OpEdNews » Are Rulers Anwserable to Masses?

Tags for This Article:

Populum Tag Cloud Control Panel
	Fine tune your search to access content

Articles	Links
Diaries	Products
Events	All

All time
Last 6 mos
Last month
Last week
Last 24 hrs

From:
Month Day Year

To:
Month Day Year

Alphabet Popularity	Count ON Count OFF
This Level	Sub-levels

Tag(s): Afghanistan; George; Pakistan; Pakistan; Terrorism
Add to My Group

July 11, 2007 at 18:46:21

Are Rulers Anwserable to Masses?

by Muhammad Khurshid Page 1 of 1 page(s)

www.opednews.com

SAVE FAVORITES

VIEW FAVORITES

View Ratings | Rate It

I think the impression that there is rule of law in the world has proved to be wrong as so far the events showed that "might" is right. Those who have the power are immune from any law. Why can't we ask questions of the rulers and expect answers?

The Lal Masjid fiasco exposed many ugly faces. Now even the tribesmen, the most ignorant and uncivilised people, have been asking the questions as how the arms in such a huge quantity were brought to the mosque.

Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan. Pakistan is frontline state in war on terrorism launched by US President George W. Bush. A large number of US officials have been staying in the capital of Pakistan. Why did they ignored the mosque for such a long time?

Like most of the people I am also of the opinion that either the officials deliberately ignored the Lal Masjid or they have failed in their duties. In both cases they must be held accountable.

But who will make them accoutable as I see no court in the world where these rulers can be challenged. So far countless innocent people, mostly women and children, were killed in the mad war.

Pakistani newspapers have started asking the question. One wrote that "eighty per cent of the operation," to quote an army spokesman, had been completed to expel the terrorists from the Lal Masjid when these lines were written, and Abdul Rashid Ghazi had been killed, though resistance from hard-core militants was still going on, with the death toll in the vicinity of 150.

While no tears will be shed over the death of the well-armed militants gathered around him by Ghazi, our hearts go out to the families of those innocent men, women and children who were killed during Tuesday's operation or in the fighting earlier.

The responsibility for the death of the innocents and the trauma of those who have survived rests with the extremists who held hostage those whom they had lured into the mosque for giving them lessons in Islam. Instead, in a most perfidious way and in a way that behoves perhaps hardened criminals, they used men and women as a human shield to save themselves.

That was the reason why the late-night talks which had aroused hopes for a peaceful solution failed. The government's mistakes in the entire drama notwithstanding, one has to admit that it exercised the utmost restraint. It kept talking to the Aziz-Rashid brothers for months and used a variety of channels to free the hostages and disarm the militants.

On the Lal Masjid mafia's directives, its militants had raided a home, attacked shops, and kidnapped not only police officials but also seven Chinese nationals. Instead of reciprocating the security forces' restraint, the militants burnt a nearby building, leaving the government with no option but to retaliate, though the security forces' response on July 3 was in low key.

Finally, after the fighting escalated and the elder brother was caught and over 1,200 hostages were released, Abdul Rashid Ghazi refused to show any flexibility. Even Maulana Fazlur Rahman accused Ghazi of intransigence. Those who went to negotiate with him included Maulana Abdul Sattar and Bilqees Edhi and some of the country's respected ulema, but Ghazi remained obdurate. He and his militants fired on parents who had gone to the mosque to meet their children.

The Ghazi band's isolation from the nation was total, for no madressah leaders anywhere in the country came to their support, and the little bit of support they received came from the politically motivated ulema and those pro-Taliban elements in Fata who are already in a virtual state of war with Pakistan's security forces.

There is no room for complacency, and the government must relentlessly pursue terrorists and criminals masquerading as 'soldiers of Islam'. They are in a position to keep creating trouble for the government every now and then, but as Abdul Aziz's escape bid and the outcome of the Lal Masjid stand-off show, they are cowards because they know their stand lacks a moral basis.

The nation's support for the authorities on the crackdown against the Lal Masjid brigade should strengthen the government's position. The episode also shows that self-proclaimed mujahids committing crime after crime cannot fool the Pakistani people by taking cover under religious slogans.

