiltrated into Swat in 2007 from strongholds on the Afghan border to the west to support a radical cleric. Mr Khan said militants would go to Afghanistan to fight US-led forces if Afghan Taliban called for help. “Our struggle is for a cause and that`s to enforce Allah`s rule on Allah`s land. We will send mujahideen to Afghanistan if they demand them,” he said. One security analyst, retired Brigadier Syed Mehmood Shah, said peace could be found if the government disarmed the militants “The agreement should be given a chance.” But another said the Swat militants were part of an expanding network.—Reuters REFERENCE: Taliban to take `struggle` to new areas 2009-04-16 http://www.dawn.com/news/457661/taliban-to-take-ae%CB%9Cstruggleae-to-new-areas

History of the Scholars of Deoband by Hakeem Mehmood Ahmed Salafi http://www.scribd.com/doc/188154296/History-of-the-Scholars-of-Deoband-by-Hakeem-Mehmood-Ahmed-Salafi




Barelvi Mullah says that Dobandis & Wahabis are Kaafir




Barelvi Mullah says that Dobandis & Wahabis are... by SalimJanMazari


2009-04-19 00:00:00 What the Taliban ideology means THE footage recently made public showing the flogging of a girl in Swat and the execution of a man and woman in their 40s reportedly in the Hangu district must have sickened anyone with respect for human rights and dignity. As such, these videos constitute a graphic reminder of the fact that behind the rhetoric of religion, the real face of the Taliban is one of unmixed brutality and murderousness. This should come as no surprise. Since the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan during the 1990s and in Pakistan more recently, there has been ample evidence that the otherwise harmless moniker — which means `students` — is a mask worn by an ideologically united group that uses tactics of violence, fear and gross coercion to get its way. Given this, it is alarming that Pakistan`s state and society continue to bury their heads in the sand and resort to denial of either specific acts of brutality or the threat in general posed by the Taliban. The most recent example of this approach is an investigation team`s conclusion that the video depicting the whipping of the young woman in Swat was “fake and false”, as indicated by Interior Secretary Kamal Shah. He quoted the final report as saying that that no such incident took place since the girl in question denied it and the area`s residents also expressed their ignorance. Yet anyone who has suffered such an act of barbarity, and who continues to live under the shadow of his or her persecutors, is unlikely to risk inducing their ire further. More dangerous, however, is the reduction of the issue to a debate over whether or not the video was `real` and when exactly the incident took place. This constitutes yet another example of the manner in which the Pakistani state and its citizenry live in denial of the clear and present danger to their personal freedoms. It is precisely this attitude that has allowed the Taliban and others of their ilk to make such deep inroads. Even if this particular video was faked, there is ample evidence otherwise of the Taliban`s brutality. Reports of beheadings, shootings and the coercion of people — who are citizens of Pakistan and residents of Swat — are made public practically everyday. For the survival of values pertaining to freedom, democracy and citizens` rights, the threat posed by the Taliban must be combated not only militarily but also by taking up positions on the ideological battleground from where they fire the salvos. For this to happen, the grotesqueness of the Taliban worldview must first be recognised and then rejected wholesale. The Swati girl`s ordeal sparked outrage across the country; but such graphic footage ought not to be necessary to convince the citizenry of the Taliban`s real face. Living in denial is a luxury that is no longer available to us. REFERENCE: What the Taliban ideology means 2009-04-19 http://www.dawn.com/news/458386/what-the-taliban-ideology-means

Saudi Wahabi Fatwa Against Takfir (Apostasy) of Muslim Rulers http://www.scribd.com/doc/100422997/Saudi-Wahabi-Fatwa-Against-Takfir-Apostasy-of-Muslim-Rulers




Barelvi Scholar Kaukab Noorani Okarvi says Deobandis are Kaafir

 
Barelvi Scholar Kaukab Noorani Okarvi says... by SalimJanMazari



(2009) There are no indications that the Taliban are doing anything to uphold their end of the deal. Sufi Mohammad has declared that the high courts and the Supreme Court of Pakistan should no longer have appellate power over judgments handed down by the so-called Sharia courts established under the Nizam-i-Adl agreement. Arguing that the judicial system laid out in the country`s constitution is `un-Islamic`, he has demanded that the regular court system be replaced with the Darul Qazas as the only forum for filing appeals that will then be decided in line with what Sufi Mohammad vaguely calls `Islamic principles`. The demand constitutes cause for the gravest concern since, if accepted, it will remove the existing courts from the jurisdiction of the country`s judicial system. Appellate power will go to Darul Qazas headed by qazis with no legal training and appointed by Sufi Mohammad himself. In attempting to decide cases in line with `Islamic injunctions` that have never been defined in full, the qazis will effectively be not only making their own laws but making them according to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and Sufi Mohammad`s own skewed version of the Sharia. Not only does this put paid to any chance of transparency or justice in Swat and Malakand, it bodes ill for the rest of the country as well, given the Taliban`s expansionist tendencies. Sufi Mohammad`s latest demand is a potent example of the fallout that can be expected since the government cut a shadowy deal with the Taliban, the full details of which remain unclear. On available evidence, the militants make ever-increasing demands under the banner of the Nizam-i-Adl, and the government, after some dragging of the heels, capitulates. But there are no indications that the Taliban are doing anything to uphold their end of the deal — which was to bring an end to terrorist activities and allow the government to regain administrative control of the area. Far from laying down arms, at the very time the deal was being brokered the Taliban were expanding their operations to Buner and Mansehra. Meanwhile, Sufi Mohammad has claimed that criminals accused of murder, extortion and terrorism cannot be brought to book. Furthermore, the demand illustrates how Sufi Mohammad has used his position as peace-broker to manoeuvre greater power and relevance towards the extreme right-wing agenda. It underscores the danger inherent in depending for peace on the man who heads the TNSM, an organisation banned for its militant and subversive activities, and whose credentials in terms of respecting the jurisdiction of the lawful government are extremely suspect. REFERENCE: Fallout of the deal 2009-04-21 00:00:00 http://www.dawn.com/news/937949/fallout-of-the-deal


