Spirit of Spartacus
4th July 2007, 19:20
This is a story you DON'T want to miss! :D
If you want, you can skip the background info that I've provided, and go directly to the part in bold...
Pakistan's capital Islamabad turned into a war-zone on Tuesday, July the 3rd, 2007, when Islamist militants clashed with security officials and paramilitary forces. More than 20 people, including security forces, Islamic militants and innocent civilians died in the clashes occuring on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The militants were based at the Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) in Islamabad. Attached to the mosque was a seminary or religious school, called Jamia Hafsa.
These militant Islamists were led by two extremist clerics, the Ghazi brothers. The elder of the two was Maulana Abdul-Aziz Ghazi, and his second-in-command is Maulana Abdul-Rasheed Ghazi. (Maulana is a title given to Islamic clerics or religious leaders).
The religious school affiliated with Lal Masjid taught a message of militant Islamism and Jihad (holy struggle) to thousands of women. Wearing full face-veils and carrying heavy sticks, they formed a "morals police", and began patrolling parts of the capital Islamabad, trying to wipe out things which they considered "immoral".
I wrote about them in detail here (http://wrathofhephaestus.wordpress.com/2007/04/07/pakistani-fundamentalists-and-their-islamic-revolution-some-thoughts-on-the-rise-of-the-madrassah-thugs-in-islamabad/), in case anyone is interested. :)
Among their targets were music-shops, massage-parlors, etc. They also menaced women at various cultural and educational institutions. This often brought them into open conflict with State police as well as moderate and secular Muslims, who form the majority of residents in the capital city.
The international bourgeois-media, including BBC, CNN and others had a ball for the past two months, speculating on the rise of militant Islamists in the capital of Pakistan.
Matters came to a head in late June, when the Lal Masjid goons captured 6 female Chinese workers, held them for a day and then released them after pressure from the government.
This Tuesday, Pakistani security forces and military units surrounded the Lal Masjid mosque complex and the nearby Jamia Hafsa religious-school. The militants in Lal Masjid opened fire on the State forces, resulting in deadly fighting that left more than 20 people dead and hundreds injured.
On Wednesday, a cease-fire was arranged, but sporadic fighting continued, and the capital Islamabad was under a strict curfew, with troops patrolling the streets and armoured military vehicles all over the place.
As the military beseiged the mosque complex, hundreds of religious students began to surrender, laying down their arms and coming out, allowing security forces to take them into custody.
Around 1500 militants still remained holed-up in the mosque, and it looked as if there would be a bloody final battle, as security forces prepared to storm the mosque complex.
Gunship helicopters appeared overhead,
Just a few hours ago, early in the evening, Pakistan time, guess what happens?
Maulana Abdul-Aziz, the elder of the two Ghazi brothers, and commander of the militants, tried to escape, along with some female students of the mosque. All were wearing full face-veils, known as niqaabs or burqas. :P
Abdul-Aziz himself had worn a burqa to hide his face, and attempted to escape. The security forces stopped him and the women, and began searching them. The women tried to help the Maulana out of his sticky situation, claiming that he was their "aunt".
"Please let our aunty go", they said. "She is very ill, please let her go, don't search her!"
The security forces insisted on searching "Aunty", and demanded that "she" lift her veil. Guess what lay beneath the veil. ;)
The government has released security footage of "Aunty" being exposed, arrested and then bundled into a vehicle by security forces.
Morale in the beseiged mosque complex has fallen drastically after their chief leader was arrested trying to escape in a burqa. (Predictably)
Several hundred militants, both male and female, along with lots of children, are still holed up in the beseiged Lal Masjid area. They are now led by the younger of the Ghazi brothers, Maulana Abdul-Rasheed.
Hopefully, the crisis will come to an end without further loss of life.
It has certainly taken a very amusing turn. Only in Pakistan can a deadly clash turn into comedy. :P
Read about the violent clashes here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6267024.stm) on the BBC news website.
Read about the captured leader escaping in a burqa veil disguise here (http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/8B42C0B3-1B8D-4EDB-90BE-E40B895F9447.htm) on Al-Jazeera and here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6270626.stm) on BBC.
Most of Pakistan was watching with baited breath, as Maulana Abdul-Aziz made fiery speeches, urging his followers to go bravely to fight and die in their "holy war" against immorality in Pakistan.
He sent dozens of young followers to fight and die for his cause, and swore that he would fight to the very end.
He claimed that he saw in a dream, his blood sprinkled on the floor of the mosque, and the rise of an Islamic revolution in Pakistan.
