No regret over supporting IS, says Lal Masjid cleric

[Buffet]

ISLAMABAD: The chief cleric of Lal Masjid Maulana Abdul Aziz on Sunday made it clear that he respect Islamic State (IS) because of similarity in their missions and has no repentance over supporting IS. Talking to The Express Tribune Aziz said though they have no direct link with the leadership of the IS, they have deliberated on this issue and decided to promote the mission and message of Daesh (IS).

Commenting on a video released on November 26 by the Jamia Hafsa students declaring their support for IS and its chief Abu Bakar al Baghdadi, the cleric said that the female students of Jamia Hafsa had prepared the video with his consent and they did not commit a crime by doing so.

Maulana revealed that the female students of his seminary wanted to take out a rally in support of the IS while carrying out banners and placards but he had stopped them from doing so. Justifying his students’ action, Aziz said that the girls announced their support for IS only after losing hope in the country’s political elite which remained silent when they had to suffer in the wake of the military operation against Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa in 2007.

Disowning a petition filed in the Islamabad High Court by Ihtesham Ahmad, trustee and spokesman of seminary’s Shohada Foundation, Aziz said that he is not in favour of approaching the court to clarify that they are not affiliated with IS. “I also disown the petition filed by Shohada Foundation, a NGO affiliated with the mosque and girls’ seminary—Jamia Hafsa—in the Islamabad High Court”, Aziz said.
Responding to a question the cleric said, “I don’t know why these boys are reluctant to say that we support the organization which wants to implement Islamic system”.

“The foundation have no affiliation with Lal Mosque and Jamia Hafsa”, Aziz disowned the foundation, which is busy in ‘relief work’ and pursuing cases related to 2007 military operation. Alleging that authorities are contemplating to carry out a search operation to trace the girls who had prepared the video, Aziz warned, “I am warning the authorities to refrain from committing another misadventure under the garb of the video which is harmless and only expresses support for Baghdadi and his organization. Authorities will have to face the consequences if an operation is carried out against the students of the Jamia Hafsa.”

A video in Arabic was released on November 26 by the Jamia Hafsa students declaring their support for the Islamic State and Baghdadi besides asking the Pakistani militants to join hands with IS fighters. The principal of the seminary, Umme Hassan, reportedly endorsed this action, saying that the girls were justified in declaring support for the Islamic State, because no one came to their rescue when they were attacked and humiliated like enemies in July 2007.

Sahibzada Zubair Abul Kher, chief of Milli Yakjehti Council, an alliance of religious parties, in an interview to an online newspaper Islam Times claim that Daesh is behind sectarian violence in Pakistan, hence they we can not support it.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/806711/no-regret-over-supporting-is-says-lal-masjid-cleric/

-------------------------

Pakistan needs to get rid of guys like this.

 

[Bewal Express]

Who owns Lal masjid?

 

[Laparwah]

Send him to Syria or Iraq then. Get out of Pakistan!

 

[Strike Rate]

Who owns Lal masjid?

IIRC the land was given by General Ayub to Maulana Abdullah the father of Maulana Abdul Aziz back in 1960s

 

[xSAADx]

Pakistan Army needs to get him first if they are serious in eliminating terrorst. He is the father of TTP

 

[enkidu_]

Nothing against his support of ISIS, but the least to do in such case would be to move there and enjoy the group's incisive sense of social justice.

 

[Couch Cricketer]

He was shown on live tv saying that he can't condemn the peshawar attack as some of those children could go on to join the Army. Why is he and idiots like him even given airtime in the first place. He should be tried and hanged as a traitor for supporting forces against the Pak army.

 

[Stark]

He should be tried and hanged as a traitor for supporting forces against the Pak army.

Just the pak army?!?

 

[Shah]

This is a great opportunity to get rid of this human virus as the whole country is united against religious fundamentalism.

 

[Couch Cricketer]

Just the pak army?!?

Well that statement proves he is a traitor against the state so can hang him for that alone. You can add all his other crimes if you want

 

[Saeed]

I still have no idea, why this guy is out, giving lectures on morality? Lal masjid should have been enough to give him a life sentence.

 

[Major]

See, this is the thing i have problem with. Govt will ask People to light their candles and do all the mourning stuff, but no one is ready to take action against these idiots who sympathizes with the Terrorists.

