Rendering apology: Maulana Aziz bows to society’s pressure

Lal Masjid cleric says he condemns the killing of schoolchildren, has realised his mistake


Our Correspondents December 21, 2014

ISLAMABAD: Submitting to a huge outcry from civil society, the chief cleric of Lal Masjid Maulana Abdul Aziz apologised for failing to unconditionally condemn the Peshawar massacre carried out by Taliban on December 16.

“I condemn the killing of schoolchildren and apologise,” Aziz said while talking to The Express Tribune.

The cleric admitted he realised his mistake only after his followers convinced him. He clarified that he did not threaten any member of civil society and police have registered FIR against him under social pressure which is not a good precedent.

Aziz said his personal opinion was unnecessarily propagated in the media. “I forgave Musharraf for launching military operation against us, how it is possible that I was not saddened by the killing of innocent schoolchildren,” he added.

Aziz said that Altaf Hussain’s statement against Lal Masjid was provocative and warrants legal action. “I could not see any condemnation against such a blatant statement,” he complained. “This is not a good idea to burn sacred places. This mosque (Lal Masjid) is not my creation. It was built by General Ayub Khan in 1965, which belongs to the government,” Aziz said.

Certain sects are involved behind these protests and they are trying to befool people, he said. We condemn every incident of violence, whether it was massacre in Peshawar or brutal killing of children during drone attacks or in Lal masjid, Aziz maintained.

MQM senator Tahir Hussain Mashhadi said that the cleric is trying to give sectarian hue to conceal his crime and is trying to start sectarian conflict.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21st, 2014.

COMMENTS (86)

Neil | 9 years ago | Reply

What is there for him to apologize and for what. He was clear about his facts, ideas and visions from beginning. It was Common peoples mistake who tolerated this kind of peoples,It was the mistake of Supreme court to let him go. A hater will always remain hater and still you can easily find thousands of peoples who will stand for him and are ready to die for him. Put the country first then anything else. Not from Pakistan but I don't think that I need to be Pakistani to understand the Pain and Grief of all the ones who lost their loved ones. Feel it,if you believe in Humanity, feel it if you are Human.

DeTache! | 9 years ago | Reply

What our forefather The English have done in this situation is to remove his association with this Masjid first. Which is making very hard for him to listen to court or people. This building has become his cave and sanctuary which it should not have been... to any government servant, period. His attachment to this building is the bigger problem than his belief. What if his "Gaddi Nashin comes out too from somewhere? A Family lesson: Once a toy is removed from a kid's hand it's easy for him to listen to you. It's not his toy here in the first place, was it? If Musharaf made a mistake by not finishing the job, Pres. Zardari and then CJ Iftekhar M, made a blunder by giving him back the toy along with apologies & gifts. We are to blame for stupid politics not him. He was given a toy to play as he wish. A child can't be blamed when the parent spoil him!

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