Wednesday, April 08, 2009
I wonder why we are engaged in this fuss whether the girl-flogging video is genuine or a fake one? No one could deny who these animals called the Taliban are and what they are up to. Such events and even more brutal ones have happened and are happening on a daily basis in Swat. Unfortunately, either the media has no access to cover such brutalities or the victims and witnesses are under life threat to report such things to the outside world. The government is out of senses if it claims that the victim and locals are disowning this event, let me clear it that no one dares to be witness against the inhuman Taliban.
Zia ul Hassan
Islamabad
*****
I think people have forgotten that Swat is no more in Pakistan. The reason of their hue and cry, over the flogging of a 17-year-old girl, is that they are still unaware of the Swat situation. To us (Swatis), it is very normal. If it is inhuman and barbaric to Pakistan and the rest of the world, my advice is to come to Swat and stay a week there. Watch (openly available) CDs of beheading, killing, lashes, suicide attacks and kidnappings. You can also enjoy watching the Taliban with heavy arms wandering on roads, in slums and at every turn of Swat. No one else is allowed to take any weapon. Beating woman and abducting people on roads is routine. They are residing in every mohallah and people contact them to solve daily issues. The ANP threw us in a so-called truce then fled to Dubai.
Farooq Khan
(Ex-state of) Swat
*****
It is humbly requested to the people of Pakistan that please don't say things like that you are ashamed of being a Muslim or a Pakistani. Whatever happened in Swat was done by a group of people and one should not be blaming Islam or Pakistan for that.
M Imtiaz Khan
Rawalpindi
*****
This is with reference to senior journalist Rahimullah Yusufzai's news report (April 6) with a telltale slant in its title "Swat girl gives the lie to the video drama". Who would dare defy those whipping, murdering goons, especially after having suffered 34 lashes? Government functionaries (the commissioner and the provincial minister) are once again in a state of denial as they were in the case of Ajmal Kasab's nationality. For God's sake own it up and do something about it.
Jahangir Akhtar
Rawalpindi
*****
I am neither a guru of dialectical materialism, nor educated in imperialism, colonialism or neo-colonialism. The whole point is very simple for me, the Taliban through their barbaric and brutal ways are challenging the basic values of my culture, threatening livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Pashtuns and our religion. They are tearing the very fabric of my society. They want us to go back to the Stone Age. Those leftists who still believe that the Taliban can be equated with drones are as naive as Qazi Hussain Ahmed or Munawar Hasan or Imran Khan, since they see all evil with drones.
Baitullah is not the product of drones neither his suicide bombers nor the rest of his followers -- they are the products of the policy of 'strategic depth' achieved under the successive reigns of the moguls of GHQ. NATO's supply lines didn't create the Taliban; the supply lines were established with agreement of the so-called representative government of Pakistan to fight the Taliban. In Pashto there is a saying: "Che narg raashi no sarey tabaey ta ghara kegdi" ("When faced with death and fever one is ought to choose fever"). I would rather choose the fever of the drones than annihilation by the Taliban.
Arshad Haroon
Peshawar
*****
We used to hear that Kashmir is burning, but now our own country is on fire. It seems that terrorists are in every corner of Pakistan and therefore no province is safe now. Suicide attacks are happening quite regularly and our president and prime minister as usual condemn the blasts and suicide attacks without taking any serious action against the perpetrators.
People may disagree with me, but I have come to the conclusion that either our security agencies have badly failed or they themselves are involved in these bomb blasts. Because one just wonders how they are unable to trace terrorists, when media persons trace them and interview them.
Najeebullah
Swat
*****
After looking at the video clipping of a 17-year-old girl being whipped and the justifications given by Muslim Khan the spokesperson of Fazlullah, I think there is no doubt left in any sane person's mind as to the future of the poor people of Swat. Does it really matter when this incident took place, before or after, the so-called deal or whether it even happened at all? Do the Taliban ever deny or show any remorse on any crime they commit? They are absolutely sure what they want unlike our political parties, who on the one hand condemn the atrocities committed by the Taliban and on the other they are ready to sell one part of Pakistan to them.
