Pakistan: Lal Masjid and Opinions

Metroblogging Islamabad attempts to collate opinions on the Lal Masjid shootout.

46 comments

  • Junaid Naseer

    The government has surprisingly taken all the right steps. It has shown flexibility by allowing women and youngsters to leave peacefully as well as promising no harm to anyone who surrenders. They have treated the people coming out of the mosque and Madrassa very well. I am not a big supporter of the Army and the government but they have handled this situation very well uplifting their image, at least in my eyes. No unnecessary bloodshed has been carried out. It is shameful that people are still trying to propel their political careers over the dead bodies of women and children. The political parties will do anything to get any political mileage out of this and any other issue. Shame on all the people who are making Muslims fight Muslims. America faced only one 9/11, but we have gone through a dozen 9/11s. What will it take for our people to understand. We need neither “enlightened moderation” nor “Fundatmentalism”. We are willing to talk to our worst enemies but don’t want to talk to our Muslim brothers. The Lal Masjid authorities, unfortunately played out into the hands of the unguided people who claim to represent Islam but are actually doing more to defame it. I don’t blame them entirely either, for in this age of confusion no one is sure about anything (and they call it the information age!!!). I have deep respect for the Ulemas and they should be treated with respect. The Ghazi brothers, willingly(I hope not) or inadvertently (only Allah knows) caused this drama. It leaves me with mixed feelings for them, where they probably wanted to do something right but went about it the wrong way. Thumbs up for the Rangers though !! job well done !!!

  • Assalam
    lal masjid is nagetive activities continues befor oppration.
    and all madarsa’s is same styel of bad activities.

  • omer

    Islamabad Lal Masjid crisis:

    Pakistan Govt seem to have lost human respect. The are the terrorists before the event even started.

    Lives are being lost but no dignitary is visiting the place of deaths. Army is showing display of valour in from of ordinary citizens and police is rentless
    Victims of brutality of the Government are willing to surrender but no negotiations are being done with them and are being considered dangerous.Those who are willing to Negotiate are being arrested (example of Khalid Khawaja is evident, police now demands his arrest because he tried to settle things down between the Govt and the Mosque Cleric.) Govt is totally responsible for escalation of Islamabad Lal Masjid Crisis.

  • omer

    Ghazi Abdur Rasheed can represent a political party all over Pakistan and can stand in great opposition against the current President Pervaiz Musharraf if he is allowed to openly oppose the current policies of the Government in the Parliament peacefully. I am sure there are a huge number of Pakistani people still in favor of Ghazi Abdur Rasheed but unfortunately they are hidden due to terror of force that Government has shown in the last few months.

    As a conseqence of too much pressure on General Pervez Musharraf due to already developing opposition he some how wants to silence a new movement (exposed in his operation: Operation Silence) against his policies. This movement was not life threatning to its citizens but was forced to do damage (collatral) as a ****** of continuous dealing of Govt as if it was dealing with criminals.

    Current operation against Ghazi Abdur Rasheed can be considered as a Political assasination if the President orders a huge operation to make him surrender. I am sure if General Pervaiz Musharraf let him lives then there is a great chance that Ghazi Abdur Rasheed will emerge as a great political leader.

  • Metroblogging Islamabad also has a continuously updated post on the events at Lal Masjid: »»Special Forces Assemble at Lal Masjid!. Updates are done in the main post by the blog authors, and continued in the comments by the readers when the authors aren’t online.

  • omer

    Ghazi Abdur Rasheed can represent a political party all over Pakistan and can stand in great opposition against the current

    President Pervaiz Musharraf if he is allowed to openly oppose the current policies of the Government in the Parliament

    peacefully. I am sure there are a huge number of Pakistani people still in favor of Ghazi Abdur Rasheed but unfortunately they are not being given a chance to represent a new party who has its few reservations on few policies of the Govt.They think their voice is not being represented in implemetaion or amendment in the practiced laws of the country.

    As a conseqence of too much pressure on General Pervez Musharraf due to already developing opposition he some how wants to

    silence a new movement (exposed in his operation: Operation Silence) against his policies. This movement was not life

    threatning to its citizens but was forced to do damage (collatral) as a result of continuous dealing of crisis management authorities as if it is dealing with criminals.