And now...he was arrested trying to escape, wearing a burqa and veil. :D
If you want, you can skip the background info that I've provided, and go directly to the part in bold...
Pakistan's capital Islamabad turned into a war-zone on Tuesday, July the 3rd, 2007, when Islamist militants clashed with security officials and paramilitary forces. More than 20 people, including security forces, Islamic militants and innocent civilians died in the clashes occuring on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The militants were based at the Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) in Islamabad. Attached to the mosque was a seminary or religious school, called Jamia Hafsa.
These militant Islamists were led by two extremist clerics, the Ghazi brothers. The elder of the two was Maulana Abdul-Aziz Ghazi, and his second-in-command is Maulana Abdul-Rasheed Ghazi. (Maulana is a title given to Islamic clerics or religious leaders).
The religious school affiliated with Lal Masjid taught a message of militant Islamism and Jihad (holy struggle) to thousands of women. Wearing full face-veils and carrying heavy sticks, they formed a "morals police", and began patrolling parts of the capital Islamabad, trying to wipe out things which they considered "immoral".
I wrote about them in detail here (http://wrathofhephaestus.wordpress.com/2007/04/07/pakistani-fundamentalists-and-their-islamic-revolution-some-thoughts-on-the-rise-of-the-madrassah-thugs-in-islamabad/), in case anyone is interested. :)
Among their targets were music-shops, massage-parlors, etc. They also menaced women at various cultural and educational institutions. This often brought them into open conflict with State police as well as moderate and secular Muslims, who form the majority of residents in the capital city.
The international bourgeois-media, including BBC, CNN and others had a ball for the past two months, speculating on the rise of militant Islamists in the capital of Pakistan.
Matters came to a head in late June, when the Lal Masjid goons captured 6 female Chinese workers, held them for a day and then released them after pressure from the government.
This Tuesday, Pakistani security forces and military units surrounded the Lal Masjid mosque complex and the nearby Jamia Hafsa religious-school. The militants in Lal Masjid opened fire on the State forces, resulting in deadly fighting that left more than 20 people dead and hundreds injured.
On Wednesday, a cease-fire was arranged, but sporadic fighting continued, and the capital Islamabad was under a strict curfew, with troops patrolling the streets and armoured military vehicles all over the place.
As the military beseiged the mosque complex, hundreds of religious students began to surrender, laying down their arms and coming out, allowing security forces to take them into custody.
Around 1500 militants still remained holed-up in the mosque, and it looked as if there would be a bloody final battle, as security forces prepared to storm the mosque complex.
Gunship helicopters appeared overhead,
Just a few hours ago, early in the evening, Pakistan time, guess what happens?
Maulana Abdul-Aziz, the elder of the two Ghazi brothers, and commander of the militants, tried to escape, along with some female students of the mosque. All were wearing full face-veils, known as niqaabs or burqas. :P
Abdul-Aziz himself had worn a burqa to hide his face, and attempted to escape. The security forces stopped him and the women, and began searching them. The women tried to help the Maulana out of his sticky situation, claiming that he was their "aunt".
"Please let our aunty go", they said. "She is very ill, please let her go, don't search her!"
The security forces insisted on searching "Aunty", and demanded that "she" lift her veil. Guess what lay beneath the veil. ;)
The government has released security footage of "Aunty" being exposed, arrested and then bundled into a vehicle by security forces.
Morale in the beseiged mosque complex has fallen drastically after their chief leader was arrested trying to escape in a burqa. (Predictably)
Several hundred militants, both male and female, along with lots of children, are still holed up in the beseiged Lal Masjid area. They are now led by the younger of the Ghazi brothers, Maulana Abdul-Rasheed.
Hopefully, the crisis will come to an end without further loss of life.
It has certainly taken a very amusing turn. Only in Pakistan can a deadly clash turn into comedy. :P
Read about the violent clashes here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6267024.stm) on the BBC news website.
Read about the captured leader escaping in a burqa veil disguise here (http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/8B42C0B3-1B8D-4EDB-90BE-E40B895F9447.htm) on Al-Jazeera and here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6270626.stm) on BBC.
Most of Pakistan was watching with baited breath, as Maulana Abdul-Aziz made fiery speeches, urging his followers to go bravely to fight and die in their "holy war" against immorality in Pakistan.
He sent dozens of young followers to fight and die for his cause, and swore that he would fight to the very end.
He claimed that he saw in a dream, his blood sprinkled on the floor of the mosque, and the rise of an Islamic revolution in Pakistan.
And now...he was arrested trying to escape, wearing a burqa and veil. :D