Hakimullah Mehsud's Views on Pakistan Army, Pakistanis & Democracy



Hakimullah Mehsud's Views on Pakistan Army... by SalimJanMazari


2005-09-01 Hasba bill infringes personal freedom: SC ISLAMABAD, Aug 31: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that the state cannot enforce any religious obligation stipulated by Islam, except Sallat (prayers) and Zakat. Authored by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, a 106-page detailed judgment, said that Islamic jurists were unanimous on a point that though zakat was seriously enforced by Hazrat Abu Bakar but for sallat, the only way was through “Taleem” (education), “Tableegh” (preaching) and “Targheeb” (persuasion). The court agreed that private life, personal thoughts and individual beliefs of citizens could not be allowed to be interfered with and held that under the Hasba Bill, the NWFP Assembly had conferred judicial powers on “Mohtasib” (ombudsman) not only to inquire into cases of maladministration of government agencies but also religious and personal affairs of individuals and blocking powers of judicial review by civil and criminal courts. On August 4, a nine-member Supreme Court bench had declared several clauses of the Hasba bill relating to powers of the mohtasib as contrary to the constitution and had advised the NWFP governor not to give his assent to the controversial law. The unanimous short-order was announced after four-day hearing on a reference filed by President General Musharraf against the bill under the advisory jurisdiction of the court. Instead of showing haste, the NWFP government should have studied in depth all the reports of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) before moving the Hasba bill in the assembly, under which discretionary powers have been conferred on mohtasib to create a new offence in consultation with the provincial advisory council, the CJ observed in the detailed judgment. About mohtasib’s powers to remove causes of dereliction in performance and proper arrangements of Eidain and Friday prayers, the CJ observed that offering of prayer was a personal obligation on an individual being the Haqooq Allah. Religiously, mohtasib is not authorized to check negligence or disregard of a person who abandons sallat. Allowing such interference by mohtasib would deny an individual’s right of freedom to profess religion, the CJ said. It is therefore not correct to suggest that the Hasba bill is in accordance with Islam and if the legislation is accepted and made into law, then a citizen who is held responsible for dereliction will be liable to six-month punishment on the hukumnama (order) of the mohtasib when Sharia does not mandate imposition of penalties on vague offences. The only objective behind making available Hasba police to mohtasib is to strengthen the arms of mohtasib, to implement his hukumnama by force, if need be, the CJ said. Under the law, mohtasib would also have direct interference/access in the family functions in the garb of discouraging extravagance at the time of marriages and other family functions, thus interfering in personal life, freedom of assembly, liberty, dignity and privacy, which is strictly prohibited in Islam. Tracing the history, the CJ recalled that the institution of the office of Hasba did not exist at the time of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the Khulfa-e-Rashideen. Initially the office of “Amil-al-suk” was created by “Ummayyads” to regulate markets, but later it was expanded into the office of the mohtasib by the “Abbasids.” History reveals that the term mohtasib was used during the Khilafat of Qazi Mamoon-ur-Rashid when mohtasib used to look after the market business in addition to his religious duties like to reform social life. During the period, the duties of the mohtasib was to inspect instruments of the scales of weights and measures, which were so complicated that the people could be easily deceived. In addition, their duties include keeping vigilant eye over shortcomings and dishonesty that could be committed during preparation and sale of commodities. The judgment also explained that by declaring some sections of the bill as unconstitutional does not mean that leftover sections have been declared in accordance with the constitution. Their constitutionality remains open to be questioned, which can be upheld or struck down as or when challenged before a competent forum. Meanwhile Justice Sardar Mohammad Raza Khan in his separate note expressed reservations on the definition of Aalim (scholar) in the Hasba bill and held that the definition was discriminatory and restricted to only one school of thought. REFERENCE: Hasba bill infringes personal freedom: SC 2005-09-01 http://www.dawn.com/news/154829/hasba-bill-infringes-personal-freedom-sc Top MMA Leader Tries to Convince Pentagon, NSC on Hardline Islamic Law WASHINGTON DC, July 19, 2005 | ISSN: 1684-2057 | http://antisystemic.org/satribune/www.satribune.com/archives/200507/P1_durr.htm


Sufi Muhammad & Takfiri Ideology (Salim Safi 3 May 2009 GEO TV)

