Ihtesham Ahmad, trustee and spokesman of seminary’s Shohada Foundation, filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court against his detention by the capital police, requesting the court to restrain the police from harassing him and other members of the foundation.
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.
The petitioner, however, denied media reports regarding Umme Hassan’s endorsement for IS.
A press statement issued by the foundation clarified that “since the courts had failed to impart justice, the students of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid in desperation issued the video addressing Daesh to help them get justice.”
Ahmad stated that he and the foundation had no knowledge as to who had issued the video from the seminary but claimed it was probably the independent and exclusive action of the students of Jamia Hafsa.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 14th, 2014.
COMMENTS (26)
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This is the time to take punitive action against those who supports IS....unless we nip in the bud NOW this is going to grow like another cancer. We have become so used to fleeing away from owning responsibility, that is why we are in a mess. Instead of accepting the problem & find solution to face it, we try to shift the burden on to some one the ruling govt despises...that has been our rulers hallmark of governance.
When there is heavy religious indoctrination in regular schools, and obviously, heavier in madrassas, it is illogical to be surprised by support for the IS from among them. When the state's writ is not felt and the organs of the state seem indifferent to the common man's struggle to make ends meet, you can also expect sympathy for the IS amongst the deeply religious general populace, desperate for hope. Pakistan needs to amputate and discard the failed policies.
The Army, the intelligence agencies and the civilian political establishment must come together to make the inevitable shift sooner rather than later. Religious extremism and terrorism pose an existential threat to the country. Democratic, parliamentary process is not the way to proceed. You need to declare national emergency and create a unity government for a fixed period to achieve proper grounding after which elections can be held once again. May be you need to redraw the constitution based on, not religious but universal principles.
@Wizarat: "Why is it that we let these kinds of cancerous growth continue in Pakistan"? I'll tell you why. Because after Musharraf shut them down, the Iftikhar Chaudhry led judiciary let them off scott free, because the "democratically elected" govt of Zardari was too scared to properly prosecute them, and what can we say of Nawaz Sharif except he has no spine and actually supports these mullahs. The result is despite the fact these lal masjid criminals murdered army officers, their leader was set free, the masjid was turned back to them, and they were even allowed to name their library after OBL. Are we such fools not to expect they will show their true face again now supporting ISIS? They supported Al Qaeda before 2007 and were hiding terrorists in the mosque. Except Musharraf all the later leaders have taken no action and the judciary has supported these gangsters. We can only now hope Gen. Sharif puts his foot down and tells PMLN action has to be taken to shut them down again or 2007 will repeat itself. Musharraf Zindabad!
Do what Saudi Kingdom would have done to their nationals who ask for "foreign support" against their Govt! It's outright "treason" & "must be dealt with" accordingly. Now we are seeing Mush was brought down by the terrorists' supporters, who was crying during army action against their friends and saving them. See Who they didn't Bombed. Who was releasing them back out to kill more Pak Soldiers? The same team that blame the new "anti-corruption revolution" as Pak Army's "scheme". Why? Because they are them self the real anti-state factors in Pak__ they made Pak enemies as their friends & Pak-protectors as enemies. Nawaz or PMLn is totally ill-equipped to handle the terrorism because are now scared of the snake-pet they kept. It must be a true People's leader to swiftly annihilate these sanctuaries & their threats.
But why target IS? They aren't harming Pakistan! They are just like SSP, JuD, LeT, JeM, HuM..and dozens of others...they only target foreign countries! Did Pakistan get aid to target IS as we'll?
this is not free speech. This is incitement of violence, this has to be stopped.
Why is anyone surprised? This is the same institution that has a library named after OBL - mass murdering extremist terrorist. Shame on Lal Masjid, shame on Pakistan.
If you can't put a fire when the spark starts, it would be much difficult to put it when the flames are burning. Ch. Nisar claims there is no IS. Saeed Hafeez is spewing flames of hatred. Taliban is torching the West. Punjabi terrorist are holding prime grounds and poisioning. And Kashmiri militants are cheered by all of Pakistan. Islam is a religion of peace. These students are seminarians of a major Islamic college. Good luck Pakistan. You need it.
The IS barbarians are enslaving women and children for sex, including pre-pubescent girls.
If there is any one supporting or inviting these barbarians, they should be jailed for inciting, aiding and abetting crime - their words are an act against the state.
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/12/world/meast/isis-justification-female-slaves/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
If this action was in America, they would all have been arrested & institution closed. In absence of such punitive action, our country has become hub for extremist mindset & elements, so much so that people are scared to go against any such group action....
IS never went to help Palestinians and these Jamia Hafsa ppl are living with false hopes.
Now the Govt will again say that there is no presence of IS in Pakistan. This menace and those supporting it should be dealt with an iron fist earliest or we will all suffer in the near future... Musharaf sb zindabad.
This PMLN was the biggest supporter of Lal Masjid people. Are we up for another operation in Islamabad ? Had PMLN not been oportunist against Gen Musharaf, we would not have read this news today.
Free speech only for those we agree with!
Where are supporter of Lal Masjid now? Time is proving that Gen Musharraf was right in his every action against so called Muslims of Lal Masjid.
@Wizarat:
"Why is it that we let these kinds of cancerous growth continue in Pakistan."
Why? It is because of state policy of using "good" terrorists as national strategic assets. One reaps what one sows.
The people of this Land of the Pure should beg forgiveness from ex President Musharraf. He was right all along. He did the right thing then. Truly this country is into the abyss.
Now that we know about the roots of IS support in Pakistan, lets detain and teach them a message which would set their minds right. Also, if you love Islamic State of Iraq & Syria please move there as we don't have anything to do with the ISIS. Thanks
The catastrophe : People in Pakistan have exchanged their perception about whats right and what is wrong.
Pakistan Government has to get off its kneeling position before these terrorists sitting right under its nose. All religious schools need to be regulated by bringing them under normal schooling system and religion needs to be a specialization in senior classes. Else these terror breeding grounds will bring Pakistan down. REMEMBER these bigots do not represent Islam.
As long as we have radicals like these on our soil, we dont need enemies from outside. Musharraf was right in doing what he did. All those who challenge the writ of the state ahould be met with iron fists. Specially those blinded with radicle ideas understand no other language.
Why was this vitriolic seminary allowed to resume in the first place? All its functions should have been seized and all its administration should have been jailed in 2007.
Good Luck and More power to the criminals of Lal Masjid and their supporters.Shameless people
Musharraf Zindabad
Why is it that we let these kinds of cancerous growth continue in Pakistan. This is the root cause of sectarian problems in Pakistan. How can the Government of Pakistan allow such an outright misuse of facilities given to these so called students.
This Institution of Terror must be shut down. The ideology spewing out of places are taken right out of the Al-Qaeda notes as well as the Saudi sponsored terroristic slant that is not allowed even by the Saudi Government inside the Kingdom(?) but they support it throughout the world to keep Muslims fighting among themselves.
government must suppress these elements with full force....