Religious Scholars Rebuke Jamia Hafsa-Lal Masjid

The Nation reports on religious scholars rebuking the militant Jamia Hafsa Mullahs who have declared Sharia court for Islamabad :

ISLAMABAD(APP) -Religious scholars from different schools of thought here Saturday described as negative actions of students of Jamia Hafsa and adminstration of Lal Masjid.
Talking to the agency, they said all religious scholars and parties of the country advocated enforcement of Islam in a peaceful manner. They said the method adopted by Lal Masjid administration is not the right approach, as agitation is not the solution to any dispute.
The scholars further elaborated that Islam never allows establishment of state within the state and if Lal Masjid administration is desirous for an Islamic society in Pakistan, it should adopt the way of reconciliation and cooperation.
Renowned religious scholar and Provincial Khateeb of Punjab, Mufti Abdul Islam talking to APP by telephone said that administration of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid should have consulted and taken into confidence the leaders of religious parties instead of taking steps like announcing enforcement of Sharia by its own.
He apprehended that the adoption of violent steps would only backfire instead of contributing towards efforts for enforcement of Sharia in the country.
Meanwhile, Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, Khateeb Badshahi Mosque, also suggested the way of reconciliation to settle down the controversy amicably.
Talking to this scribe, he said that Lal Masjid administration should not have taken the law into hands and resorted to any violent act.
He said that the issue should be settled through dialogue for which students of the Jamia Hafsa as well as Lal Masjid adminstration should shun the way of confrontation and adopt a reasonable attitude.

Jamia Hafsa Update

Something I missed yesterday: The government has blocked the Lal Masjid website, and stopped FM broadcasts from them, as reported in Pak online forums & Dawn. Also note that the  government is searching for Lal Masjid’s presses, this article points out the multitude of Jihadi newspapers in Pakistan.

Parachinar UPDATE: The Sunni / Shia sectarian violence in Parchinar near the border continues to heat up, reports have it at 83 43 casualties so far, with 40 10 dead [ed note: most stories in Pakistan they interview both sides, who each inflate body counts and casualties, corrected later via updates in paper.] Authorities have called a curfew and promise to “shoot violators on sight.”  The conflict then moved to surrounding villages, and there are reports that many market sections are now burned down. The factions are using sophisticated weapons including rocket launchers against each other.

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Imus Apologizes; NABJ Wants Him Fired

Since the Imus show runs on MSNBC, how far will this carry is the question? Will this get as much play in the press and on the blogs as Ann Coulter’s remarks?

matthews_imus.jpgDon Imus has apologized for his racist remarks regarding the Rutgers basketball team on his nationally syndicated show April 4th. I won’t repeat them here, if you must know follow the link to the article. The President of the National Association of Black Journalists says this about the remarks:

“Has he lost his mind?” said NABJ President Bryan Monroe, vice president and editorial director for Ebony and Jet magazines in Chicago. “Those comments were beyond offensive. Imus needs to be fired. Today.”

From Don Imus the apology:

“(I) Want to take a moment to apologize for an insensitive and ill-conceived remark we made the other morning referring to the Rutgers women’s basketball team,” Imus said Friday. “It was completely inappropriate, and we can understand why people were offended. Our characterization was thoughtless and stupid, so, and we’re sorry.”

I find his apology less than heartfelt and sincere, note the use of the “Royal We” instead of “I”. This is the sort of train wreck that can happen when comedians try to be cool — at the heart of every joke is hurt. Someone must be the butt of it, someone must be denigrated for a truly humorous effect. The only jokes or humor that I can think of which do not usually attack an individual or group are Puns, and those just aren’t that popular anymore.

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