Musharraf Declares War On Muslim Extremists

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 7-13-2007 | David Blair

[blam]

Musharraf declares war on Muslim extremists

By David Blair
Last Updated: 2:40am BST 13/07/2007

Isambard Wilkinson reports from inside the Red Mosque President Pervez Musharraf pledged to combat Muslim extremists across Pakistan yesterday as furious crowds demonstrated against the storming of the Red Mosque and two suicide bomb attacks left six dead.

President Musharraf: 'What kind of Islam do these people represent?'

In a televised address to the nation, Gen Musharraf said that those inside the mosque and its adjacent madrassa, or Muslim college, were "terrorists" who directly threatened Pakistan's security. They had also tarnished Islam's reputation as a tolerant and peaceful religion.

"What do we as a nation want?" he asked. "What kind of Islam do these people represent? In the garb of Islamic teaching they have been training for terrorism. They prepared the madrassa as a fortress for war and housed other terrorists in there."

Gen Musharraf praised the army for wresting the mosque and its madrassa "from the hands of terrorists" and said: "I will not allow any madrassa to be used for extremism."

But thousands gathered for the funeral of Abdul Rashid Ghazi, the radical preacher who died inside the Red Mosque, and chanted "Go, Musharraf, go".

Yet the unrest has not spread beyond known centres of extremism nor have the demonstrations grown strong enough to threaten Gen Musharraf's grip on power.

Moderate Pakistanis generally support his decision to crush the fundamentalists who had taken control of the mosque in the centre of the capital, Islamabad.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, the Egyptian doctor who serves as Osama bin Laden's deputy in al-Qa'eda, urged an uprising against Gen Musharraf in a taped message released on Wednesday. His message of militancy struck a popular chord in Pakistan's extremist strongholds.

Two suicide bombers hit government targets yesterday. Three soldiers were killed when a driver detonated his car outside the town of Mingora in the Swat Valley in North West Frontier Province.

In North Waziristan, the tribal area where both Zawahiri and bin Laden are believed to have found sanctuary, a suicide bomber walked into a government compound and blew himself up, killing three officials.

On the other side of the country in Punjab province, thousands attended Ghazi's burial.

The radical preacher's death in the Red Mosque has made him a "martyr" in the eyes of extremists. Ghazi's elder brother, Abdul Aziz, who escaped the siege, told the crowd that "God willing, Pakistan will have an Islamic revolution soon. The blood of the martyrs will bear fruit".

He added: "Hundreds of our mothers, sisters, sons and daughters have rendered sacrifices. Our struggle will continue. There are many Ghazis living to be martyred."

The mourners around him chanted "Musharraf is a dog" and "Go, Musharraf, go".

In Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, some 2,000 people demonstrated against Gen Musharraf while in the town of Bana a crowd looted the offices of three international aid agencies, including Care. Since the onset of the siege of the mosque nine days ago, a series of bomb attacks has claimed about 30 lives across Pakistan.

Abdul Aziz arriving at the funeral of his brother, the radical preacher Abdul Rashid Ghazi

America, which is Gen Musharraf's key foreign ally, commended him for taking firm action against the militants in the Red Mosque.

Moderate Pakistanis also applauded his stand against radicals who had openly defied his authority.

By ordering the army to clear the mosque, Gen Musharraf succeeded in distracting attention away from his domestic troubles, notably his immensely unpopular attempt to sack the Chief Justice, Mohammed Iftikhar Chaudhry. ''He has reconnected with the moderate constituency," said Dr Vernon Hewitt, an expert in Pakistan at Bristol University.

"But that constituency is a great deal weaker than it was seven or eight years ago."

Dr Hewitt said many Pakistanis would view the storming of the mosque as further evidence that Gen Musharraf acts on American orders.

Gen Musharraf, who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999, probably faced his moment of greatest danger in late 2001, when he supported the American-led invasion of Afghanistan. The crisis he faces now is probably the worst since that critical juncture.

Dr Hewitt said Gen Musharraf was reaching "end game" and predicted that he would be forced from office by the autumn. To avoid this possibility, Gen Musharraf is under pressure to ally with secular political forces, notably the Pakistan People's Party, led by the former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto. By drawing moderate civilians into his government, he could weaken the appeal of the extremists.

But Gen Musharraf will be deeply reluctant to share power with his former foes. After recent events, however, he may have no choice.

[Bosco]

Musharraf, nice knowing you.

[Godzilla]

ping

[Biggirl]

Begining of the end?

[CAWats]

They must be terrified.

[bnelson44]

Begining of the end?

of what?

[Paladin2]

"They had also tarnished Islam's reputation as a tolerant and peaceful religion."

Islam had a rep as a tolerant and peaceful "religion"? Who knew!

[SteveMcKing]

No melodrama- it really is rather touching.