Those arrested should be tried and given every chance to defend themselves in an open trial. The government must also order an inquiry into why and how the intelligence agencies failed to get wind of the goings-on in the Lal Masjid and the stockpiling of arms and ammunition in such large quantities. Talibanism has destroyed Afghanistan. Let it not harm Pakistan.
The End

Muhammad Khurshid, a resident of Bajaur Agency, tribal areas situated on Pak-Afghan border is journalist by profession. He contributes articles and news stories to various online and print newspapers. His subject matter is terrorism. He is also heading Voice For Peace working against terrorism in tribal areas. The aim of the Voice For Peace is restoration of peace in Bajaur Agency, tribal areas and whole world.

	Contact Author
	Contact Editor
	View Other Articles by Author

Bookmark this page: (what's this?)

(More...)

6 comments

Student of history, religion, exoteric and esoteric, the Humanities in general and advocate for peace, justice and the unity of humankind, not through force, but through self-realization and mutual respect.
Mac McKinneyStudent of history, religion, exoteric and esoteric, the Humanities in general and advocate for peace, justice and the unity of humankind, not through force, but through self-realization and mutual respect.

Now, For Another Perspective - We have Another Rashomon Here

Muhammad's perspective on the events at the Red Mosque are colored by a very antagonistic view of Jihadists and Fundamentalist Moslems who are at odds with the Musharaff dictatorship, which they consider degenerate and enthralled to the Bush Administration (Who doubts that?). So his tendency is to cast them in the most negative terms, consistently refer to them as terrorists, and understate their influence and popularity in a country that has a very large, Fundamentalist population, possibly the majority of the country. He is also trying to assign most, if not all, of the blame for the Red Mosque tragedy on the militants inside, and is, in fact, swallowing some of the Musharaff government spin on events. Meanwhile, others are saying that the Bush Administration pressured Musharaff to break off negotiations and storm the Mosque, which would be quite in character for Bush and Cheney, who basically want to kill any Moslem they can with a streak of independence from their agenda.

Thus, I am offering a fuller perspective in the following inserted report by Asia Times, which was written before the the battle at the Red Mosque was over. There is yet another Asia Times article posted in our Best Web Op-Eds section, entitled "Red Mosque Siege Was a Zero-Sum Game" which sheds more light on the situation since the siege ended.

..................................................

Pakistan's iron fist is to the US's liking
By Syed Saleem Shahzad

KARACHI - A last-minute intervention by Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf ended nine hours of negotiations seeking a peaceful end to the siege of the radical Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) in Islamabad.

Apparently saying he was "heavily under duress from his allies", the president in the early hours of Tuesday instead ordered in the military to end the seven-day saga. Unconfirmed reports even say that Musharraf personally led the assault, along with Corps Commander Rawalpindi Lieutenant-General Tariq Majid. The media were barred from the mosque's immediate vicinity.

Asia Times Online contacts believe that Musharraf was referring to Washington, which has in the past few months stepped up pressure on its partner in the "war on terror" to take action against al-Qaeda, the Taliban and foreign militants inside Pakistan.

When the siege of Lal Masjid began a week ago, the administration of US President George W Bush was fulsome in its praise that something was being done, as the mosque is a known supporter of al-Qaeda and the Taliban, and even a safe haven for militants.

According to the contacts, Musharraf said, "They want targets in Operation Silence," referring to the code name for Tuesday's final assault on the mosque. That is, the militants should be arrested or killed.

On Monday, US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, commenting on terror, said, "We believe Pakistan is a good ally, a good friend in fighting terror. They have an issue there with violent extremism. It's an issue that affects the Pakistani people as well as others in the region and the US."

By Tuesday afternoon, Pakistani forces were in the final stages of clearing the mosque. They encountered fierce resistance, but the mosque itself was said to be secure. There was still resistance from fighters holed up in a nearby women's seminary associated with the mosque. Pakistani media reported that at least 40 fighters and three soldiers had been killed.

The fate of Abdul Rasheed Ghazi is not known. He and his brother Abdul Aziz run the mosque. Ghazi was quoted on Geo TV as saying his mother had been wounded by gunfire. "The government is using full force. This is naked aggression. My martyrdom is certain now," the television station quoted him as saying. Aziz was captured on Wednesday while trying to leave the mosque disguised as a women in a full-length veil.

