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July 8, 2007

Red Mosque Hostage Kids Tell Parents They Are Martyrs (as cleric opts out in burqa)

Topics: Understanding Islam

The radical leader of Islamabad's Red Mosque, under siege for the last six days by hundreds of Pakistan troops, says the 1,800 children he claims are still in the religious-school complex have taken oaths on the Koran to fight to the death. The frightening possibility has been confirmed by frantic parents who have spoken by cell phone with their sons and daughters who say they soon hope to be martyrs. Apparently, the transformation from normal loving child to a desire to die apparently occured in as few as eight weeks, which should serve as an alarming wake up call for governments to crack down on radical Muslim clerics who preach violence, hate, and death.

"I spoke to my daughter. She said there was no food or water left," said Luftullah Khan, a shopkeeper, who was able to get through to them on their cell phone. "I tried to arrange a meeting, but she said, 'We're here - my dead body will be here. I will not leave my teachers'."

... The six-day siege has been mostly restrained, with the military wanting to avoid massive bloodshed. Children from two madrassas, or religious schools, are being held in the mosque.

[...] Ghazi, who has said he and his followers will fight to the end, now says the 1,800 children he holds have been divided into two groups and will join his fighters against any assault.

"The boys are the first line of defense, then the girls," he said. "They have all sworn an oath on the Koran that they will fight to the death."

[...] Khan, the desperate father and shopkeeper, succeeded Friday in getting his two daughters to leave the compound with a ruse.

Reaching them once again by cell phone, he told them their mother was ill and lay unconscious on the pavement outside. The two girls left the compound and were taken by their father.

Saima, Khan's 10-year-old daughter, denounced the trick.

"The teachers taught us about martyrdom and that it is a great achievement," she told the Times. "I could see the fighting was in front of me and I could understand that we would die. I felt real anger about what my father did. He tricked me."

"I'm taking them back to our village," Khan said. "They were ready for martyrdom and they're very angry with me. I'm just happy I've got my daughters back, and sorry for those whose daughters are still in there."

According to Khan, Saima's transformation had taken only eight weeks.

Notably, I've never heard of a single report of a Muslim cleric committing martyrdom, himself - it's always a follower, someone he taught that suicide for Allah resulted in paradise. The Red Mosque offers another case in point: Red Mosque cleric Abdul Aziz was captured wearing a burka (the cleric was caught escaping with a group of women, and he was hiding under a woman's burqa - seen in image with headcover removed). Suicide for 1800 children is one thing, but not his own. Apparently, not only is suicide just for others, he must not have much faith in the paradise he's told others is there, actually existing. For him, life and power over others here on earth is what he values most. As far as Abdul Aziz is concerned, his new name in the Paki blogs is "Aunty Aziz" or "Aunty Maulauna," especially following a humiliating interview of Aziz by the state-run television (video below), having him demonstrate how he hid under the burqa. You can actually see the humiliation in the clerics face, as he takes the cover off and puts it back on.

Posted by Abdul at July 8, 2007 7:59 AM

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Comments

Posted by: mullah cimoc at July 8, 2007 4:50 PM

Posted by: Abdul at July 8, 2007 6:38 PM

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