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Coddling religious extremists for political gains
Ziauddin ChoudhuryThe recent newspaper headlines in Pakistan and elsewhere have put Lal Masjid -- a mosque and seminary in Islamabad -- and its denizens on the world map. The horrific incidents surrounding the mosque, and the resulting mayhem, are an object lesson on how things can go awry, with disastrous results, when a government coddles religious elements and religious institutions, either for political reasons or for fear of public backlash. The Lal Masjid is a seminary that provides religious education based on Deobond curriculum to about 7,000 students in the male and female sections. The mosque, constructed and funded by the Pakistan government, was originally the main mosque in Islamabad, patronized by government officials including top army brass. Its central location placed it within close proximity to various government offices, the ISI among them. A senior government official originally served as the Imam of the mosque. But that was Pakistan before the incursion of religious extremism into Pakistan politics, led by General Ziaul Huq. Posted by: Fred 2007-07-11 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=193137 |