 
Sufi Muhammad & Takfiri Ideology (Salim Safi 3... by SalimJanMazari


(2005) Hasba restricts basic rights: SC * ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC), in its detailed reasons for rejecting the Hasba Bill of the NWFP government, has ruled that no legislation could be made to interfere with the private life, personal thoughts and individual beliefs of citizens. In its 106-page detailed unanimous judgement, the SC has laid the onus on the rationale that Hasba was a discriminatory and unconstitutional legislation which gave discretionary powers to the newly envisaged office of 'mohtasib', leading to interference in the personal life of citizens and establishing parallel offices of executive and judiciary. "It is observed that private life, personal thoughts and the individual beliefs of citizens cannot be allowed to be interfered with. Islamic jurists are unanimous on the point that except salat (prayer) and zakat (alms) no other religious obligation stipulated by Islam can be enforced by the state," states the detailed judgement. The NWFP Assembly passed the Hasba Bill on July 14 with a majority of 68 votes against 34 opposition votes. The bill envisaged an office of mohtasib with special powers to implement Islamic laws in the province. However, President Pervez Musharraf filed a reference the next day seeking the SC's opinion on the Hasba Bill under its advisory jurisdiction. A nine-member SC bench consisting of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justices Javed Iqbal, Abdul Hameed Dogar, Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan, Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi, Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, Mian Shakirullah Jan, Javed Buttar and Sayed Saeed Ashhad heard the presidential reference pleaded by Attorney General Makhdoom Ali Khan while Advocate Khalid Anwar appeared on behalf of the NWFP government. The SC bench conducted the reference's hearing for four consecutive days and pronounced its short judgement on August 4. The SC judgement declared that Section 10 (sub sections b, c and d); Section 12 (1) (sub section a, b and c); Section 23 (sub sections 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 12, 14 and 27); Section 25 (1 and 2) and Section 28 of the Hasba Bill 2005 passed by the NWFP Assembly were ultra vires to the Constitution. The SC also ruled that the NWFP governor may not assent to the bill in its present form. The sections declared unconstitutional by the SC relate to the powers and duties of the mohtasib, the implementation of his orders, his special powers to implement the Islamic code, restriction on other courts to proceed against the mohtasib's orders and the punishment prescribed for violation of the mohtasib's orders. In the detailed reasons, the SC rejected the mohtasib's office with the contention that "a mohtasib would have direct interference in the family functions in the garb of discouraging extravagance at the time of marriages and other family functions. Such exercise of powers would not only interfere in the citizens personal life, freedom of assembly, liberty, dignity and privacy which is strictly prohibited in Islam". REFERENCE: Detailed judgement on Hasba Bill: Hasba restricts basic rights: SC * State can't enforce religious obligation except salat and zakat BY Mohammad Kamran , September 01, 2005 http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/main/01-Sep-2005/detailed-judgement-on-hasba-bill-hasba-restricts-basic-rights-sc Top MMA Leader Tries to Convince Pentagon, NSC on Hardline Islamic Law WASHINGTON DC, July 19, 2005 | ISSN: 1684-2057 | http://antisystemic.org/satribune/www.satribune.com/archives/200507/P1_durr.htm

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Fake WikiLeaks, Jang Group & Lies of Azhar Abbas - Part 2




The fake story is not an isolated incident. Political and security observers believe a concerted effort is once again being made to encourage and promote a typical extremist mindset. Some analysts-cum-anchors have re-emerged from quasi-oblivion. Many journalists and analysts are briefed and encouraged to take an aggressively anti-West, especially anti-US, stance. Experts, who ‘preach’ extremism in disguise, are encouraged to participate in talk shows. “When such a mindset is promoted from the top echelons of power, its intensity is bound to increase when it spreads down the ranks,” said senior security analyst and writer Zahid Hussain. “They have not learnt from their past mistakes,” Zahid said, adding, “It is because of our flawed policies, especially of the 1980s, that we are still suffering.”“The most ironic thing is that the right wing leaning of our establishment is again apparent and in fact the patronisation of such forces has once again started,” Zahid said. Many analysts point to the shortsighted policies of our successive governments, especially true for our military rulers, who have led us to the disastrous situation of today. Unfortunately, even after suffering so much, especially in the last few years, there is still no realisation that using people in the name of religion will backfire once again. “It is not a water tap or an electric switch that you can turn on and off whenever you want. Once put in motion, it acquires its own momentum and is very difficult to control,” a former security official said. However, senior analyst and Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US and UK, Maliha Lodhi, believe that there is a realisation. “There is acknowledgement in private about mistakes made in the past. But it is not translating into a long term strategic plan,” Lodhi said. Just two years back, the Army was successful in wresting dangerous advance to the capital Islamabad by militants from Swat. This was done in part because of widespread public support it gained due to the extremists’ actions but also due to help by the progressive segment in the media. However, in the process, the Army marginalised the right wing. It is no secret that there were those in the media and clergy who openly opposed the Army’s campaign against the militants in Swat and tried their best to put the armed forces’ objectives and intention in doubt. Oscar Wilde probably put it best: “Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious.” In Pakistan, terms like ‘patriotism’ and ‘national interests’ are being used and abused by successive governments and the establishment like nowhere else. REFERENCE: A tactical move or the main strategy? Thursday, December 16, 2010 By Azhar Abbas http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=2695&Cat=13 Thursday, December 16, 2010, Muharram 09, 1432 A.H http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/dec2010-daily/16-12-2010/main2.htm



How "Conveniently" Mr. Azhar Abbas blamed "hidden hands" behind suddenly rising and rapidly appearance of as per him " Some analysts-cum-anchors have re-emerged from quasi-oblivion. Many journalists and analysts are briefed and encouraged to take an aggressively anti-West, especially anti-US", stance" but Mr. Azhar completely forget the Role of GEO TV, Jang Group and specifically Ansar Abbasi, Kamran Khan, Hamid Mir and that Buffoon Dr. Aamir Liaquat Hussain (his tongue caused Murder through GEO TV) in this regard, because Mr. Azhar Abbas is an Executive in GEO TV Network. So let us remind GEO TV/JANG Group's role in promoting Extremism.