This one statement alone proves he is a traitor and should be hanged, but no one is going to take action against him.......

Govt doesn't care, so why should we care. Govt won't do anything about these people....

Handover the country to US, its the only solution.

 

[Major]

Who owns Lal masjid?

its public property, no one could own a mosque and claim it as his own.

 

[ares1000]

Why is this swine free? He needs to be shut up. Arrest and hang him.

 

[Gabbar Singh]

Why aren't his 'schools' shut down?

A hardline cleric in Pakistan is teaching the ideas of Osama Bin Laden in religious schools for about 5,000 children. Even while the Pakistani government fights the Taliban in the north-west of the country, it has no plans to close schools educating what could be the next generation of pro-Taliban jihadis.

"We share the same objectives as the Taliban but we don't offer military training. We work on minds. The Taliban are more hands-on," says Abdul Aziz Ghazi, imam of Islamabad's controversial Red Mosque.

"We teach about the principles of jihad. It's up to students if they want to get military training after they leave here. We don't discourage them."

Ghazi runs eight seminaries - madrassas as they are known - the first of which was founded after his father went on a journey to meet Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan.

"Osama Bin Laden is a hero for us all. He stood up to America and he won. He inspired the mission of the school," says Ghazi.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30005278

 

[j_kazmi]

Why is this not arrested yet. Anyone even supporting any terrorist group should be arrested straight away.

 

[Lords]

Didnt his goons and brother killed many SSG men along with many civilians. What is he doing out of the jail?

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

He was shown on live tv saying that he can't condemn the peshawar attack as some of those children could go on to join the Army. Why is he and idiots like him even given airtime in the first place. He should be tried and hanged as a traitor for supporting forces against the Pak army.

Absolutely stunned that someone can condone the massacre of children and get away with it. As a public figure surely there has to be some law being broken here?

 

[aukhan]

OMG how low can this guy get.

Molvi's who are anti state should be executed for the better for this Country. They promote only fasad and nothing else.

 

[Eagle_Eye]

OMG how low can this guy get.

Molvi's who are anti state should be executed for the better for this Country. They promote only fasad and nothing else.

This one clearly has lost his mind... time to send him to an asylum.

 

[mithun_minhas]

Is this the same guy who tried to escape in Burqa along with other women?

 

[Garuda]

In any other country he would have been hanging upside down inside some unknown jail.

But this is Pakistan.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CricketCartoons]

In any other country he would have been hanging upside down inside some unknown jail.

But this is Pakistan.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

In a near by country some people say nathuram godse was a patriot and hero, but nothing happens to them.

 

[Garuda]

In a near by country some people say nathuram godse was a patriot and hero, but nothing happens to them.

Does not matter what "some people" says. He was hanged to death.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Strike Rate]

This clown is still getting salary from CDA

 

[CricketCartoons]

Does not matter what "some people" says. He was hanged to death.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

so does not matter if some person supports ISIS in pakistan.

 

[Garuda]

so does not matter if some person supports ISIS in pakistan.

Dude, the guy supporting IS on twitter is in jail.

On the other end here one religious leader gets airtime to spread hate.

Hope that is clear now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CricketCartoons]

Dude, the guy supporting IS on twitter is in jail.

On the other end here one religious leader gets airtime to spread hate.

Hope that is clear now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

yes but the guys supporting nathuram godse also get airtime to spread hate. so don't know why you came with a patronizing tone that except Pakistan, in any other country a hatemonger would be punished.

 

[Garuda]

yes but the guys supporting nathuram godse also get airtime to spread hate. so don't know why you came with a patronizing tone that except Pakistan, in any other country a hatemonger would be punished.

So what is your view? The guy should be allowed to spread hate cuz few ppl in neighbouring country said in support of a killer who was hanged 60+ years back.

Stay in context mate.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ethan hunt]

There was a public demonstration outside Lal Masjid , will be one tomorrow too , everyone in Islamabad is requested to join , will continue till he is arrested .

 

[CricketCartoons]

So what is your view? The guy should be allowed to spread hate cuz few ppl in neighbouring country said in support of a killer who was hanged 60+ years back.

Stay in context mate.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

manager sahab, i am not supporting this rabid mullah, who should be behind bars. i just wanted to point out that you chose to take a dig at pakistan implying that in any other country extremists hatemongers would be punished except in pakistan.

