A state-within-a-state is not acceptable to us, declared Anis Haroon of the Aurat Foundation while addressing a rally called against religious extremism as espoused by the Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa Thursday. “During the tenure of different governments there have been conspiracies against women and the Jamia Hafsa matter is also a deep plot against women,” she said while standing on a pick-up in front of a small but formidable crowd at the Quaid-e-Azam Mazaar. “As a social worker, we reject this. They do this in a bid to try and keep women from attaining their fundamental rights in Islam. All religions of the world give the message of peace.” She also said that the chief justice should be restored. The women vowed to continue their struggle as long as their rights were withheld from them. This struggle would continue with civil society. City Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil condemned ‘Danda bardar’ force in the name of Islam and said that religion did not given permission for it either. “The people who come out on the streets for this will face the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in equal measure,” she said. Many Christians, students and teachers also attended in addition to Uzma Noorani of the Women’s Action Forum and her colleague Qausar Naz Nasreen, Sumera Ejaz Malik from Shirkat Gah, Aslam Brohi and Lala Hasan Pathan from Aurat Foundation, councilors from the city, Sukkur, Dadu and Badin and HRCP members with their lawyers.