Sunni Tehreek : Mullahs fighting each other for political gains

by Wichaar Analysis

Sunni Tehreek, that includes the Brailvi sect of Indian Muslims, was the last straw that broke the religious tolerance’s camel’s back. Now, it can be safely said that there is no tolerant Islami sect among Pakistani Muslims: they have all become ritualistic and part of Mullah Shahi.

The Sunnis, particularly Brailvis were the least politicized by political Islam. Following the Sufi traditions faith was purely personal belief for them. However, the temptation of power and fame (or notoriety) of political Islam was hard to resist for Mullahs even of Brailvi sect. When they saw JI and JUI leaders like Liqat Baluch and Fazalur Rehman regularly appearing on the TV talk shows and rubbing shoulders with most powerful people they thought that they were majority and yet ignored. Therefore, they had to venture into political Islam and TNR was a perfect excuse for them.

As a matter of fact the Brailvis had abandoned the Sufi tradition long ago. They had become a ritualistic sect who took ‘khatam, drood’ as their basic distinction. The Sufi shrines had become the jagirs (estates) of sajjada nashins who were running them like feudal dynasties. The trend had started much earlier in the history. Baba Farid and his nominated leader of Chishtia sect, Nizamud Din Aulia had refused to see kings and their men. However, great grand sons of Baba Farid joined the Tugliq’s and were awarded a huge estate in Pakpattan. It was a noteworthy estate when Ranjeet Singh conquered Punjab and he had to negotiate with the then sajjada nasheen.

Read more : Wichaar

Pakistan : what should we do in this chaos?

by Munawar Ali

We have been in social cum political turmoil as far as I remember from childhood to now. We always hear and read unpleasant news again and again. We wait for these ruthless leaders to do miracles for us, which is never gonna happen unless we have totally new set of new ideas and faces which is not foreseeable in near future. This makes us only feel bad.

What we should do then? I think instead of wasting our time and getting gloomy after reading and hearing useless and hurting political news, we should concentrate on the uplifting of people especially youth. Help them get better education, guide them and help them get out of the negative mindset and work hard to achieve their goals. This will eventually help society come out of the century hold traditions and illiteracy and ignorance and hopefully enter into 21st century.

Only talking will not do good for us as it has not done any good for last 50 years of our useless political struggle. Which has only divided us and weekend us. Politics is important but if we do not have education and positive thinking, nothing will work. We have wasted time and our youth, please no more waste and empty slogans. Do social work and practically make difference.

Courtesy: Sindhi e-lists/ e-groups, Sat, February 5, 2011

Sindh – To prevent a Chad-like situation

To prevent a Chad-like situation

The national dailies have reported from Islamabad (Jan. 27) by quoting UNICEF as saying: “Pakistan’s Sindh province, hit hard by last year’s floods, is suffering levels of malnutrition almost as critical as Chad and Niger, with hundreds of thousands of children at risk, UNICEF said on Wednesday (Jan 26)”. …

Read more : The Nation

Pakistan’s nukes: How many are enough?

By Pervez Hoodbhoy

The latest news from America must have thrilled many: Pakistan probably has more nuclear weapons than India. A recent Washington Post article, quoting various nuclear experts, suggests that Pakistan is primed to “surge ahead in the production of nuclear-weapons material, putting it on a path to overtake Britain as the world’s fifth largest nuclear weapons power”.

Some may shrug off this report as alarmist anti-Pakistan propaganda, while others will question the accuracy of such claims. Indeed, given the highly secret nature of nuclear programmes everywhere, at best one can only make educated guesses on weapons and their materials. For Pakistan, it is well known that the Kahuta complex has been producing highly enriched uranium for a quarter century, and that there are two operational un-safeguarded plutonium-producing reactors at Khushab (with a third one under construction). Still, the exact amounts of bomb-grade material and weapons are closely held secrets.

But for argument’s sake, let’s assume that the claims made are correct. Indeed, let us suppose that Pakistan surpasses India in numbers – say by 50 per cent or even 100 per cent. Will that really make Pakistan more secure? Make it more capable of facing current existential challenges?

The answer is, no. Pakistan’s basic security problems lie within its borders: growing internal discord and militancy, a collapsing economy, and a belief among most citizens that the state cannot govern effectively. These are deep and serious problems that cannot be solved by more or better weapons. Therefore the way forward lies in building a sustainable and active democracy, an economy for peace rather than war, a federation in which provincial grievances can be effectively resolved, elimination of the feudal order and creating a tolerant society that respects the rule of law. …

Read more : THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE

Muslim imam, given award by Princess Anne, facing jail for raping boy, 12, at mosque

By Daily Mail Reporter

A Muslim cleric, once decorated by Buckingham Palace, is facing jail after being convicted of ‘preying on’ and ‘abusing’ two boys at his mosque.

Mohammed Hanif Khan, 42, one of Britain’s most influential imams, became the first ever full-time Islamic minister in the history of the British prison service in 2001. ..

Read more: Mail Online

Governor Salman Taseer’s assassination & the rising tide of fanaticism in Pakistan

By Ahmed Chandio

The assassination of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer has spread fear and terror among people. A killer has been made hero and the victim as a villain in the name of blasphemy law. Religious parties of the country have intensified their activities in the wake of the Governor’s assassination. They don’t care about the country’s image abroad and the cost anyway. People are not ready to discuss the issue of blasphemy saying it’s a sensitive issue.

Lawyers of Rawalpindi forced a judge of an anti-terrorism court not to leave for the capital to hear the case. Finally, police shifted the accused to Rawalpindi to present him before the judge. Lawyers and activists of some religious parties placed garlands of roses around the killer’s neck. They showered him with flower petals and kissed him. According to a PPP minister, lawyers who garlanded the killer belonged to the PML-N.

Over 300 lawyers signed legal documents expressing their willingness to defend the killer. But no public prosecutor came forward to plead the case of the assassinated governor because of fear.

One newspaper reported that Qadri was a mercenary killer and paid to carry out the murder. He was given an assurance that his family would be looked after if anything happened to him or if he was convicted. Sources said announcements had been made about bounty to be paid to the killer and the amount offered totaled Rs40 million.

The Punjab governor’s murder is seen as an act of religious fanaticism. The roots of the menace can be traced back to the Zia era. Earlier it was considered that madressahs (religious seminaries) served as breeding grounds for producing fanatics. But profiles of 9/11 terrorists, Times Square bomber, the killer of journalist Daniel Pearl proved that all of them had not studied in madressahs. The killer of Punjab governor had also not studied in madressah.

Can we hold curriculum being taught from primary to university-level education in Pakistan responsible for terrorism? No. Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, the killer of Daniel Pearl, had studied in the London School of Economics.

Then what instigated them to be a fanatic? What are sources and forces of hate in Pakistan?

There has been no doubt that hate missions are very much institutionalized and billions of rupees are spent on them. Some foreign countries are also funding millions of rupees to groups involved in acts of militancy. …

Read more : Indus Herald