GEO TV raise hue and cry over almost everything whereas their very own key "Religious Scholar - Mr. Aamir Liaquat Hussain" is indulged in “Tabbarra Against the Companions of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)” (Insulting Comments against the Companions of Prophet Mohammad - PBUH). Had Daily Jang quoted Quran and Hadith on Beard then it wouldn’t have been a problem but lecture on Islam from a TV Anchor who doesn’t even know about the “Status” of Companions [Sahaba Kiram] would not be acceptable to any sane person. Watch and lament.

Presenting... the Real Spirit of Aamir Liaquat (GEO TV/ARY NEWS/Daily Express) Real face of Amir Liaqat Hussain - WARNING strong use of Explicit Language



GEO TV [JANG GROUP] Incites Killing & Sectarianism - Part 1



GEO TV [JANG GROUP] Incites Killing & Sectarianism - Part 2



GEO TV [JANG GROUP] Incites Killing & Sectarianism - Part 3



GEO TV [JANG GROUP] Incites Killing & Sectarianism - Part 4




Reaction of Ansar Abbasi about Swat girl flogging

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=109XWRm3-1o&feature=player_embedded

Tuesday, November 30, 2010, Zilhajj 23, 1431 A.H

Noted Blogger "Cafe Pyala" has observed,

"QUOTE"


Oh wow. We've all become so used to the hyperbole of the Western and local language English press aroundPakistan Fashion Weeks, that it is sometimes easy to forget how a significant section of society in Pakistan views them. And who better to represent that view than our intrepid Khalifa-ul-Waqt, Ansar Abbasi, who can and will hold forth on anything.



The guardian of Pakistan's values: Ansar Abbasi


Below is a translation of his Urdu op-ed piece published in today'sJang (thanks to @tazeen for drawing my attention to it). It is worth a read, not only because it provides a window to the mindset of Abbasi and possibly many, many others. But also because it draws attention, once again, to the linguistic divide that separates the English reading public and non-English reading public, a divide that is not only tolerated but pandered to. (It is extremely unlikely you would ever read anything like this article in the Jang group's English paper The News or any other English-language paper for that matter.) This article serves to remind you, if anything, that all those post-modernist assumptions about progress in how the role of women in society is discussed, are merely hollow assumptions. Or at least that all those debates have passed Abbasi by without disturbing even a hair in his beard.

I have also yet to understand the mindset of the Jang Group, which launches Amn Ki Asha with great fanfare on the one hand, and has no qualms on the other in making petty-minded jabs about Gandhi and India on Geo on the other (see their coverage of US President Obama's visit to Gandhi's samadi). It will willingly tone down the anti-West moral brigade in The News or on Geo, but allow them free rein in Jang. It will make Geo a media partner of the Fashion Week and provide it wide publicity and, at the same time, run such incendiary pieces about it in its publications (and make no mistake, this article is a call to disruptive action)... Do they really think this is what is meant by 'letting a thousand flowers bloom'?

In any case, here's the article in translation (and here I thought I'd leave the Fashion Week alone):



