Darkness falls on Swat
(The Taliban, representing an evil, primitive ideology that was shocking even in the 7th century.)Today, hidden away amidst all the headlines on things which this blog considers far less important, was a news item:
"Islamic courts begin functioning today in Swat."
ISLAMABAD: Islamic courts today started functioning in Pakistan's insurgency-hit Swat valley under an agreement signed last month by religious
hardliners and provincial authorities, a senior official said.
Qazis or judges started presiding over the Shariah courts at four places in Swat valley to pacify armed Taliban fighters, who waged a violent campaign and battled security forces over the past 18 months to press for the enforcement of Islamic laws in the region.
"We have revived the Islamic courts and Qazis (judges) today," Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed said.
Javed and Sufi Muhammad, whose Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariah Muhammadi group signed an agreement with the North West Frontier Province government to enforce Islamic laws, led a large procession to the four places and appointed the Qazis in the presence of hundreds of people.
The areas where the Qazis have started functioning, Matta, Khwazakhela, Kabal and Barikot, are considered strongholds of the Taliban.
Sufi struck the deal with the government last month. Under the agreement, the NWFP government agreed to scrap all "un-Islamic" laws.
From today, as per the agreement between the Taliban and the Pakistani government, with the approval of the Obama adminstration, Islamic courts will officially impose Shari'a law in Swat and the NWFP. As part of the agreement, the NWFP will scrap all "un-Islamic" laws and adhere to pure Islam. The Taliban's 18 month campaign to bring Islamic law to Swat and neighboring areas in Malakand has succeeded. Islam is now the law of that land.
What does this mean?
For starters, it means that women are now not fully human. They have almost no rights, no freedoms, and are to behave entirely like the property of men. They may not leave home without male companion (just like in Saudi Arabia - that other bastion of pure Islam). They must remain covered in a shuttle-cock burkha (one where even the eyes are covered with a screen) at all times. They are not allowed to seek employment (which won't be much of a problem since even basic education is being denied to them) or even treatment for diseases. Here is the catch-22: Women are not allowed to be treated by male doctors, and women are not allowed to get an education, which means there are no women doctors.
Now this kind of darkess, this kind of pure evil, has happened with the sanction of two governments - Pakistan's, and America's. Pakistan is, all said and done, an Islamic nation. This IS their "civilization." And the Taliban will remain Pakistan's most influential "invention." An invention that was intended to subjugate Afghanistan, and fuel the Jihad against India in Kashmir. So when the Pakistanis sign such treaties, it is only to be expected. But what can one say about the US government which (as per media reports) acquiesced in this treaty. This treaty with pure evil. What excuse does the US have? True, the Taliban is also an American step-child that came out of the US support for Jihadis during the Russian presence in Afghanistan, and the civil war soon after. But on 9/11, the US ought to have learned its lesson. The Taliban hosted the Al-Qaeda, and the two jointly attacked the US. And yet today, the US is a tacit third party in treaties being signed to appease the Taliban.
And what excuse does our government have for keeping silent on all this. Shari'a law is now a mere 5 hours away from our borders. Does this not concern anyone? Will the Taliban remain happy with just Swat? Not a chance. Swat is just another milestone. They want Islamabad, and they want its army and its nukes. They say so themselves, and they tell us they have planned this for years. Yet we refuse to listen.
And when will the world stop the Taliban? After they have the Pakistani nukes, and have used a few on India, killing the dirty kafir Hindus?