 

[ethan hunt]

 

[Garuda]

manager sahab, i am not supporting this rabid mullah, who should be behind bars. i just wanted to point out that you chose to take a dig at pakistan implying that in any other country extremists hatemongers would be punished except in pakistan.

You are more worried about dig than the issue.

Your example do not warrant the same danger. Rather my example gave you the right difference between the treatment given in two places.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[farazaidi]

Is this the same guy who tried to escape in Burqa along with other women?

yup he is the same. The guy should be prosecuted for treason over Lal Masjid issue and here he is giving lectures on morality

 

[Buffet]

See, this is the thing i have problem with. Govt will ask People to light their candles and do all the mourning stuff, but no one is ready to take action against these idiots who sympathizes with the Terrorists.

This one statement alone proves he is a traitor and should be hanged, but no one is going to take action against him.......

Govt doesn't care, so why should we care. Govt won't do anything about these people....

Handover the country to US, its the only solution.

View attachment 52032View attachment 52033

It's good to see public rising against these nut cases. Society is not destroyed by extremists. It is often destroyed by folks who remain silent.

 

[Major]

It's good to see public rising against these nut cases. Society is not destroyed by extremists. It is often destroyed by folks who remain silent.

and what happens after the lighting candles and all? A terrorist who was a member of taliban and was charged for suspicion of planning the mumbai attacks is set free,

 

[dhump]

Hang this idiot before others absolute trash living in the world.

Heard him on ARY today was still supporting taliban.

 

[siddharth]

Unbelievable,his audacity to say this at this time..

 

[Buffet]

and what happens after the lighting candles and all? A terrorist who was a member of taliban and was charged for suspicion of planning the mumbai attacks is set free,

I forgot to reply but I was quoting you for something else. You are saying that handover country to US. Well, it's simply impossible for any outside forces to do much with 200M people. You have been saying that in many different threads but it's not practical. I know you are just angry at lack of action but think about it a minute. We can't do much in Pakistan because it's not a tiny country. Only Pakistanis can take full control to fix and it's not possible for any outside forces to take full control. You can get some support but that's about it. It's too big a country.

Yah, I agree that Mumbai planner suspect shouldn't have been set free but as some one else posted a dawn article and article said that it's mainly due to Judges not getting security. Judges fear for their life and that's why there was so many roadblocks to not even prosecute this case. There were tons of intentional delays.

Problem is narrative given by Army/Politicians to normal folks over the years. Unless that changes, I don't see a big change but you still need to stand with folks who are not buying that non-sense narrative anymore. They will simply oppose any form of terrorism. That's why it's good to see protests against extremists. If enough folks think that way then Narrative will change as well with time. it won't happen overnight. It took few decades to come to this and it may take few decades to get rid of this non-sense. Hopefully, after this horrific incident, the process of getting rid of radical ideology will be a bit faster. Even sympathizers will find it hard to defend killing children.

 

[Gabbar Singh]

Why isn't he in jail for the 2007 incident - inciting violence, supporting terrorism etc? Does Pakistan even have a 'glorifying terrorism' law?

 

[yeh cheez]

Govt reluctant to book seminary students over pledge to ISIS

The government is reluctant to register a case against the Shohada Foundation and students of Jamia Hafsa on charges of waging war against the state and inviting the self-styled Islamic State militant group – commonly known by its Arabic acronym Daesh – to avenge Operation Silence, which was launched against the Lal Masjid in 2007, officials of the interior ministry and police officers told Dawn.

In December, the Shohada Foundation had issued a press release and a video message, inviting the head of Daesh (ISIS) to come to Pakistan to avenge the deaths of their brethren.

“Taking legal action against supporters and followers who had pledged allegiance to Daesh would lead to a panic and the issue would be unnecessarily highlighted,” the official quoted the functionary as saying.

“Those who pledge support to Daesh or distribute literature or carry out wall-chalkings should not be booked now, because that would only spread fear among the populous.”


http://www.dawn.com/news/1172805/govt-reluctant-to-book-seminary-students-over-daesh-pledge

 

[Slog]

Good step.

