Everyone is my friend until they prove otherwise.
The MMA and the Wafaq Madaris al Arabia Pakistan ( the council of Deobandi mosques in Pakistan, which historically takes their lead from the Saudis,) are out demonstrating, however the turn-out seems tepid as demonstrations go in Pakistan. They burned Musharraf and Bush in effigy, but haven’t they done that a few times in the past? All political parties are adding their angles, and trying to turn this to their advantage.
Continue reading “Pakistan Update”
Because the lyrics were reasonably well-sung the song was pretty popular a while back, but in truth what is a “Wonderwall?”
Wonderwall is a sappy, smarmy love tune by Oasis, a representative sample of the inane lyrics below:
And all the roads that lead to you were winding
And all the lights that light the way are blinding
There are many things that I would like to say to you
I don’t know howI said maybe
You’re gonna be the one who saves me ?
And after all
You’re my wonderwall
The song was pretty popular a while back because the lyrics were reasonably well-sung, but what is a “Wonderwall in reality?” Continue reading “My Wonderwall”
Here’s the last thirty days of clustrmap, and my stats. As folks can see I have a diverse audience from across the world, either I am getting things terribly wrong and everyone comes here to laugh at me, or people come here because I am generally getting things right. If I do get things materially or factually wrong please do let me know in comments. Some of you probably think my opinion is wrong, but sorry I am bone-headed and that’s not something that can be corrected. There is a right, there is a wrong and it’s usually not hard to see which is which in any situation.
This is unusual — the Taliban are quick to claim strikes that are theirs, but they rarely disavow. Think they know that the army and Musharraf are on the hunt? Methinks so.
An incident in NWFP looks to be backlash from the freeing of Lal Masjid — in an unusual step the Taliban quickly disavowed all knowledge or involvement. This is unusual — the Taliban are quick to claim strikes that are theirs, but they rarely disavow. Think they know that the army and Musharraf are on the hunt? Methinks so.
Continue reading “Taliban Disavows all Knowledge”
And you ask me what I want this year
And I try to make this kind and clear
Just a chance that maybe we’ll find better days
Cuz I don’t need boxes wrapped in strings
And desire and love and empty things Continue reading “Better Days”
The bodies (all male) in the mosque total 73, [Editor: final official tally is now 102, which includes Pakistan SSG and Miltitary deaths.]and according to authorities there are no female bodies. The troops are clearing the booby-traps and mines, and will allow the press in for the tour and retelling of the battle soon. [editor update on casualties– there are also 12-24 “unidentifiable bodies” from two rooms, blown to pieces from suicide vests.] Continue reading “The Mosque of the Red Death”
Hezbul Mujahideen (Khewra), al-Badr (Ugi), Harkatul Mujahideen (Batrasi), Jaish-i-Muhammad (Attar Sheesha), al-Barq (RawlaKot), Lashkar-i-Taiba (Batrali), Tehreekul Mujahideen (Muzaffarabad), Harkatul Jihad-i-Islami (Kotli), Harkarul Jihad Islami (Plandri), Hezb-i-Islami (Gulpur, Kotli) and Hezbul Momineen (Muzaffarabad)
Little Green Footballs has an update on Lal Masjid here.
The political fallout will continue for a while as everyone will seek to politicize this to their gain, however the source of the evil is what I will continue to track here.
Continue reading “Lal Masjid Update”
Is it not Saudi cultural imperialism in the form of easy-to-gain Deoband and hard to tame madrassas and mosques that is driving at least some of this?
The earlier articles detailed the Lal Masjid wrap-up so I will avoid that tonight, other than to point you to this lucid editorial. The editorial details the immediate concerns, and the politics, however it does miss an angle. Is it not Saudi cultural imperialism in the form of easy-to-gain and hard-to-tame Deobandi madrassas and mosques that is driving at least some of this?
Continue reading “Pakistan Update”
Many of the women had been among the cleric’s most fervent supporters. Six of the children said they had been kept in the basement of the mosque but fled when their guards disappeared after commandos overran it, Arshad said.
The Lal Masjid cycle of steadily escalating violence is now over with the authorities in control of the mosque, the rebel cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi, and fifty militants dead. The militants range from a collection of hardline terrorists in groups like the outlawed TNSM and HIJ, to some who were brainwashed students. Continue reading “Lal Masjid Final Update”
Please keep the children inside in your thoughts and prayers, earlier today Ghazi said that “fifteen suicide vests” had been passed out, and there are nine known and dangerous terrorists inside the mosque.
It appears that Pakistani forces are storming the breaches at Lal Masjid now — this just across the wire from Breitbart:
Pakistani security forces began storming an Islamic seminary within a mosque in Islamabad on Tuesday, where militant Islamists have holed themselves up.
“An operation has been launched to get the Red Mosque evacuated. Commandoes have entered the mosque,” Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Wahid Arshad told reporters amidst series of explosions at the mosque.
There are believed to be some 1,000 people, including women and children, inside the mosque, stirring concern about the possibility of mass casualties.
Twenty-four people have so far been killed in the weeklong standoff between the militant religious students and security forces.
Please keep the children inside in your thoughts and prayers, earlier today Ghazi said that “fifteen suicide vests” had been passed out, and there are nine known and dangerous terrorists inside the mosque.
Continue reading “Breaking: Red Mosque Closed, Rasheed dead”
