Why do so many Pakistanis who should know better suddenly lose their voice when it comes to condemning suicide bombings? Is it because the bomber kills in the name of Islam? Are people muted in their criticism lest they be regarded as irreligious or even blasphemous?
Or, is the silence political?…..
It is true that suicide bombings were a rarity in Pakistan until the army acted against Islamic militants in the tribal areas on US prodding. Army action against the Lal Masjid militants was another turning point. But the majority of today’s dead and wounded are perfectly ordinary people. Many were pious Muslims, and some were killed in the act of prayer. They had absolutely nothing to do with American or Pakistani forces.
Even with evidence staring them in the face, most Pakistanis seem locked into a state of denial. They refuse to accept the obvious fact that more and more mullahs have created cults around themselves and exercise control over the lives of worshippers. An enabling environment of poverty, deprivation, lack of justice, and extreme differences of wealth is perfect for demagogues.
More here.
Pak Tea House 
Ignore can lead to all kind of things, terrorism included.
When the people dont matter to the rulling class then crap happens.
Obsolete pesticide dumps in Badin posing threats to millions
http://tazakino.com/article.php/2008031302105033
I’m sorry but this is just ignorance.
All the Barelvi Ulema have always, and for a few years all the main Deobandi Ulema have been condemning suicide bombing. Al-Azhar has had a fatwa against it for years.
The problem is that when the Ulema DO condemn it-and they’ve made themselves abundantly clear- no one reports their views… as Mufti Muneeb ur Rahman points out, the Secular press only reports how the DIG addressed gathered Ulema on the need for peace during Muharram. What the Ulema have to say never gets reported at all by the newspapers Mr. Hoodbhoy reads.
Nor does he frequent the backalleys of Faizan e Madina or Golra Sharif nor does he subscribe to Mufti Taqi Usmani’s journals, so what is he talking about???
99% of suicide bombers are Radical Salafi Jihadis, they are against the minstream Barelvi & Deobandi Ulema of the country anyway, and do not care two hoots as to what Ulema say. They take their cues from Syed Qutb as filtered through Osama bin Laden and his ilk.
Pervez Hoodbhoy said some very correct things in these articles. It will be an over-simplification to say that suicide-bombing is a product of mere ignorance. Such propositions does not take into account the processes that have taken shape since the most advanced section of the world (USA et al) interacted with the most backward sections (Jihadis).
This is not merely about suicide bombing either – suicide bombing is an extreme of the extremist phenomenon. The Salaf Jihadis are recruited from the congregations arranged by the Deobandis (the Berelvies are out of this mostly). What has been emerging in present day Islamic terrorism is a conjecture between the different streams which also includes the Deobandies (as turned out from the Lal Masjd incident).
suicide bombers are simply doing Allahs work [ as they see it] the Koran instructs & rewards them for their work !!!
The extremists may see themselves as doing God’s work, katie69, but the issue here was the religious scholars’ stance on it….
Both Barelvis and the Darul Uloom Korangi Deobandis, the 2 main sunni sects, have always strongly condemning suicide bombings and the murder of civilians, in the name of Islam.
It is true however, as Vidrohi says, that the Binnori Town Deobandis have distanced themselves from the Darul Uloom Korangi [the Usmanis] and aligned themselves more with the Salafi Jihadis. Hence Lal Masjid.
But certainly the majority of this country’s Deobandi scholars too, like ALL the Barelvis, are vehemently opposed to suicide bombing and have never failed to condemn it.
My point was that those who only read Pakistan’s secular press- or the pro-Jihadi Ummat newspaper- rather than the main journals of the Barelvis and Deobandis [like Zia ul Haram, al Balagh etc.] are not in a position to comment on what the Ulema are doing.
That should be obvious, but alas for the likes of Mr. Hoodbhoy, these sad events are a convenient moment to slander the Ulema, and religious conservatives in general, in the English speaking press.
Greenstuff, what difference does it make when only one or two sects decry suicide bombings, what’s needed is for the Islamic world to unite [ it will never happen ] & speak in one voice.
They cannot decry these bombers because they ‘know’ this is Muslims doing the work of Allah.
Frankly even if they do speak up I would only believe it as Taquiyya.
@greensufi – that’s cos the illustrious prof hoodbhoy (much as i respect many of his views) is the quintessential ffundophobe
Ah I see. So anything we Muslims say is lies, and best interpreted by some white dude on Fox News? Or the jihadwatch crew?
FYI Taqqiya is one, a Shia concept,
and two, even with the Shia it does not mean what you think it does,
and three, you’ve already made up your mind, so why should I say anything at all?
We should just nuke ’em, sand niggas like we did the Japs. And the Chinks next. They’re all a bunch of terrorists. Can’t tell what they’re thinking. Black man speak with forked tongue.
wait a minute. That was white man speak with….
Katie Quit or we’ll bring Democracy & Freedom to your country…..
Suicide bombing isn’t the real problem. The real problem is the religious leadership (some mullahs) who are manipulating the anger of individuals and providing spiritual justifications for commiting sins against God.
If these mullahs believe that they will go to heaven for this then they are CRAZY. Perhaps they secretly don’t even believe in God or heaven…. Cynical uh ?
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The real problem could also be some greedy politicians, shrewdly manipulating public opinion, while cynically slaughtering hundreds of thousands of civilians in Iraq & Afghanistan and elsewhere, collateral damage it’s called.
All for greed, lust for power & money, oil and insecurity….
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