Aim should be to rehabilitate these students and make them open their minds from the brainwashing they have suffered

 

[Nostalgic]

They will however arrest and book any intrepid soul protesting against Aziza K. In the supreme public interest of course.

Did you hear what Mr. Bean had to say on this? He said there's no need to arrest Aziza K because Aziza K has apologized. Aziza K roundly denied any apology.

I wonder if this applies to anyone with an FIR against them. Apologize and walk free, then deny the apology. I'm sure though that such leeway can only be extended to maulvis, not lesser mortals.

 

[yeh cheez]

Good step.

Aim should be to rehabilitate these students and make them open their minds from the brainwashing they have suffered

I don't think its possible without a brain transplant at this stage of their indoctrination.

 

[Slog]

I don't think its possible without a brain transplant at this stage of their indoctrination.

for the clerics and the older ppl yes

but theres a lot of teenage kids who are part of this too

 

[Waseem]

Lal Masjid cleric announces another controversial event

ISLAMABAD: Abdul Aziz, the controversial Lal Masjid cleric, has announced that there would be a public gathering at the mosque on July 7 to mark the 10th anniversary of the 2007 military operation in which around 150 people were killed.

The announcement came weeks after authorities had stopped the firebrand cleric and the Shuhada Foundation, which handles all of Aziz’s interactions with the media, from holding events at the mosque.

Aziz was suspended as the Lal Masjid khateeb (prayer leader) by the authorities in 2004 and his nephew Aamir Siddique was appointed as the deputy khateeb of the mosque in 2007. Siddique has been the official prayer leader of the mosque since then.

There is also an internal rift over the control of the mosque as Siddique has distanced the mosque from the Shuhada Foundation, which insists it represents both Aziz and the mosque. Aziz also remains under observation of the authorities as he remains on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

In January when the foundation had tried to hold a press conference at the mosque, Siddique called in police and had the event forcibly stopped. Siddique said the organisers were using the mosque “for politics”.

Then on March 24 when Aziz and the foundation wanted to hold a conference at the mosque in the backdrop of alleged blasphemy on social media, the administration and police stopped them from doing so. The Shuhada Foundation has on multiple occasions called for the removal of Siddique from the mosque and the restoration of Aziz as its prayer leader.

Hafiz Ihtisham Ahmed, the spokesperson for the Shuhada Foundation, said they would soon submit an application to obtain a no-objection certificate from the administration for the July 7 event and would move the Islamabad High Court if they were not permitted to stage the gathering. However, it seems unlikely that the authorities will allow the event to take place at the mosque.

In a statement, the foundation said that they would invite President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lt-Gen Naveed Mukhtar, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and the religious affairs minister to attend the conference.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1411177/lal-masjid-cleric-announces-another-controversial-event/

 

[big_gamer007]

The madarassa culture needs to go if radicalisation needs to end..

 

[Enigma_]

Ultimately you would want all madrassas shut down. Lal Masjid is a terrorist organisation and should be treated as such.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Cases registered against Maulana Abdul Aziz, wife

Separate cases were registered against former Lal Masjid cleric and his wife under multiple sections of various laws including Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), police said on Wednesday.

Both cases were registered with Aabpara police station, with one filed against Maulana Abdul Aziz in response to a complaint lodged by Constable Javaid Anjum.

The case was registered after Maulana Aziz criticised the armed forces in his sermon at Lal Masjid.

According to the FIR, the cleric called the army and government wrong on the basis of his self-made religious ideas, which he later propagated through social media with the purpose of publicising the banned terrorist outfit, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, and trying to encourage terrorism by terming it justified.

He tried to demoralise the army and stir mutiny within its ranks, the FIR said, adding that his purpose was to spread fear and terror among people and the law enforcers, and create a gap between people, religious elements and forces. The other case was registered against Maulana Aziz’s wife on the complaint lodged by ASI Abdul Qayyum.

According to the FIR, the ASI stated that he saw a video on social media of Umme Hassan, the wife of Maulana Aziz, in which she threatened the police and administration.

On the basis of her religious views, she said she would not allow any cultural or musical programme to take place in Islamabad even if the capital administration granted permission.

She had intervened unnecessarily and with the help of her colleagues, disrupted such programmes in the past and would do the same in future as well, the FIR said, adding that she had openly said that she had weapons, including a Kalashnikov.

SOURCE: DAWN