If Modesty Does Not Remain…
By Ansar Abbasi

"The racket of spreading obscenity and immodesty through fashion shows and catwalks that is fast gaining strength in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in the name of “enlightened thought”, if immediate action is not taken to stop it, this fire of obscenity will soon engulf civilized households as well. We too will soon cross the extremes of uncivilized behavior and ignorance which have led to the destruction of moral values in Western societies, and where animalistic values have reached such heights that children often do not know their father’s name. Men and women prefer to live together without marriage, whereas the trend of men marrying men and women marrying women is gaining ground. Obscenity and vulgarity have lost their meaning altogether in these societies and have become part of their rituals and tradition which now have legal and moral sanction. For such uncivilized behaviour and ignorance to exist in an un-Islamic and heathen society is not surprising. But for such sort of trends to be nurtured in an Islamic society and in a country founded in the name of Islam is indeed worthy of giving pause for thought.
Hazrat Mohammad (PBUH) decreed that each religion has its own defining value and Islam’s defining value is modesty. In Surah-e-Nur and Surah-e-Ahzab, Allah instructs believers to guard their gaze and their reputations, while women believers have been told in clear terms what their dress code should be and in what state of dress they should leave their homes. In Surah-e-Ahzab, the lack of purdah has been likened to the time of Jahiliyya [ignorance] when women used to dress up and make up to go outside their homes. But it is the height of sadness, that despite Allah’s and his Prophet (PBUH)’s clear directions regarding modesty and the lack of purdah, in Karachi, the largest city of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the first ten days of the sacred month of Zilhaj were chosen to celebrate a fashion week.
Much like the month of Ramzan is known as springtime for good deeds, so are the first ten days of Zilhaj also very important, compared to normal days, in accruing the blessings of piety. But we chose these days to spread obscenity and vulgarity in the name of fashion. This transformation of a time specially designated for the worship of Allah and doing good deeds, into a Fashion Week in the Islamic homeland of Pakistan, invited action neither from any government organization nor from any other responsible person. And that too, a Fashion Week that seemed like a competition about shedding clothes.
Seeing the highlights of this contest of immodesty and vulgarity on the television screen, I began to doubt my own Muslim-ness and the reason for the creation of Pakistan became blurred in my mind. The women that God had ordered to be in purdah while leaving their houses, could be seen participating half-nude in the fashion show. And those men who had been ordered to lower their gazes, were playing the role of spectators in these displays of immodesty. This show of immodesty was considered very successful and those participating in it expressed the hope that this vulgarity would continue and also that Pakistan can earn a lot of money from the success of the fashion industry. May God protect us from such success and such wealth. Amen.
The grief is not over how a small Westernized minority is out to destroy our religious and social values in this way. But the real sadness is over how, despite the clear instructions of Allah and His Prophet (PBUH), and despite the promise of the Constitution of Pakistan that an environment based on religious values and Islamic teachings will be created in Pakistan so that Muslims can live their lives according to the Quran and Sunnah, there is no one to stop those making fun of Islamic values. I don’t know who allowed such a fashion show to be held. This trend of fashion shows and catwalks began in Pakistan a few years ago and because of a lack of any controls, has gone, as in the West and India, towards obscenity.
Despite seeing this vulgarity on television screens, nobody condemned it and neither was there any protest. No ruler spoke about it and neither did any opposition leader. The Islamic [sic] parties and their leaders also remained silent, and parliament remained as insensate as the administration. If President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani are unable to see all this, what reasons have compelled Mian Nawaz Sharif, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Imran Khan, Syed Munawwar Hassan and Maulana Fazlur Rehman to keep silent? Why is the higher judiciary not taking suo moto notice of this vulgarity? Why is Pakistan’s media unable to fathom this evil as evil? At least I don’t have the answers to these questions.
What I am really amazed at is that in a city such as Karachi, where most of the population is educated and politically aware, not even one person came on to the streets in peaceful protest against this vulgarity. If our politicians, parliament, government, judiciary, media and masses are so insensate, we will definitely touch the extremes of moral degeneration like the West. In any case, we don’t have anything left other than shame and modesty and moral and social values. These are the values that raise us above the West. If today we do not guard them and give ourselves to the wind to take us wherever it chooses, we will be completely destroyed.
The current silence and insensitivity is very painful. I wish that we would realize that if today we remain silent about this obscenity and vulgarity because the girls and women performing in fashion shows and abhorrent TV commercials are not our own daughters, then remember that tomorrow, the place of these girls and women could be taken by the daughter, sister, wife or mother of one of today’s spectators or other members of an insensate society and its responsible people. And they will be doing the catwalk half-naked in front of thousands of people."


Don't forget to send Jang and Abbasi some words of appreciation for safeguarding our values.

REFERENCE: Fashioning Moral Outrage MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2010 http://cafepyala.blogspot.com/2010/11/fashioning-moral-outrage.html

Monday, November 22, 2010, Zilhajj 15, 1431 A.H
http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/nov2010-daily/22-11-2010/col8.htm

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Jang Group's Sectarian Rhetoric in Editorial.



Beneath the hot air and theatrics there lies a darker layer – sectarianism, and the schism between the Barelvi and Deobandi schools of thought. Kazmi is of the Barelvi school and Swati of the Deoband. Kazmi is said to have complained to the PM that a JUI-F senator had accused him of corruption and that the JUI-F leadership had ‘ganged-up’ on him because of his scholastic adherence. Jealousy comes onstage as it is said that, after it joined the coalition government at the centre, the JUI-F had tried to gain the religious affairs ministry – but it went to Kazmi of the PPP instead and there has been bad blood ever since. The religious affairs ministry is the plum that many seek because of the powerful patronage it confers on them and their close associates and their constituency. Sectarianism aside, the entire affair has left a nasty taste and smell in the mouths of those who sought to perform their religious duty. Politics and sectarianism – and the murk of political sectarianism as a separate element – have made the experience bitter for many. Nobody involved in the affair emerges with honour intact. And in a just world heads would roll. REFERENCE: No honour Wednesday, November 24, 2010 http://www.thenews.com.pk/24-11-2010/editorial/16886.htm


Daily Jang/GEO/The News International: quoted UK Newspaper The Guardian Tuesday, October 19, 2010, Zi Qad 10, 1431 A.H http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/oct2010-daily/19-10-2010/u49869.htm which predicted the End of Democracy in Pakistan and also quoted British News agency: Tuesday, October 19, 2010, Zi Qad 10, 1431 A.H http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/oct2010-daily/19-10-2010/u49880.htm that MQM's separation from the Federal and Provincial Government is on the Card - But Jang has completely forgotten as to what the same Guardian has written on Jang/GEO TV anti Minorities Role regarding massacre of Ahmedis in Lahore and this Anti Minority Frenzy is promoted by a Jang Group/Geo TV Employee, Aamir Liaquat Hussain and Jang also forgotten as to what the same Guardian has written on MQM? Aamir Liaquat Hussain also use "Blasphemous Language against the Companions [May Allah be pleased with all of them] of Prophet Mohammad [PBUH] - Watch his insulting comment on Sahaba Kiram after Guardian's Story.

