(AKI) - The firebrand cleric of the Lal Masjid or Red Mosque in the capital Islamabad has given the Pakistani government one month's notice to curb "vice" or risk that the movement in the radical mosque takes matters into its own hands, even carrying out suicide attacks. "I give you one month notice to eliminate, gambling dens, video shops and brothels or after that we will do that ourselves," Maulana Abdul Aziz, the mosque's chief cleric announced during Friday prayers. “Our movement is peaceful," he said. "The government too should stay calm. We've warned the government that if it ever tried to suppress us by force, thousands of students of Islamic seminaries (or madrassas) will retaliate with suicide attacks and they would never be able to control them," said Aziz. The cleric also announced that a Sharia or Islamic court will be established by the mosque, made up of ten religious scholars who will decide disputes and give their verdict in accordance with Islamic law. Aziz also announced the establishment of a Baitul Maal (Treasury) where contributions would be collected to finance the movement.Followers of the radical clerics in Lal Masjid have increasingly been challenging the government in recent months. Students of the Islamic seminaries or madrassas, Jamia Hafsa and Jamia Faridia, which are part of the Lal Masjid complex, occupied a children's library in Islamabad in protest against the demolition of several unauthorised mosques. They also kidnapped three women and a child for allegedly running a brothel and recently threatened the owners of shop selling videos and CDs carrying material which they say is obscene and vulgar. This Taliban-style activity has caused outrage among human rights groups in Pakistan. On Thursday thousands of activists staged a protest calling for action to be taken against the two madrassas, one for women and the other for men. They said that the madrassas are harassing ordinary people in the name of Islam.
Aziz said that the female students from the Jamia Hafsa madrassa in Islamabad went to video and CD shops only to advise the shopkeepers not to sell obscenity. "Nobody was holding any sticks in their hands. We only preach peacefully," he said, urging the government to join hands in the struggle. “If anyone gives up this unscrupulous business of vulgar films, we will compensate his losses," he said. "The government should also come forward and help us achieve this task to eliminate vice from society," said the cleric. The government for its part has said that it hopes to resolve the situation peacefully.