At 5am, Ghazi sent text messages to journalists, including this one, saying, "My death is certain." One of the ideologues of the mosque, Ume Hassan, Aziz' wife, was arrested with her daughter Asma and 30 hardcore members of the Women's Brigade of Lal Masjid.

The storming of the mosque is the first seizure of Taliban assets in Pakistan and is certain to have a strong ripple effect throughout the country as the mosque has strong links with jihadis and the Pakistani Taliban in the tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan.

Although the offensive in Pakistan's federal capital - which has captured international headlines - is finally playing out, one question remains. Who is the real director of the drama? Observers and analysts believe there might be several - one running the show separately in Lal Masjid, and others pulling strings from the outside. If so, there can be no clean, simple end to the saga.

The next episode has already begun in Batkhaila, North West Frontier Province, where the pro-Taliban Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Moham has clashed with the military and seized all highways in the area, including on the Silk Road leading to China.

It is only a matter of time before the US-led "war on terror" formally crosses the Pakistani border.

When the talking stopped
Lengthy talks before the military assault led to an agreement - at about 2am - on a safe passage for Ghazi. This was couched in terms of an "honorable arrest" - brief protective custody.

The high-profile negotiating team included the Grand Mufti of Pakistan, Mufti Rafi Usmani; Minister of Religious Affairs Ejaz ul-Haq; and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, a former premier and president of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League.

At this point, Ghazi said he would consult with his colleagues, and Hussain went off to confer with Musharraf for final approval of the agreement. Musharraf had earlier approved safe passage as an option.

When the two sides communicated again - via loudspeakers and mobile telephones - Ghazi apparently then wanted to know what would happen to the "foreign militants" inside the mosque. And crucially, Musharraf had changed almost all of the agreements in the draft. The authorities then told members of the negotiating team to return to their hotels, and at 4:30am 111 Brigade of the 10th Corps moved into action.

"Yes, the talks were successful. The draft was written. Abdul Rasheed Ghazi was to be allowed a safe passage, but then the draft was sent to the president and he amended it. Things were back to Square 1 and the talks failed," a dejected Grand Mufti Usmani told Asia Times Online by telephone. He rarely leaves his seminary in Karachi, but was specially invited to Islamabad by the government for the talks.

Ul-Haq also confirmed that Ghazi was to be given a safe passage, but then had suddenly expressed concern for "foreign militants" and the situation changed. Asia Times Online talked to several members of the negotiating team but they said Ghazi never specifically mentioned "foreign militants". "He always asked for guarantees for him as well as for those who were with him inside, but he never mentioned 'foreign militants'," said Maulana Hanif Jalandari, the secretary general of the Federal Board of Islamic Seminaries.

Asia Times Online contacts claim that the situation was complicated by the sudden appearance of a delegation of members of Parliament belonging to the government's coalition partners, the Muttahida Quami Movement. They are believed to have met with a US official at his official residence, after which the situation changed within an hour.

The end of a long saga
Lal Masjid leaped into prominence in 2004 when the prayer leader, Aziz, Ghazi's brother, issued a fatwa (religious decree) that any Pakistani soldiers killed in the tribal area of South Waziristan should not be entitled to Muslim funeral prayers or be buried in Muslim graveyards.

The army was at the time engaged in an offensive against al-Qaeda and foreign militants in the area.

The controversial decree was then signed by 500 Muslim scholars and it ignited serious discontent in the army, eventually prompting Pakistan to pull out from South Waziristan and North Waziristan after striking peace deals with the Pakistani Taliban.

Later, the authorities claimed that a link between the Lal Masjid brothers and al-Qaeda had been exposed when Ghazi's car - laden with arms and ammunition - was recovered from a person named Usman.

The religious community intervened and asked for evidence. Religious Affairs Minister ul-Haq was tasked with mediating and ensuring an impartial investigation by Military Intelligence. Ghazi spent a few weeks in custody, but no direct connections with terror were established, except that he knows all the main players, including Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Omar, who have corresponded with him.

