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Government warned of suicide attacks in case of resistance; Qazi court to work on pattern of panchayat and jirgas

Sharia enforced in Lal Masjid, Jamia Fareedia, Hafsa

* Cleric gives month’s deadline to government to close brothels, gambling dens in capital

* Appeals for financial help of madrassa students’ movement

By Mohammad Imran

ISLAMABAD: Maulana Abdul Aziz, prayer leader of Lal Masjid and principal of Jamia Hafsa madrassa, has announced the enforcement of Sharia in the premises of Jamia Fareedia, Jamia Hafsa and the Government’s Children’s Library, and warned the government of suicide attacks if it launched an operation against the madrassas.

“Today we announce the enforcement of Sharia in the areas in our control and every decision will now be taken according to Sharia,” Aziz said while addressing more than 5,000 participants of an “Implementation of Sharia and Glory of Jihad Conference” at the Lal Masjid on Friday. Aziz said a Qazi Court comprising 10 muftis would start working in Jamia Hafsa on the pattern of a panchayat or a jirga to settle people’s problems according to Sharia.

The Lal Masjid prayer leader gave the government a month’s deadline to close brothels and gambling dens and the sale and purchase of liquor in Islamabad. He said the government must remove all hoardings with “obscene” images and immediately stop the propaganda campaign against the madrassa students and administration.

Aziz said that if the government planned action against the madrassas as a “last option”, the madrassa students would resort to suicide attacks as “their last option”. He said that the madrassa students aimed at eliminating all un-Islamic practices. “We will provide relief to all those suffering in Pakistan,” said Aziz.

“The poor are unable to pay electricity bills...women are being raped...children are being kidnapped for ransom…innocent people are being murdered…the only solution to these issues is in Islam,” he said, claiming that approximately 500,000 brothels were operating in the country and no person had objected to this “immoral activity”.

“We have decided to enforce Sharia in these circumstances by challenging the writ of those who have challenged the writ of Allah,” Aziz said, adding that the madrassa students’ occupation of the Children’s Library was the first step in this direction. He said the government had not taken their deadline seriously for the construction of mosques and enforcement of Sharia. “We extended the deadline but the government has still not taken any step,” he added.

Aziz urged religious scholars and clerics to respect the sentiments of the madrassa students and encourage them in their efforts for enforcement of Sharia. “We urge you to unite against anti-Islam forces which are using every measure to suppress the voice of the students of the two seminaries,” he said.

Aziz appealed to all Muslims to give financial help to the madrassa students’ movement. “Those who want to donate should come to Lal Masjid because we do raise funds outside our premises,” he said.

Agencies add: State Minister for Information Tariq Azeem denounced Aziz’s threat and urged him not to force the government to take stern action.

“They have misjudged the government’s resolve. We want to avoid the use of force against them. We want to resolve all issues through peaceful means,” Azeem told The Associated Press.

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