South Asia News
Violence erupts as Islamists retake Red Mosque in Pakistan (2nd Lead)
Jul 27, 2007, 11:51 GMT
Islamabad - Hard-line supporters of a detained radical cleric on Friday took over the pro-Taliban Red Mosque, sparking a new wave of violent protests after a deadly assault earlier in the month when government troops stormed the complex to battle against armed militants inside.
The mosque in the capital Islamabad was reopened to the public more than three weeks after violent clashes erupted there between security forces and Islamic militants on July 3, which climaxed with the July 10-11 commando assault that left scores of people dead.
Enraged people, mostly Islamist students, took control of the compound that includes the now demolished girl's seminary and a public library, and slammed the government of President Pervez Musharraf for the bloodshed and killing of their preacher Abdul Rashid Ghazi.
'Musharraf is a dog,' they shouted.
Two teenaged girls, who surrendered during the week-long mosque siege early July, told reporters on the scene that: 'The government has razed our one seminary in place of which we will build 1,000 more.'
'There were around 2,000 girl students in the Jamia Hafsa (religious school) when we left the complex just before the operation,' one of them, who identified herself as Qurat-ul-Ain, said.
The government has been saying that some 75 militants were killed in the raid, in which the security forces also suffered about a dozen casualties. But the full extent of the casualties has not been confirmed by independent sources.
Leaders of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal religious alliance, who had arrived at the mosque in a vain attempt to calm the situation, said the only solution to this crisis was the removal of President Musharraf from power.
'We demand a judicial probe into the whole episode as only such an inquiry could establish the facts,' parliamentarian Liaquat Baloch said.
Another religious party leader, Siraj-ul-Haq, said that Ghazi's death in the military operation would trigger Islamic revolution in the country.
The Friday mid-day prayers at the mosque turned into an angry protest demonstration when Islamists refused to offer the prayers led by a government-appointed cleric who replaced Lal Masjid's chief administrator, Maulana Abdul Aziz. The new cleric, Mohammad Ashfaq, was led out of the mosque safely.
Some protesters flew Islamic flags after climbing onto the rooftop of the mosque that donned a new look with freshly plastered exterior, painted in a paler shade of white to replace red from which the mosque drew its name.
They also started to repaint the mosque in its original colour while one of them inscribed 'Lal Masjid (Red Mosque)' on its front face, as authorities had installed a roadside signboard identifying it as Central Mosque G-6, the code name of the neighbourhood.
The protesters and other worshippers were allowed entry into the mosque after being frisked by police, who had cordoned off all access points leading to the Lal Masjid.
Security was on high alert in Islamabad with intelligence reports of possible suicide bombings by militants.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in attacks on security forces since the mosque siege, with extremists calling to avenge the deaths of 'innocent sisters, brothers and sons.'
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
why is this a surprise. Muslims put the S in Stupidty and the W in Worthless.
'Hundreds of religious students' - they will have really productive impact on the ecconomy of their country (if they don't murder each other first). What a sorry bunch of brainless morons.
All of the students protesting there are right! If your brothers and sisters are killed innocently by those bastards 'security forces' what will you do? Will you just sit and watch and weep like a bastard, timid coward? You all europeans are cowards and timid. If you had been here in islamabad and could see what has really happened here, then your views might have changed.
Karamat---crawl back under your rock...
Yeah let's get that 'MURDERER+SOMETIME FRIEND OF THE U.S.' MUSHARAFF out of PAKISTAN and bring back 'PINKY' BHUTTO + her corrupt 'commies' to give the 'MUSLIM MANIACS' our true rights or heh why don't we go to NEW HAVEN's YALE, or CAMBRIDGE's HARVARD; there sure to be 'foolish' wannabe' Stalinists there!!!
Karamat, your muslim brothers and sisters are leaving your countries to move to Christian countries for freedom and peace. There is no Muslim country that has more people moving in than moving out. If Allah is so great, why are all Muslim countries corrupt, violent, ignorant and backward. Hmmmm....Maybe Allah is not so great ... or you really ticked him off!
Innocent is not a word that applies to your brothers and sisters. And if your so called religious leaders didn't preach prejudice and hate as core values, which you Karamat have obviously learned very well, those bastard security forces wouldn't have been there in the first place.
Islam does not condone Muslims killing each other or any innocent person or even creature of any kind.
Do not generalize and attach Islam to the actions of a certain group or society. If we view things by this rule it could easily be said all Americans are greedy glutoneous selfish self rightous war mongerers. And I certainly do not believe that of every American, just the ones ruling your country. Same goes for the Jews and Israel.
Musharaf will never learn will he? He has to go in hard and sustained to take this bunch of nutters out, half measures just will not do. He only has himself to blame, ...... civil war please and quick.
Karamat. Jihadi suicide murderers are brave are they? Murdering innocent men women and children. Yeah, right. They have been brainwashed into believing they will get to roger 72 virgins for their murderous act. Ha! What a bunch of wankers. It's funny you don't see the preachers lining up as suicide bombers - are they all gay? If people behaved and kept within the law of whatever land they happen to live in, and preachers had their tongues cut out - or better still their throats cut, they wouldn't be pestered by security forces.
What Muslims do in the name of Islam and how the majority of Muslims react to them defines what Islam is, not just the words. Jews and Christians have stood up against extreemists in their groups, when will Muslims do the same.
It is a scary prospect to think that Islamic revolution could sweep across Pakistan. Essentially, it would become similar to Iran... except Pakistan already has nuclear weapons. Let's hope they discover reason before they annihilate one another and trigger World War III.
For their imprisoned leader:::::
Lal Masjid's chief administrator, Maulana Abdul Aziz.Has admitted to authorizes that he prefers high heels and women’s panties as opposed to Islamic traditional garb> This realization occurred when he tried to sneak out of the surrounded red mosque dressed as a women. He said in a recent interview that it is not an easy balance being a hard line Islamic Cleric by day and a dainty cross dresser by night. The high heels are two sizes too small. But One must endure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I suppose there are many regretting their initial reactions now.
Except, perhaps, the extemists? Anyway, Pakistan knows that if they don't step up, in the words of REM, 'It's the End of the World as We Know It'
They can't use the nuke option, cause Uncle Sam says 'No Dice'. If our unrest in the US, combined with the nuclear/suicidal tenedencies in the Mid-East become TOO flagrant, there will be a giant parking lot made out of the majority of the region, and then 'I Feel Fine'........
page: 1
markusJul 27th, 2007 - 12:47:24
what idiots....they should have bull dozed this place....I guess its true Muslim Idiot vs Muslim Idiot....ok allah..lets us kill each other again..since that is all we know.
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