    Current operation against Ghazi Abdur Rasheed can be considered as a Political assasination if the President orders a huge

    operation to make him surrender. I am sure if General Pervaiz Musharraf let him lives then there is a great chance that Ghazi

    Abdur Rasheed will emerge as a great political leader.

    Akbar Bugti (Ex-Governer of Baluchistan Province) was killed and was also dealt with the same strategy by the the Govt of

    Pakistan as you have observed in Islamabad i.e Of harassing them through secret forces (set up by the Government), who don’t inform the accused of the charges against them through proper channels (since all channels are not reliable because the Government themselves conflict each other). Some threat and others assure of amnesty and forgiveness, making the accused confused of the situation, till the accused is forced to defend himself in any way possible.

    Obvious crime can occur in this case on part of the Govt of Pakistan, Pervaiz Musharraf is considered as a great channel of success, if he personally assures the accused of his own protection.

  • shifa

    As far as i am concerned the govt. is being brutal.i mean if they really care so much abt human rights and women and children then they should try to settle this problem by negotiations but no they r all for force.as for media well most of them r like vultures. they only care abt getting news and are completely heartless to the plight of the sufferes. i donot know what will be the outcome of this crisis but i know one thing. the people in lal masjid r in the right, they have said publically what we all believed and their sacrifices will not be wasted InshaAllah.most importantly they have put their faith in Allah Almighty Who is the greastest.may He grant them success.

  • shifa

    as far as i am concerned the govt. is being brutal.i mean if they care so much abt human rights and women and children then they should try to resolve this crisis by negotiations rather then force but no they wont settle for it.as for the media they r like a lot fo vultures.they dont care abt the plight of the people only abt getting more and more exclusive news. and no one seems to know the veiws of Allah as laid down in the Holy Quran in this matter.surely all must agree that He is the best authority and He states clearly that the people masjid r right.i dont know what will be the outcome of this crisis and knowining the depths to which our govt can sink nothing will surprise me but i believe in the people of lal masjid and Inshallah their sacrifices shall not be wasted becuz they have put their faith in Allah Almighty who the supreme power.may He grant them with success.

  • So this means that if I decide to rob a bank tomorrow and hold people hostage inside the bank unless the government gives me safe passage, I will not be responsible for the death of any civilians? It will be the government’s fault? Hallelujah! The government can lay siege all it wants – obviously Pakistanis are open-minded and merciful, and I can do what I want, because I will be forgiven, and no blame will be laid at my door.

    Just because I have weapons, just because I threaten and brutalize the people in and around the bank, or steal their money, all I need to say is that I am Robin Hood, and I was stealing money to give to the poor – what have I done wrong? My intentions are pure!

    That’s a great notion. Where do I sign up?

  • Sadaf Suhail

    Personally I think these people don’t deserve to be called “moulana’s” as they don’t have previous religious education. If they had some idea of what ISLAM is about they would have never used students and brain washed them to become terrorists. They claim to be religious leaders and are using innocent lives to protect themselves.

    What is the guarantee that if these brothers are given safe exits, they will not emerge again with another terrorist group? How can an institute justify having so much of arms and weapons? Why can’t Pakistan have religious institutes like IRF in India lead by Dr. Zakir Naik or Jamiya’s in Egypt??? Why can’t Islamic students be dressed up in proper uniforms like students of other institutes? Why only mentally weak children are sent to these institutes to hifz Quran in our society? In this century can Pakistan be lead by these religious fanatics???

    These so-called molana’s should be punished to make it a lesson for all others like them. There job is to do tabligh not take weapons and start killing people they think are not good enough for Society!!!

    People like these so-called molana’s have given Islam a bad name all over the world. Government has given them enough time to surrender but they didn’t take it. Now they should be ready to face the consequences!

Cancel this reply

Join the conversation -> omer

Authors, please log in »

Guidelines

  • All comments are reviewed by a moderator. Do not submit your comment more than once or it may be identified as spam.
  • Please treat others with respect. Comments containing hate speech, obscenity, and personal attacks will not be approved.