Web Letters: Pakistan's Shaky Dictatorship

By Graham Usher

This article appeared in the April 16, 2007 edition of The Nation.

April 5, 2007

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  • Pakistanis have many obstacles in the development of educated and modernized Pakistan. For instance, this recent foolish act by such educated lawyers, who are doing nothing but creating hindrance in progress of their country. Just wasting time by carrying out these naïve actions.

    Other hurdles in Pakistan’s improvement are, these conservative leaders like Asfandyar Wali Khan and many other feudal lords, but the topmost are the religious parties who are using religion as a weapon. Qazi Hussain Ahmed of Jamaat-e-Islami is already making us non-tolerated towards other religions other then Islam, but now we have one another leader who is using religion in a different way to attract the innocent, unacquainted people of Pakistan, his name is Maulana Fazlullah. His movement is called Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariah Mohammadi..

    Maulana Fazlullah is worst as Qazi Hussain, the only difference is, the way of making fool of innocent people. He comes on horse for weekly sermon, which is full of extremism and against the west culture, especially United States of America. He uses FM radio station for his propaganda to spreading Taliban kind of Islam, and as usual our innocent citizens are following his preaching blindly.

    Maulana Fazlullah’s first targets are not other than women of Pakistan because these all Maulanas think that every wrong thing will start from women, not men. So his men followers stopped their daughters from going to schools.

    He and his followers are threatening the audio/video businesses owners to change your profession because the entertainment business is against Shariah (Islamic Law). Let think for a moment if audio/video businessmen shut their business today and want to start a new business, so for time being, between closing business and to start a new business, who is financially responsible of their bills, utilities, rent, and what will happen to those employees who work for these video owners for a limited salaries. Will Maulana fazlullah and his companions provide financial support for them? I don’t think so!

    They’re threatening women teachers to cover themselves with burqa (an all-enveloping outer garment with veil worn by women). They are prohibiting parents not to immunize your kids because this polio vaccine is made by non-Muslims; no matter kids get affected by poliovirus, and will not walk for their whole life.

    Pakistan’s not emerging like other modern countries, instead it’s going towards Stone Age. I want to say to my fellow Pakistanis that it’s our duty to stop these kinds of Islamic fanatics, and save our future generations. If we don't, I assure you that our future will be dark forever.

    Abeer Khan

    West Palm Beach, FL

    04/06/2007 @ 01:51am


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