PESHAWAR: It is business as usual at the Mohala Jhangi market, which specialises in the sale of hate-literature, despite the crackdown on militant outfits and their supporters across the NWFP following President Musharrafâs order to confiscate hate-literature. President Musharraf on Saturday addressing senior police officials ordered the confiscation of pamphlets, booklets and compact discs (CDs) promoting jihad, extremism, sectarian violence and hatred in the wake of the July 7 London blasts. âNo one has come and asked us to wind up our businesses,â said Mohammed Ayub, a shop keeper at the market, talking to Daily Times. Mohala Jhang market is the hub of Islamic literature and audio and video cassettes on Jihad and Islam. Buyers, mostly Afghans, throng the market all day long and shopkeepers spend a busy day. The audio cassettes that are sold here contain speeches of militant leaders glorifying jihad against âinfidelsâ and CDs featuring leaders like Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Qazi Hussain Ahmed speaking on the need to implement Islamic system in the country. Speeches of leaders of banned sectarian organisations like Maulana Azam Tariq are also available in the market. Also, video cassettes and CDs of footage of Afghan and Kashmir jihad, Iraq war, including execution of kidnapped foreigners in Iraq, and military operations against militants in South Waziristan is attractive merchandise that this market has to offer.
Muhammad Ali, Superintendent of Police (City), talking to Daily Times said he had not received any directive yet and he also seemed ignorant about the sale of any such literature. âI will inquire about the availability of videos promoting extremism and take action if people were involved in this business,â he said. Ayub said that the sale of CDs showing footage of executions and war was not a serious issue as most of the clippings were taken from international television channels. âWe are doing our business and if the government thinks it negatively affects our society, we can abandon it,â he said.
| I guess it really does all depend on your definition of "extremism." The fellow next door in NWFP is Leeds' radical holy man and Omaha's gibbering lunatic... |