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Peshawar police start collecting data on mosques and madrassas

By Javed Afridi

PESHAWAR: Local police have initiated a data collection drive of mosques and madrassas in the provincial capital and warned prayer leaders not to advocate jihad or make anti-government statements, Daily Times learnt on Saturday.

Prayer leaders said they had no objection to filling out the data collection forms, but resented the verbal message the police officials delivered. “The warning was comprehensive and straightforward: ‘Do not make anti-government remarks and refrain from advocating jihad during sermons,’” said Maulana Mohammad Asad, prayer leader of Madani Masjid on Kohat Road.

He said prayer leaders did receive such messages time and again, but this time the emphasis was more on “not speaking against government policies or glamorising jihad”. Maulvi Dad Rasool of the Badhaber Jamia Masjid said earlier messages were aimed at stopping the illegal use of loudspeakers for purposes other than Aazan, Friday sermons and announcement of the dead, and stopping the preaching of sectarian hatred.

He said jihad was a part of Islam and no power could stop them from advocating it. “I have signed the document enlisting my name and name of the madrassa I stay in and its location,” he said.

“I do not see myself bound to the verbal massage and will do what my Allah and the Prophet (PBUH) entrust me to do,” he said, and added that criticising the policies of the government that were against the teachings of Islam was part of his duty as a prayer leader.

Maulana Mohammad Yousaf of Haji Mohammad Noor Jamia Masjid also objected to the message, saying such “threats” from the government provoked “reactionary, juvenile-minded prayer leaders”.

“They will speak more on government polices than before, assuming that it will hurt the government,” he said.

Shafirullah, deputy superintendent of police (rural), said the drive was routine practice and such instructions were issued to clerics to ensure harmony among Muslim sects. “In fact this is an attempt by the government to seek ulema’s help in keeping sectarian hatred at a minimum,” he said.

He did not know who exactly the latest instructions came from. “The drive was initiated after a recent meeting of the top brass of the NWFP police attended by officials of SP (superintendent of police) rank or higher,” he said.

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