GEO TV Anchor incites Sectarianism and Killing

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CSZ4_LF3e0

Presenting... the Real Spirit of Aamir Liaquat (GEO TV/ARY NEWS/Daily Express) Real face of Amir Liaqat Hussain - WARNING strong use of Explicit Language






Same Guardian on JANG GROUP/GEO TV/THE NEWS INTERNATIONAL'S SECTARIANISM:



Candles were lit by members of a civil society for victims of the attack on the Ahmadiyya sect in Lahore. Photograph: KM Chaudary/AP - I often find myself defending Pakistan against the unbidden prejudices of the outside world. No, Islam is not the cause of terrorism. Yes, the Taliban is a complex phenomenon. No, Imran Khan is not a major political figure. This past week, though, I am silent. The massacre of 94 members of the minority Ahmadiyya community on May 28 has exposed something ugly at the heart of Pakistan – its laws, its rulers, its society. It's not the violence that disturbs most, gut-churning as it was. During Friday prayers two teams of attackers stormed Ahmadiyya mosques in the eastern city of Lahore. They fired Kalashnikovs from minarets, chucked grenades into the crowds, exploded their suicide vests. As the massacre unfolded, a friend called – his father-in-law, a devout Ahmadi, was inside one of the besieged mosques. The family, glued to live television coverage, were sick with worry. Two hours later, my friend's relative emerged alive. But many of his friends – old men, including a retired general and former judge – were dead. The killers were quickly identified as "Punjabi Taliban" – a loose collective of local extremists with ties to the tribal belt. This was unsurprising. More dispiriting, however, was the wider reaction. Human rights groups reacted with pre-programmed outrage; otherwise there was a virtual conspiracy of silence. A dribble of protesters attended street protests against the attack in Lahore and Karachi; eleven people showed up in Islamabad.


The normally vociferous media were unusually reticent. Commentators expressed dismay at the violence, but few dared voice support for the Ahmadiyya community itself. Politicians turned yellow. Few visited the bereaved; still today, the chief minister of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif, has not visited the bullet-pocked mosques or offered compensation to the injured. In the national parliament, three brave female MPs crossed party lines to propose a resolution condemning the attacks, in the face of massive indifference. The motion passed, just. The reticence is rooted in law and history. Ahmadis believe that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, a 19th century Punjabi cleric, was the messiah sent by God – a notion that deeply offends orthodox Muslims for whom Muhammad, who lived in 7th-century Arabia, is the final prophet.

The problem is that the state has taken sides in this religious argument. Since the 1970s, civilian and military governments have passed laws enshrining the discrimination against Ahmadis, today thought to number about 4 million in Pakistan. And so they live in the shadows of society. Under the law, Ahmadis may not call themselves Muslims and may not refer to their places of worship as "mosques". Orthodox Muslims applying for a passport must sign a statement deriding Ahmad as an "imposter". Any Ahmadi who defies these edicts can be sentenced to death; in 2009, 37 were charged under the blasphemy laws and 57 under Ahmadi-specific laws.

This state-directed discrimination has caused prejudice to soak into the bones of even well-educated Pakistanis. It is acceptable to denigrate Ahmadis as "agents of foreign powers" such as the CIA and Raw, India's intelligence service. In 2008 a prominent preacher on Geo, the country's largest channel, suggested that right-minded Muslims should kill Ahmadis. Within 48 hours two Ahmadis had been lynched. The television presenter has prospered. REFERENCE OF AHRC: A report from Asian Human Rights Commission on GEO TV: PAKISTAN: Two persons murdered after an anchor person proposed the widespread lynching of Ahmadi sect followers ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-203-2008 http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2008/2999/ PAKISTAN: No action taken against Geo TV presenter who incited Muslims to murder members of Pakistan minority on air FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AHRC-STM-244-2008 September 18, 2008 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission – PAKISTAN: No action taken against Geo TV presenter who incited Muslims to murder members of Pakistan minority on air http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2008statements/1694/

Last year a banner appeared outside the high court in Lahore, declaring "Jews, Christians and Ahmadis are enemies of Islam". Few complained. The silence that followed the Ahmadi killings was broken last week by a tsunami of outrage at the Israeli commando raids on boats headed for Gaza. Commentators and politicians fulminated at the treatment of the Palestinians – a minority that suffers state-sanctioned, religiously driven discrimination. Nobody got the irony. It makes one realise how small the constituency of true liberals is in Pakistan – not Pervez Musharraf-style liberals, who drink whisky and attend fashion shows, but people who believe the state should cherish all citizens equally. That, after all, was the publicly expressed desire of Pakistan's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, 63 years ago. Today it lies in tatters. REFERENCE: Ahmadi massacre silence is dispiriting – The virtual conspiracy of silence after the murder of 94 Ahmadis in Pakistan exposes the oppression suffered by the sect Declan Walsh guardian.co.uk, Monday 7 June 2010 14.59 BST http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/jun/07/ahmadi-massacre-silence-pakistan?showallcomments=true#end-of-comments