[Biggirl]

I would think Musaraff would be, because even though he was sucessful this time in ending this standoff of the red mosque, he knows that the moderates are becoming fewer as time goes on.

[Man50D]

Muslim extremists is a redundant term.

[lndrvr1972]

He is full of it. I have always thought that, this man talks out of both sides of his mouth.

[lndrvr1972]

I agree its like saying fire burns. It is redundant.

[Revolting cat!]

These former colonies were better off as colonies, and the rest of the world was, too.

[Man50D]

"They had also tarnished Islam's reputation as a tolerant and peaceful religion."

Islam had a rep as a tolerant and peaceful "religion"? Who knew!

Islam's idea of peace:

Islamic Scholar Warns U.S. of 'Two-Faced' Muslims

NewsMax.com Wires

Thursday, June 20, 2002

WASHINGTON – A leader of the small worldwide Muslim reform movement is warning the West against wishful thinking as the U.S. government promotes an intensive dialogue with Islam.

"The dialogue is not proceeding well because of the two-facedness of most Muslim interlocutors on the one hand and the gullibility of well-meaning Western idealists on the other," Bassam Tibi said Tuesday in an interview with United Press International.

Syrian-born Tibi, who claims to be a direct descendant of the prophet Mohammed and teaches political science at Goettingen University in Germany, appealed for intellectual honesty in these exchanges.

This Is 'Peace'?

"First, both sides should acknowledge candidly that although they might use identical terms these mean different things to each of them. The word 'peace,' for example, implies to a Muslim the extension of the Dar al-Islam – or 'House of Islam' – to the entire world," explained Tibi, who is also a research scholar at Harvard University.

"This is completely different from the Enlightenment concept of eternal peace that dominates Western thought, a concept developed by Immanuel Kant," an 18th-century philosopher.

This Is 'Tolerance'?

"Similarly, when Muslims and the Western heirs of the Enlightenment speak of tolerance they have different things in mind. In Islamic terminology, this term implies abiding non-Islamic monotheists, such as Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians, as second-class believers. They are 'dhimmi,' a protected but politically immature minority."

According to Tibi, the quest of converting the entire world to Islam is an immutable fixture of the Muslim worldview. Only if this task is accomplished, if the world has become a "Dar al-Islam," will it also be a "Dar a-Salam," or a house of peace.

Tibi appealed to his co-religionists to "revise their understanding of peace and tolerance by accepting pluralism." Furthermore, he said, Muslim leaders should give up the notion of Jihad in the sense of conquest, as opposed to Jihad as an internal struggle of the individual.

Liberal Mush

Tibi's advice comes at a time when the U.S. government is urging American Muslim leaders to promote understanding for the United States in Islamic regions. To Tibi, this is more of a diplomatic endeavor than the promotion of a more profound theological understanding between Islam and the Judeo-Christian worldview prevalent in the West.

But Muzammil Siddiqi, one senior Islamic scholar the State Department consults with, told UPI he found that his efforts in furthering contacts between Muslim, Christian and Jewish theologians were having some success.

Indian-born Siddiqi is the director of the large Islamic Center of Orange County in California. In consultation with the State Department and in cooperation with the University of Kentucky, he traveled back and forth between the United States and the Middle East trying to convince Muslim theologians and jurists to meet with American church leaders.

"I have found that many, though not all, were ready to welcome visitors from America and also to come here to explore with Christians and Jews what we have in common," Siddiqi said.

Though Siddiqi's center is heavily engaged in interfaith activities, he made it clear that to him, as indeed for conservative Christians, syncretism – the mixing of religions – was anathema.

Common values should be sought out, he explained, and the equality of all believers respected, be they Muslims, Christians, Hindus or Buddhists. But the purity of the faith must not be compromised.

In an article in the prestigious Hamburg weekly Die Zeit, Tibi gave anecdotal evidence of how daunting a task this dialogue with Islam can be.

Staring in Horror at the Bible

The bishop of Hildesheim in Germany paid an imam a courtesy visit in his mosque. The imam handed the Catholic prelate a Koran, which he joyfully accepted. But when the bishop tried to present the imam with a Bible, the Muslim cleric just stared at him in horror and refused to even touch Christianity's holy book.

"The bishop was irritated because he perceived this behavior as a gross discourtesy," wrote Tibi, "but the imam had only acted according to his faith. For if an imam gives a bishop a Koran, he considers this a Da'Wa, or call to Islam."

This, explained Tibi, must be borne in mind when one engages in a dialogue with Muslim "scholars," for it corresponds to a verse in the Koran: "And say ... to those who are unlearned: 'Do ye submit yourselves?'" (Surah 3:20).

[AzaleaCity5691]

I’ve always thought he needed to channel the general who ran the country back when we were helping the Mujahedin.

Honestly, he just needs to just go for military rule. The Pakistani military will go for it, and he can probably get I.S.I to go along with it. It’s also honestly in our national interests if we start taking a stand against India. If we take a stand against India, then we’re going to win support among the Pakistanis.