Can criminals be permitted to establish their own rule either in the name of peace or Islam? Is it logical to believe that the people of Swat wanted such criminals to rule over them -- after all why did they then vote for the ANP and not the MMA? Shouldn't we -- in the rest of the country -- also feel frightened that these monsters could very well arrive at our doorsteps? It's time that the people of Pakistan woke up and saw this internal threat for what it was -- a threat to our way of life.
Rehana Rahman
Rawalpindi
*****
The statements by the leadership of the JI and the JUI-F on the flogging are clear proof that these parties are nothing more than the B teams of the Taliban -- and they should also be banned. Also, I would advise Imran Khan to call his sons back to Pakistan and enrol them in a madressah.
Waleed Khan Shinwari
Peshawar
*****
I strongly condemn the statement of Jamaat-e-Isami chief Syed Munawwar Hasan (on Geo TV) in which he said that he is a supporter and sympathiser of the Taliban, the same people who are the architects of the Manawan tragedy, the attack on the Sri Lankans, and numerous lashings, floggings and slitting of throats in different parts of Pakistan. By expressing his support for such cold-hearted terrorists, the JI chief has shown that he stands today with the self-righteous bearded brigade, rather than the people of Pakistan. He should be ashamed of himself.
Basil Nabi Malik
New York
*****
Regardless of the circumstances under which the flogging of a young lady took place whether in Swat or elsewhere, the facts remain there and the matter must not be made shady or controversial for the sake of any peace deal or disrepute of any political party. The case concerns with the Pakhtun society in particular and the humanity as a whole. No one can deny the fact that the episode took place against the norms of valid civilised laws or the Islamic Sharia, and that too without any legitimate court of justice. Rather the matter must be seen in the light of "huqooq-ul-ibaad" i.e. human rights and justice for the whole humanity. Therefore, it is time that the whole world should stand up against such heinous crimes, which are being committed in Palestine, Kashmir, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, by the establishments of no less than civilised countries like America, Israel or Europe.
Therefore, the Malakand commissioner or the NWFP government should not try to shroud the real issue for their exigencies at a time when the nation has taken a start to bring the rule of law in this country.
Mahabat Khan Bangash
Peshawar
*****
I just want to know where was the NWFP chief minister when a young, helpless girl was mercilessly whipped by the barbaric Taliban, while a crowd of bearded 'wimps' looked on -- none of whom had the courage to step forward and save the girl. We as a nation should hang our heads in shame. My heart goes out to the victim. These extremists deserve to be wiped off the face of the earth.
Saadia Omar
Lahore
*****
The video of a teenage girl publicly flogged was extremely disturbing to watch. The incident proves to be the last nail in the coffin of Pakhtunwali, the Pakhtun code of conduct. Instead of clearly condemning the brutalities, the explanations given by some of the religious leaders on the inhuman act reminds me of a few lines by Habib Jalib:
Too long I have heard you preach and prate, Maulana/But so far there has been no change in my fate, Maulana/Keep to yourself your preaching of gratefulness/My heart, like an arrow, they penetrate, Maulana.
Syed Shahab Ur Rehman
Kabul
*****
What to say more about the lashing of a Swat girl after reading your eye-opener editorial "Things to come" (April 4). I congratulate you from the depth of my heart that you have taken this bold initiative of writing such a strong editorial. To condemn these barbarians we need courage and unfortunately we find it badly lacking in much of the media. As usual, the terrorists and their supporters are making lame excuses. Even the authorities concerned are officially denying any such incident took place in Swat! This is an ample example how serious we are to prepare ourselves to combat these monsters.
I would like to say that the residents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad are fortunate enough that they are not experiencing this Talibanisation barbarity in their areas so far, for which they must be thankful to the former dictator, Gen Pervez Musharraf, who didn't allow the state to capitulate to 'them'.
Ashfaq Azmi
Karachi
Source:http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=171343
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