Aamir Liaquat is lecturing but one wonders if he even know about the Funds Jang/GEO TV Group generate through Gillette Advertisement [A big portion of the salaries of Aamir and many other "Islamic Lecturers" on these TV Channles is generated through advertisements from MNCs] . Why don’t they quit to protect the honour of Sunnah or did Aamir Liaquat ever advised GEO TV Newscasters to grow beard. What I am trying to say that those [likes of Aamir Liaquat] who cannot even say the Truth within their organization [GEO/JANG] have no right to lecture and placed themselves on higher pedestal acting like Sanctimonious Preachers: GEO TV violates Blasphemy Law of Islam. بے خبری میں آپ کیسے “جی“ رہے ہیں ۔۔ کیا دیکھہ رہے ہیں ۔۔ کس سے لطف اندوز ہو رہے ہیں ۔۔۔ ذرا سوچئیے ؟؟


GEO TV raise hue and cry over almost everything whereas their very own key "Religious Scholar - Mr. Aamir Liaquat Hussain" is indulged in “Tabbarra Against the Companions of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)” (Insulting Comments against the Companions of Prophet Mohammad - PBUH). Had Daily Jang quoted Quran and Hadith on Beard then it wouldn’t have been a problem but lecture on Islam from a TV Anchor who doesn’t even know about the “Status” of Companions [Sahaba Kiram] would not be acceptable to any sane person. Watch and lament.

Presenting... the Real Spirit of Aamir Liaquat (GEO TV/ARY NEWS/Daily Express) Real face of Amir Liaqat Hussain - WARNING strong use of Explicit Language



GEO TV [JANG GROUP] Incites Killing & Sectarianism - Part 1



GEO TV [JANG GROUP] Incites Killing & Sectarianism - Part 2



GEO TV [JANG GROUP] Incites Killing & Sectarianism - Part 3



GEO TV [JANG GROUP] Incites Killing & Sectarianism - Part 4





Mr. Ansar Abbasi must be appreciated and praised for his services to Islam and I hope Jang Group/GEO TV Executives would sack all those Female Announcer/News Casters/ANCHOR and Host who wear "indecent" clothes while working for the Jang Group. How dare they wear such nasty clothes in the presence of Mr. Ansar Abbasi. GEO Entertainment and particularly Dr Shaista and women appear on GEO TV should be requested to either wear shuttle cock or you are no more required. Its an old trick to get popularity in Pakistan by exploiting the Holy Name of Islam in which Mr Ansar Abbasi is indulged to show the world that Ansar Abbasi is ACTUALLY A SAINT IN THE GUISE OF A JOURNALIST. The same Jang Group of Newspapers/GEO TV and The News International violate Quranic and Hadith commandments on daily basis e.g. in Sunday Magazine pictures of Unveiled Women are published on regular basis [where is the Shairah of Ansar Abbasi] why don't Ansar Abbasi file news against the Female Journalists working in the News International/GEO TV/Jang Group of Newspaper without observing a proper veil.

One wonders as to where had gone the so-called Shariah which Ansar Abbasi was trying to defend while defending Sufi Muhammad, Flogging and Taliban while reciting Quranic Verses of Surah-e-Nur[AL-NOOR (THE LIGHT) Chapter 24 from Quran] as if there is only Flogging in Quran particularly in Surah-e-Nur[AL-NOOR (THE LIGHT) Chapter 24 from Quran] and what a fun Ansar Abbasi was reciting Surah Nur Verses to an Unveiled [BAYPARDAH] GEOTV News READER [I wonder where have gone all the verses of Quran regarding Veil in the same Chapter 24 of Quran and some part of the same Chapter 24 was recited by Ansar Abbasi to exploit the issue] - Talibani and Pro Jamat-e-Islami Journalist - Ansar Abbasi of GEO TV/THE NEWS INTERNATIONAL/JANG Group defended the flogging in a worse possible way in the guise of Quranic Verse of Chapter 24 - AL-NOOR (THE LIGHT) as if there is only flogging in Quran whereas the same newspaper and its TV Channel [GEO TV/THE NEWS INTERNATIONAL/JANG Group] violate every verse of Quran in their every news report and we haven't seen Ansar Abbasi objecting on these violations.

Reaction of Ansar Abbasi about Swat girl flogging

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=109XWRm3-1o&feature=player_embedded

Noted Blogger "Cafe Pyala" has observed,

"QUOTE"

Oh wow. We've all become so used to the hyperbole of the Western and local language English press aroundPakistan Fashion Weeks, that it is sometimes easy to forget how a significant section of society in Pakistan views them. And who better to represent that view than our intrepid Khalifa-ul-Waqt, Ansar Abbasi, who can and will hold forth on anything.


The guardian of Pakistan's values: Ansar Abbasi


Below is a translation of his Urdu op-ed piece published in today's Jang (thanks to @tazeen for drawing my attention to it). It is worth a read, not only because it provides a window to the mindset of Abbasi and possibly many, many others. But also because it draws attention, once again, to the linguistic divide that separates the English reading public and non-English reading public, a divide that is not only tolerated but pandered to. (It is extremely unlikely you would ever read anything like this article in the Jang group's English paper The News or any other English-language paper for that matter.) This article serves to remind you, if anything, that all those post-modernist assumptions about progress in how the role of women in society is discussed, are merely hollow assumptions. Or at least that all those debates have passed Abbasi by without disturbing even a hair in his beard.

