Chowrangi

Just living in the suburbs of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid, I am appalled at what happening in the capital of Pakistan in the 21st century. A state of half inch has been formed within the state. Couple of inordinate clerics are using brainwashed fragile minds to exploit the situation for some mysterious designs, which are beyond comprehension.

The issue suddenly popped-up some months ago, and both cleric brothers of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid started threatning and kidnapping people in broad day light in the name of implementing Islam. The government showed an un-precedented restrain and tolerance, and situation only got worst.

Now after an inevitable showdown between law enforcement agencies and armed men (Were they students?) of Lal Masjid, some 20 people have been died. The deceased include students, rangers, businessmen, masons, journalists, and pedestrians. Who is responsible for these deaths? Who is responsible for the property damages?

Who has benefited from all this? Certainly not the religion and country. What message, exactly, Mr. Abdul Rasheed Ghazi is sending to the world? Who will embrace Islam after watching all this? What purpose will this all bloody fiasco serve? Why didnt Ghazi Sahib receive the bullets before his student died? Why is he playing his bloody politics over the fledgling minds and Burqas.

Hijab, Burqas and the boundaries of home are the part of our religion and culture. Its not the heritage of Lal Masjid. They are ridiculing Burqas and Hijab. They are repelling people from Islam. Its a very mysterious intrigue against Muslims.

One thing is for sure that government will ultimately control the Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa. Its yet to see that this is achieved through whether after a bloody operation or through negotiations. But then, it is likely that there would be a wide scale crack down on the mudrissahs and religious seminaries around the capital and beyond, and they would only get evicted from the capital. What a loss, and just due to the stubbornness of couple of clerics.

A final and stern operation is on the cards. As I am writing this, a curfew has been implemented in the G-6 sector of captial, and Islamabad administration is warning Lal Masjid armed men to surrender, through loud speakers. Preparations of an operation of very big scale are under way. It is being said that the operation would be started in just couple of hours from now on.

I would urge government to please once again show some tolerance, and some how try to capture the root of the problem. Government should do a commando action and capture the two clerics, un-arm the armed men, and take students in custody. The students should be helped, with the help of their parents, and government should try to intellectually convince these students to see that they are being used in the name of religion.

What a sad day this is for the nation. We have made enough fool of ourselves for the last 22 hours. Now is the time, common sense should prevail.

Other posts by Commoner

• Full Text Of Barack Obama Speech at Cairo, Egypt - June 5th, 2009
• Operation Rah-e-Rast: Tragedy Beat Goes On - June 3rd, 2009
• Vows Are Not Enough to Quell Terror - April 19th, 2009
• Pitch Dark Confusion in Pakistan - April 5th, 2009
• No Room for Disappointment, CJP - March 22nd, 2009
• Go Back to 25th Feb - March 21st, 2009
• Kudos to PML(N) for making Long March a success - March 18th, 2009
• Long March Has Ended: V-Day, not the D-Day - March 16th, 2009
• In the Long March: No Stoppage to the Marchers - March 16th, 2009
• Into the Long March : Locked Down - March 14th, 2009