Sunday, July 08, 2007

The Red Mosque And Confused Nation 2:

Part 2
Secularists shout about the occupation of library by female students of Jamia Hafsa but we have to check a fact that they are not destroying library, every thing is as it was there before occupation and it is also open for common people. They didn't destroy anything or harm anyone. Why don't we see that it was the most harmless thing to record your protest when no one is listening to you? We witnessed that these same secular parties when protested about anything in Past went on rampage into streets and cause destruction to public and state property. We recently witnessed a similar situation on 12 May when rival political parties clashed with each other in Karachi causing 48 deaths and destruction of state as well as public property. The main clash was between MQM, PPP and ANP, all claim to be secular parties, and amazingly MQM who had main part in all that blood shed is sitting in government. This is Pakistan, those who were involved in massacre of people on 12 May are still roaming on streets and are sitting in government offices, but this civilized way of protest to hold control of small library without harming anything is barbaric and extremist in their view. I can only say that this is hypocrisy at its peak.

Many Pakistanis support them because they are saying that Pakistan should be ruled by Shariah and this is what makes them right. We are not talking about Mullahs rule or Army rule here; we are talking about secular rule or Islamic rule. Do we think for a moment that will Pakistan be one single country under pure secular rule in next 10 years? We will be 4 different states, when there are already nationalist movements growing in Baluchistan and interior Sindh.

When administration of Red Mosque announced to establish Shariah courts, it created row all over in secular circles, accusing these Islamists of challenging states judicial system. But what judicial system are they talking about? In NWFP and Tribal belt of Pakistan, millions choose local Jirgas instead of our pathetic sacred Justice system to seek justice. In 90% of NWFP and Balochistan, these local and tribal Jirgas are judicial system for local people. In all interior Sindh and Punjab, where Landlords have total control over people’s life in their area, Panchaiyat system is judicial system for people that cannot decide anything against the will of local feudal lord. Two years ago, one of such Panchayats decided to rape a woman in front of whole village just because her younger brother played with young daughter of local feudal lord, but these secular circles never protested about this crime. I don’t know are these secularist really so innocent or are they following some agenda. We know that a family from interior Punjab came to Jamia Hafsa a month ago for seeking help just because their feudal lord raped their 2 daughters and police was not doing anything. Is this not something to protest about? Or are these secularists live in a dream. The ground reality is we have a failed judiciary system and most of Pakistanis do not have any trust in Judiciary.

It is a bitter fact and truth that if in interior Sindh or Punjab or in Bugti or Lagari areas of Balochistan, a man from ruling elite of these areas will rape woman belonging to poor families, our police or judiciary system cannot take any action. It is bitter truth that we have a judicial system sponsored by state, but it is a common practice that people go to famous madrssahs to solve their conflicts according to Shariah. Such courts are working in Pakistan from many years, it is common here, but the thing is, it highlighted in media for first time. Truth is that root cause of all this fuss is the utter failure of our law and its implementation. In every sense of a word, we ruled by a failed system. It is a fact that in the absence of law people will invariably turn to anyone who can provide justice.

There are hundreds of cases recorded in recent years in which people were abducted by Pakistani secret agencies without any charge or trial in courts. This is rule of law in Pakistan, and this is how government works here. So how can we talk about writ of a state when state itself is involved in unlawful activities?

Moreover, for me, I do not think that intentions of Jamia Hafsa are bad, if they want to close brothels in Pakistan, they are welcome. If they want to implement Islamic shariah, I support them. But if they want to beat me just because I don't have beard, than I don't support them and I don't want them, but I don’t think they have such intentions. Maulana Ghazi is holding a graduate degree from one of the top Pakistani university, and he worked in UN as well. So I do not think we are facing pure Madrssah's Mullahs here.

It is also a fact that purely secular law does not rule Pakistan, and there is a strong component of Shariah in the law books, but unfortunately, implementation is nowhere. In the name of women’s right bill, our secular rulers cheated the whole nation and were able to remove a good part of Islamic shariah from Pakistan’s law book. The sad fact is that the law in Pakistan is a plaything of the powerful. The issue is not shariah or secularism, it is equality and justice and in the Pakistani context, I feel shariah may also be exploited to suit the powerful just as our present laws are. The real problem with Pakistan is not the law, but the lack of and selective enforcement of law and if jamia hafsa is showing their power and commitment to enforce some sort of law than it should be welcomed.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

as salaamu alaikum

JazaakAllah khaire akh for these post re the lal masjid crisis. An interesting insight...

Anonymous said...

There's no where else I would be getting these opinion...

I appluad the women for showing how they feel by refusing to leave a library. I don't know a single person that would complain, or say what they were doing was wrong as long as they have a reason.

I keep hearing that Hafsa is "Taliban style" which would mean they WOULD beat you if you didn't have a beard.

-S

Anonymous said...

As-Salaam'Alaykum

Truly refreshing to hear another point of view about this crisis!

It has been a sad event in the history of Pakistan and the Muslim world.

Anyone who brings Islam to the forefront is labeled a 'Taliban' and 'Terrorist'. Even in a so called Islamic country as Pakistan; to highlight Islamic rights is now equivalent to losing your life!

May Allah Guide Us All To The True Path. And Punish The Oppressors. Ameen.

*M

IftikharAlam said...

thank you for your views about this article, I wrote it before Operation silence.May Allah swt bless all shaheeds of this incedent , Amin.

Anonymous, westerners say that Taliban are against education of women. So if you consider Jamia Hafsa "Taliban style" than you are neglecting West view of Taliban, and if you believe in that than it is not "Taliban style" Madrssah.
And believe me, Taliban never beat someone for not having beard.

Talha Aziz said...

It’s ‘Operation Sunrise’ not ‘Silence’
http://www.dawn.com/2007/07/12/top7.htm


another teaser from the moderates.. highlighting their efforts to take Pakistan from the 'darkness of extremism' to the light of 'enlightened moderation'