I have also yet to understand the mindset of the Jang Group, which launches Amn Ki Asha with great fanfare on the one hand, and has no qualms on the other in making petty-minded jabs about Gandhi and India on Geo on the other (see their coverage of US President Obama's visit to Gandhi's samadi). It will willingly tone down the anti-West moral brigade in The News or on Geo, but allow them free rein in Jang. It will make Geo a media partner of the Fashion Week and provide it wide publicity and, at the same time, run such incendiary pieces about it in its publications (and make no mistake, this article is a call to disruptive action)... Do they really think this is what is meant by 'letting a thousand flowers bloom'?


In any case, here's the article in translation (and here I thought I'd leave the Fashion Week alone):



If Modesty Does Not Remain…
By Ansar Abbasi

"The racket of spreading obscenity and immodesty through fashion shows and catwalks that is fast gaining strength in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in the name of “enlightened thought”, if immediate action is not taken to stop it, this fire of obscenity will soon engulf civilized households as well. We too will soon cross the extremes of uncivilized behavior and ignorance which have led to the destruction of moral values in Western societies, and where animalistic values have reached such heights that children often do not know their father’s name. Men and women prefer to live together without marriage, whereas the trend of men marrying men and women marrying women is gaining ground. Obscenity and vulgarity have lost their meaning altogether in these societies and have become part of their rituals and tradition which now have legal and moral sanction. For such uncivilized behaviour and ignorance to exist in an un-Islamic and heathen society is not surprising. But for such sort of trends to be nurtured in an Islamic society and in a country founded in the name of Islam is indeed worthy of giving pause for thought.
Hazrat Mohammad (PBUH) decreed that each religion has its own defining value and Islam’s defining value is modesty. In Surah-e-Nur and Surah-e-Ahzab, Allah instructs believers to guard their gaze and their reputations, while women believers have been told in clear terms what their dress code should be and in what state of dress they should leave their homes. In Surah-e-Ahzab, the lack of purdah has been likened to the time of Jahiliyya [ignorance] when women used to dress up and make up to go outside their homes. But it is the height of sadness, that despite Allah’s and his Prophet (PBUH)’s clear directions regarding modesty and the lack of purdah, in Karachi, the largest city of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the first ten days of the sacred month of Zilhaj were chosen to celebrate a fashion week.
Much like the month of Ramzan is known as springtime for good deeds, so are the first ten days of Zilhaj also very important, compared to normal days, in accruing the blessings of piety. But we chose these days to spread obscenity and vulgarity in the name of fashion. This transformation of a time specially designated for the worship of Allah and doing good deeds, into a Fashion Week in the Islamic homeland of Pakistan, invited action neither from any government organization nor from any other responsible person. And that too, a Fashion Week that seemed like a competition about shedding clothes.
Seeing the highlights of this contest of immodesty and vulgarity on the television screen, I began to doubt my own Muslim-ness and the reason for the creation of Pakistan became blurred in my mind. The women that God had ordered to be in purdah while leaving their houses, could be seen participating half-nude in the fashion show. And those men who had been ordered to lower their gazes, were playing the role of spectators in these displays of immodesty. This show of immodesty was considered very successful and those participating in it expressed the hope that this vulgarity would continue and also that Pakistan can earn a lot of money from the success of the fashion industry. May God protect us from such success and such wealth. Amen.
The grief is not over how a small Westernized minority is out to destroy our religious and social values in this way. But the real sadness is over how, despite the clear instructions of Allah and His Prophet (PBUH), and despite the promise of the Constitution of Pakistan that an environment based on religious values and Islamic teachings will be created in Pakistan so that Muslims can live their lives according to the Quran and Sunnah, there is no one to stop those making fun of Islamic values. I don’t know who allowed such a fashion show to be held. This trend of fashion shows and catwalks began in Pakistan a few years ago and because of a lack of any controls, has gone, as in the West and India, towards obscenity.
Despite seeing this vulgarity on television screens, nobody condemned it and neither was there any protest. No ruler spoke about it and neither did any opposition leader. The Islamic [sic] parties and their leaders also remained silent, and parliament remained as insensate as the administration. If President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani are unable to see all this, what reasons have compelled Mian Nawaz Sharif, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Imran Khan, Syed Munawwar Hassan and Maulana Fazlur Rehman to keep silent? Why is the higher judiciary not taking suo moto notice of this vulgarity? Why is Pakistan’s media unable to fathom this evil as evil? At least I don’t have the answers to these questions.
What I am really amazed at is that in a city such as Karachi, where most of the population is educated and politically aware, not even one person came on to the streets in peaceful protest against this vulgarity. If our politicians, parliament, government, judiciary, media and masses are so insensate, we will definitely touch the extremes of moral degeneration like the West. In any case, we don’t have anything left other than shame and modesty and moral and social values. These are the values that raise us above the West. If today we do not guard them and give ourselves to the wind to take us wherever it chooses, we will be completely destroyed.
The current silence and insensitivity is very painful. I wish that we would realize that if today we remain silent about this obscenity and vulgarity because the girls and women performing in fashion shows and abhorrent TV commercials are not our own daughters, then remember that tomorrow, the place of these girls and women could be taken by the daughter, sister, wife or mother of one of today’s spectators or other members of an insensate society and its responsible people. And they will be doing the catwalk half-naked in front of thousands of people."


Don't forget to send Jang and Abbasi some words of appreciation for safeguarding our values.

REFERENCE: Fashioning Moral Outrage MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2010 http://cafepyala.blogspot.com/2010/11/fashioning-moral-outrage.html