[Biggirl]

Got to remember that Mr. Mursaraff is viewed as a puppet for the USA by the radicals, and just last week there was an attempt on his life. This needed action just bought him more time. Already 3 areas of Pakistan are under radical control. He is living on borrowed time and this goes also for Pakistan.

[evets]

Oooh! Now you've made me really angry!

[airborne]

We need to help Musharraf stay in power for as log as possible.

And be standing by to take control of all their nukes in the event of a coup.

[elhombrelibre]

Musarraf crackdown on extremists ping.

[bnelson44]

but radicals only represent something like 10% of the population of Pakistan

[rawcatslyentist]

>""What kind of Islam do these people represent?"

Sura 9:5 of the “Koran,” “Slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush.”

Warfare is ordained for you, though it is hateful unto you; but it may happen that ye hate a thing which is good for you, and it may happen that ye love a thing which is bad for you. Allah knoweth, ye know not. -Surah 2:216

“Strike off their [infidel’s] heads. Strike off their finger-tips! … because they defied God and his Apostle [Muhammad].” (Sura 8:12-13)

Make war on them [infidels] until idolatry shall cease and God’s religion shall reign supreme.” (Sura 2:193)

“Seize them and put them to death wherever you find them.” (Sura 4:89)

Genesis 16:12 Hagar is promised that her son Ishmael will be a "wild ass of a man, his hand against every man".

Well Mushy, you axed!!!

[Londo Molari]

“Got to remember that Mr. Mursaraff is viewed as a puppet for the USA by the radicals, and just last week there was an attempt on his life. This needed action just bought him more time. Already 3 areas of Pakistan are under radical control. He is living on borrowed time and this goes also for Pakistan.”

He should “defy” the USA, declare marshal law and just let his soldiers destroy the infestation tribal areas.

[listenhillary]

That is what they are after. To control Pakistans nukes would be a gun at the head of the civilized world.

[Biggirl]

That is why we got to keep a close eye on this because of those nukes, which we do not want them to end up sitting on top of them, the Islamofacists.

[no dems]

Kill ‘em all and let God sort ‘em out.

[TxCopper]

LOL. Yeah...I declare war on the extremists. I will fight you to the death to preserve peace.

Applebee's? We went there last night. Chili's would be much more preferred. Hey...If you get there first, get a big table. And not in non-smoking.

[mbraynard]

Why thank you, right-wing-nutcase. I really doubted you existed, but here you are, taking shots at one of the greatest patriots for freedom against the extremist Muslims in the world today.

[Biggirl]

...And growing more in numbers by the day.

[oneamericanvoice]

President Pervez Musharraf pledged to combat Muslim extremists across Pakistan yesterday as furious crowds demonstrated against the storming of the Red Mosque.... They have kook-aid drinkers over there just like we have here. Bash the good guys, not the evil doers. It's an epidemic!

[airborne]

Yes. We have to be very alert. I hope we have people in place to act in a moments notice.

[Biggirl]

He should do that but he is constrained by the USA.

[oneamericanvoice]

but radicals only represent something like 10% of the population of Pakistan 10% is too many for me. Look at the damage that 19 hijackers did here.

[lndrvr1972]

Right wing? LOL!

[Biggirl]

They would have ready made nukes and not have to wait for Iran. This is the danger.

[kinghorse]

hardly. these arab muslim potstirrers are vestiges of prior expansionist arab eras. musharref and the majority of asia minor indigenous people respect and fear but do not agree with the arab radicals.

[Biggirl]

...It takes just that 10% to do a great deal of damage.

[Biggirl]

But let us not forget there are those madrassas in Pakistan.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

 

 

Separated at birth?

[Jack Hammer]

May be a prelude to allied troops entering al-Qaeda sanctuaries along the Afghan border; IMO, he may have been waiting for an excuse acceptable to his own people to allow Western military operations inside the country.

[Valin]

Why do you say that?

[blam]

"It’s also honestly in our national interests if we start taking a stand against India. If we take a stand against India, then we’re going to win support among the Pakistanis."

Huh?

How many terror attacks have The Indians (Hindu's) made against us?

[oneamericanvoice]

"...It takes just that 10% to do a great deal of damage." My point exactly.

[listenhillary]

Then they would be wise to stomp the 10 percenters into the dirt.

[PGalt]

Hooray President Musharraf! Trickle down annihilation works!

[Biggirl]

My goodness our forces are over there already. If you have concern for US security, for goodness sakes close the borders.

[Brakeman]

How come Mushy hasn’t been going after the terrorist-rich areas near the Afghan-Paki border?

[359Henrie]

Welcome to 2001, dumass

[bilhosty]

It is enough to make you want to see the Earth just swallow up Pakistan and everybody in it.

[Brilliant]

It seems a little late for that.