Extremists know extremism will hurtColumnist Nazeer Naji wrote in Jang that Muslim extremists all over the Islamic world were aware that if they succeeded, then religious extremists will come to power in many Muslim states and will soon begin to damage the country they are ruling while damaging the economic and social fibre of their societies with their extremist programmes. While the religious parties hurt their own populations, the West will still get away with achieving its objectives. The Islamist governments will provide the West with a new enemy and will promote the idea of the clash of civilisations. But they will clash with themselves on the question of doctrine and buy weapons from the West to fight with one another, thus squandering their scarce resources.
| This Nazeer Naji should get a blog. He should also get out of Pakistan. He can see clearly and isn't afraid to write what he sees. |
Why army got rid of Bhutto
Ex-speaker of the National Assembly and PPP leader Sahibzada Farooq Ali Khan wrote in the daily Pakistan that the army generals got rid of Bhutto because he kept repeating his resolve publicly to settle old scores with India and avenge the defeat of 1970. He said it on coming to power in a public meeting in Rawalpindi. In his last address to the National Assembly, Bhutto once again said that he wanted to do two things before going: to make the atom bomb and seek revenge against India. The generals were upset that he might start another war with India and toppled him.
Taliban in Tank
As reported in Naya Zamana (March 2006), the city Tank in DI Khan was half in control of the Taliban because of its close proximity to South Waziristan where the army was playing a dubious role. Foreigners and local Taliban have made the Christian missionaries run away and closed down all the music shops. Beardless men are stopped and warned and women are not allowed out without veil. Men of free thinking are being murdered. Qari Khaleel Ahmad is preparing more Taliban in his madrassa and teaching the population that Islam without jihad is not sustainable. He had put a price on the head of General Musharraf but was let off after he came on TV and praised him. The Taliban of Tank attacked a meeting singing mystical poetry. The intellectual of the area Jamshed Nayab was target-killed on 30 January, 2006, after he was told that an Islamic court of Tank had sentenced him to death. Jamshed was the author of 16 books.
The thoughtful pigeons of Kaaba
Columnist Irfan Siddiqi wrote in the Nawa-e-Waqt that when he went to Makka just after hajj, he saw a strange spectacle. During hajj, the pigeons of Kaaba had simply vanished as if to spare all the space for devoted Muslims. But after the season of hajj was over, the pigeons were back in Makkah. This was indeed a miracle!
‘Quranising’ the sciences!
Writing in Jang Khursheed Nadeem stated that the Higher Education Commission in its latest budget had set aside half a billion rupees for a project to Quranise the science courses at the level of MSc. He asserted that such a project was meaningless as trying to insert religion into neutral subjects like chemistry was meaningless. It was beyond oneÂ’s comprehension how the MSc courses could be Quranised!
Cartoons and trade
Columnist Nazeer Naji wrote in Jang that the insulting cartoons had been published in 66 countries by 143 newspapers; and the offending countries included Algeria, Bosnia, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Morocco. The demand in Pakistan was that Pakistan break diplomatic relations with all these countries. The country was poised to speak to President Bush about giving it a better trade deal and it was possible this could happen but not if Islamabad were to snap relations with Washington.
Edhi refuses money for mosque
Reported in Khabrain, PakistanÂ’s foremost philanthropist Abdus Sattar Edhi refused to accept Rs 2.10 crore for the building of a mosque inside Edhi centre in Karachi. The money was offered by a gentleman from Islamabad. Edhi told him that he was not in favour of building mosques with public welfare money as mosques inclined people to fight on the basis of quarrels started by the clergy. The donor from Islamabad agreed, on which Edhi gave him the account number of his Foundation.
Imam Taqi and Imam Askari tombs destroyed by America!
Reported in Jang, the Imamia Student Organisation took out a rally in Islampura, Lahore, protesting the destruction of the mausoleums of Imam Askari and Imam Taqi in Iraq. Leader Mubarak Ali Musawi said that the desecration in Samarra was not a result of Shia-Sunni conflict in Iraq but was the plot of America and its agents. In a conference the same day, a group of Shia leaders made speeches that the tombs were actually destroyed by America and Israel, as stated by Iranian president Ahmadinejad earlier.
Asad Yuldashev killed in South Waziristan
According to Khabrain, PakistanÂ’s military attack on Sadgai Danday accounted for Uzbek terrorist commander Asad Yuldashev who also happened to be a relative of Tahir Yuldashev who is heading the Al Qaeda in the region. Also killed was an unnamed Chechen commander along with his guards. Al Qaeda hit back by attacking the headquarters in Miranshah.
‘India Today’ insults Kaaba
According to the daily Pakistan riots broke out all over Held Kashmir when India Today magazine allegedly printed photographs of the Holy Kaaba which the Kashmiri Muslims found insulting. In Srinagar and Baramula, shops were closed and some buildings were set on fire; the police was beaten up and rioters too were wounded. Copies of the magazine were also burned in large numbers.
Bush the ‘Muslim-Kush’
Sarerahe wrote in the Nawa-e-Waqt that President Bush had brought 65 specially trained dogs to India and Pakistan to keep himself safe. The dogs were obviously protectors of Bush the Muslim Kush (Muslim-killer) and were all thirsty for Muslim blood and were sniffing around for Muslims to kill. But when the people of the Islamic world came to power no dogs would be able to save Bush.
| If Dubya ever decides he needs one of those swanky sashes all the other beauty queens wear at state dinners, "Bush the Muslim-Kush" would be a swell slogan. |
Abdali and Ghauri spread IslamÂ’s fear
Daily Pakistan editorialised that AfghanistanÂ’s objection to Pakistan naming its missiles with Afghan names was absurd. Abdali and Ghauri were war Islamic warriors and they did not belong to Afghanistan. They were heroes of Islam who spread the fear (dhaak) of Islam in India. PakistanÂ’s nuclear delivery system was therefore correctly named.
Cursed Danish tubewells break down
According to the Nawa-e-Waqt, a curse fell on Denmark when its tubewells, bought by WASA, Lahore, broke down within one year of their operation. Costing Rs 2.25 crores, 22 high-speed tubewells were to last more than two years but lasted only weeks.
LahoreÂ’s processionists turned out to be criminals
According to the daily Din, many youths captured during the 14 February rally in Lahore turned out to be criminals with records in many police stations of Lahore. They were either under trial or on bail or had been convicted earlier. Many of them were former members of jihadi militias too.
Gilgit belongs to whom?
Writing in the Jang magazine, Akbar Shah stated that in 1993, the Azad Kashmir high court ruled that the Northern Areas belonged to Azad Kashmir but the supreme court in AJ&K said that it was not a part of Kashmir; but when the case went in appeal to another bench it was decided that Northern Areas were indeed a part of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Today, the Northern Areas are run by the federal government, not AJK.