The Pakistani Taliban’s Suicide Bomber Trainer: A Profile of Qari Hussain Mehsud By Brian Wolfe Pakistani law enforcement officials present a child suicide bomber to the media (Photo by Douglas 606, available at Flickr) The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) released three videos immediately after the failed May 1 attack in Times Square, one of which was an audiotape claiming responsibility for the attack. A deputy TTP commander, Qari Hussain Mehsud, recorded the audiotape, bringing to the forefront an individual known as Ustad-e-Fidayeen—literally, the teacher of freedom fighters, but, as used among militant groups in Pakistan, the teacher of suicide bombers. Hussain’s … Continue reading Suicide Bomber Trainer

Allah is al-Jabbar – (The Compeller) Sheikh Salman al-Oadah We find this name of Allah in the verse: “Allah says: “He is Allah, besides whom there is no God, the King, the Holy One, Peace, the Giver of Security, the Guardian, the Compeller.” [Sūrah al-Hashr: 23] The name also appears quite frequently in the Prophet’s Sunnah. When the name al-Jabbar describes Allah, it is an attribute of praise and glory. By contrast, when the word is used to describe human beings, it is to rebuke and censure them for their pride and self-aggrandizement. For instance: “They said: ‘O Moses! In … Continue reading al-Jabbar

Smokers’ Corner: Black fell the day By Nadeem F. Paracha dawn.com Thanks to the maliciously tempered history taught to us of Islam and Pakistan in our schools and colleges, I have noticed that very few young Pakistanis have any ability left in them to question (in an informed manner) what is dished to them by the courts, the state, the clerics and the televangelists as ‘Islam’ and ‘nationalism.’ Extremism is nobody’s friend. It only deals in might gained from coercion. It does not rest after it has defeated its ideological opponents because then it goes on to destroy even those … Continue reading Educated Idiots in Pakistan

Punjabi Taliban; a growing threat Pakistani Ahmadi community members gather at their worship place after a suicide attack in Lahore. — AFP DERA GHAZI KHAN: The Pakistan Taliban is not the sole militant group threatening Pakistan and the region. Punjabi groups are deepening their ties with the Taliban, representing a growing threat for a country already hit hard by militant violence. This was highlighted by the twin attacks in Lahore on Friday which killed between 80 and 95 members of the Ahmadi community. Initial investigations suggested a possible link to the Taliban operating from Waziristan. Security officials in the region … Continue reading Punjabi Taliban

By Huma Yusuf dawn.com Pakistan is currently leading 56 other Islamic countries in an anti-defamation of religion campaign. But it is too ironic, indeed insulting, to see our government lobby for the rights of religions on the world stage when it cannot defend the rights or lives of its own people at home. – Photo by Reuters. As soon as I heard that gunmen had attacked two Ahmadi houses of worship in Lahore, I posted a despairing comment on my Facebook page, condemning the violence and wondering out loud why we, as a nation, had let it come to this. … Continue reading A murderous mindset

Culture of intolerance Dawn Editorial Officials visit the Garhi Shahu mosque which was stormed by militants on Friday, in Lahore, on Saturday, May 29, 2010. – Photo by AP. Front Page Ahmadis claim 95 killed in Lahore attack Ahmadis claim 95 killed in Lahore attack Friday’s gruesome attacks on Ahmadi worshippers in Lahore were a tragic reminder of the growing intolerance that is threatening to destroy our social fabric. Bigotry in this country has been decades in the making and is expressed in a variety of ways. Violence by individuals or groups against those who hold divergent views may be … Continue reading Culture of intolerance in Pakistans schools needs to be tackled

Militants fanning sectarianism, says Malik The Interior Minister said Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and Sipah-e-Sahaba are allies of Taliban and al-Qaeda. — File Photo by APP LAHORE: Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Sunday that terrorists from south Punjab had begun unveiling themselves. While talking to the media in Model town Lahore, Malik said Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and Sipah-e-Sahaba were allies of Taliban and al-Qaeda. He said terrorists were trying to spread sectarianism in the country after their failure. Malik requested the media not to promote terrorists as heroes and said Ulema from all the sects should condemn terrorism and try not to … Continue reading Mullahs fanning sectarianism, says Malik

ANALYSIS: Survival of the fittest —Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur Societies that reward fraudsters, cheats and bullies are predestined to languish in dark ages, tormented by tyranny and lawlessness Recent research by Dr Swidbert Ott has shown that “swarming locusts look and act different from solitary locusts and they also have about 30 percent larger brains”. This they say is a survival mechanism, because “being inside these swarms is really a messy business — it is driven by hunger and the need to figure out where to find new food. It was found that these insects even turn to cannibalism — … Continue reading Survival of the fittest

VIEW: Of blasphemy, Facebook and terrorism —Imtiaz Alam The politics of fanning religious frenzy on the basis of sectarianism, blasphemy and fighting infidels is intrinsically linked to creating an environment for breeding nurseries of terrorism and promoting vigilantism. It creates a culture of intolerance that is inimical to all democratic values Times are horrifying in this land of the pure and a chaotic world around. A “satire” protesting censoring of an episode of ‘South Park’ by Comedy Central turned viral, forcing the irreverent cartoonist to take refuge behind opposing censorship in a most inappropriate manner. A section of the aggrieved … Continue reading Of blasphemy, Facebook and terrorism

VIEW: ‘Un’social networking —Andleeb Abbas The reckless interpretation of freedom by the West and the vengeful response of the Muslim world have created an endless battle of the aggrieved and the griever It is a faceless world. Technology has always been two-faced; it can be a threat or an opportunity depending on which side you want to see. The 21st century is an era that will go down in history as when technology blew away geographical and cultural differences and made the world a truly global village. Distances and time zones vanish with a click, friends are made with a … Continue reading ‘Un’social networking