After the London transit bombings in July 2005, when reports indicated that some of the perpetrators had visited Lal Masjid, it again came under official scrutiny, but no action was taken. Soon after, the brothers were declared wanted criminals, but no attempt was made to arrest them.

In January, the authorities started a program to demolish mosques built on unauthorized land. Notice was served on Lal Masjid for illegal encroachment on government land by building Jamia Hafsa, a large women's madrassa (seminary) next to the mosque.

Hundreds of girls occupied a nearby public library in protest and the conflict escalated when female vigilantes abducted alleged prostitutes and closed down video shops, at the same time demanding the implementation of sharia law in Islamabad. Lal Masjid was declared a countrywide movement. The authorities backed off and no action was taken against the mosque.

Now they have finally moved, and there will surely be serious consequences, given the mosque's iconic status among jihadis.

Syed Saleem Shahzad is Asia Times Online's Pakistan Bureau Chief. He can be reached at saleem_shahzad2002@yahoo.com.

by Mac McKinney (42 articles, 67 quicklinks, 164 diaries, 1055 comments) on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 at 7:57:10 PM

DrColes

Society and Religion

All members of any religion must adhere to the laws wherein they are citizens. Should they not, that society will treat them as criminals and/or anti-socials and act accordingly.

http://www.InteliOrg.com/

by DrColes (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 23 comments) on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 at 8:23:28 PM

A Philosophical Problem

I have to take issue here, for you have tacitly declared the State the moral compass of the Universe, which is a rather dangerous idea. Quite often the State in any locale is the temporal embodiment of evil, and men of principle are forced to take a stand, for example, Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi against the oppression and criminality of the South or the British Empire. Men are anwerable to higher laws than those of any particular government, which may be serving no higher principle than the greed and cruelty of its rulers. In such cases, the Law may be no law at all, but a tool of oppression.

by Mac McKinney (42 articles, 67 quicklinks, 164 diaries, 1055 comments) on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 at 8:41:38 PM

DrColes

It is. If the people of the society do not change it, you will be terminated. It is that simple.

by DrColes (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 23 comments) on Thursday, July 12, 2007 at 2:32:41 PM

A writer is a rogue goose. All other gees fly in a flock formation; every goose knows his place and time for honking. The rogue goose is undisciplined. He leaves the formation indiscriminately to have a look at it from aside. He roams back and forth, takes a peep at the leader, honks a little bit from behind, distracts everyone and writes on what he sees. Time passes and as he wants to return back to his place he discovers someone else there. Thus he either has to wait until they land for rest...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Mark SashineA writer is a rogue goose. All other gees fly in a flock formation; every goose knows his place and time for honking. The rogue goose is undisciplined. He leaves the formation indiscriminately to have a look at it from aside. He roams back and forth, takes a peep at the leader, honks a little bit from behind, distracts everyone and writes on what he sees. Time passes and as he wants to return back to his place he discovers someone else there. Thus he either has to wait until they land for rest...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Really?

What if we have a religious state and it forbids a certain other religions to be practiced by invoking the law of the land? What if, on the other hand the law of the land either deliberately or by ignorance insults a certain group of people and/or targets them like for instance, forbids them to wear certain clothing citing that 'they thus cannot be seen properly.' What if there is slavery? Quakers resisted it in 1850s although laws of the land were oK.

Hey, what if the laws proclaim atheism ( I am an atheist BTW) and forbids people to organize religious groups and studies.

You seem not to grasp the complex subject. People obey the laws not because it says to obey but because it makes sense to them. If it does not or if it is dangerous to them they will not obey it and they will be right. Laws are made by people and people make mistakes and/ or exercise power.

by Mark Sashine (50 articles, 19 quicklinks, 242 diaries, 3434 comments) on Thursday, July 12, 2007 at 9:41:37 AM

DrColes

It is up to the society to elect the type of society they wish live under and if they don't like it then change it. I for one would never live in a theocracy. Alternatively, under any form of dogma. I an American citizen and believe in the government as secular.

(see http://www.inteliorg.com/un_american.html ) It’s up to every society to establish for their common good what they want. If an individual is out of step with their society, they had better conform or migrate to a society they like.

by DrColes (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 23 comments) on Thursday, July 12, 2007 at 2:41:47 PM