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| India-Pakistan |
| Madrassa paper mocks government, praises veiled vigilantes |
| 2007-04-07 |
| The recent edition of Jamia Hafsa’s newspaper carries a string of reports that mainly highlight activities of the students and their “moral policing” of society. “Government given 7-day deadline to enforce Sharia,” says a banner headline in the March 30 issue of the newspaper called Khabarnama Jamia Syeda Hafsa. Another front page report says that the seminary students had begun “corrective patrolling” of the town during which they would go to video and music centres and barbers shops and “politely” ask them to quit their businesses. The paper contains pictures of the Lal Masjid and an inside view of what appears to be the Jamia Hafsa madrassa. Another photograph at the bottom shows masked men standing near two police vehicles seized by the madrassa students to press the police to release two arrested teachers. The photograph goes with a story that narrates the “sensational exploit” of the madrassa girls. The report mentions how an unnamed college girl came to Jamia Hafsa one day and told the students that she had been tricked into prostitution by a woman running a “brothel” in Sector G-6. The unnamed girl said that the woman, Shamim Akhtar, had taken her photographs when she was in a compromising position and was now blackmailing her into prostitution. The paper has also given prominent space to the incident of Akhtar’s abduction by madrassa students under the headline: “Raid on brothel, guilty woman seeks forgiveness.” Another report is a statement by the head of Lal Masjid, Maulana Abdul Aziz, who says that the students would sacrifice their lives for enforcing Sharia. “Our students are now ready for enforcing Sharia and will peacefully present their demands to the government,” says Aziz. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has been targeted for keeping silent on illegal buildings. “There isn’t a house, building or a hotel in Islamabad built strictly under the construction guidelines of the CDA, yet when it comes to mosques and madrassas the CDA starts declaring them illegal,” the report says. A report by the paper’s special correspondent says that the district administration and federal ministries were becoming hostage to the students of Jamia Hafsa. “Despite chalking out various strategies and plans to end the occupation of the Children’s Library by the Jamia students, the authorities have not been successful.” The paper carries an advertisement of the Nifaz-e-Shariat-o-Azmat Jihad Conference that began at the Lal Masjid on Friday. It says that by demolishing seven mosques in Islamabad, the writ of Allah has been challenged. “The brave students of Jamia Hafsa challenged the writ of the government by occupying the Children’s Library,” it claims. The advertisement goes on to describe a set of four demands presented to the government while at the bottom it lauds madrassa students for starting a campaign against un-Islamic practices. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 I wish you were correct, Old Spook, but I don't think so. To be this flagrant, the madrassa has friends in very high places. And the pattern of responses by the government to the talibanization of the NW territories demonstrates the government is more afraid of the Taliban than of its 'moderate'/secular citizens (even if the Talibunnies are a minority.) |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2007-04-07 06:54 |
| #2 Perv gettin gready to take them up on that offer to give up their lives. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2007-04-07 02:10 |
| #1 Target coordinates, please. |
| Posted by: gorb 2007-04-07 01:23 |