Muharram starts: Shias not happy with the ‘forbidden list’

Shia representatives express concern over ban imposed on a number of zakirs during Ashura.

LAHORE: Shia representatives expressed their concern over the ban imposed on a number of zakirs during Ashura, saying that they would protest against the ban.

“The Shia community has decided not to hold any mourning processions and majalis in Chakwal in protest against this ban,” said the Tanzeem Shia Shahrian Pakistan convener, Syed Waqarul Hassan Naqvi. He added that a protest rally will be taken out at 4 pm every day from Karbala Gamay Shah while five people will court arrest every day.

The list of scholars and zakirs who have been banned from delivering speeches also includes two Shia scholars who are dead.

Naqvi said that the administration had included the late Allama Sajidud Din Haideri and Allama Ashiq Hussain Qiamat in its list of “banned scholars”. Alama Gulfam Hussain Hashmi, Allama Nasir Abbas, Shaukat Raza Shaukat, Ghazanfar Abbas Tunsvi, Muhammad Hussain Najfi and Allama Muhammad Saqlin Ghilo are among the others whose names have been put on the list.

The community leaders regretted that they were not taken into confidence by the administration and said that the religious sentiments of the community had been hurt. They also criticised the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) for removing most of the banners and hoardings with slogans regarding Ashura.

Shia leaders told Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, the provincial minister for Education that a majlis was not considered complete without religious speeches.

They told Rehman that in an earlier meeting, Sardar Zulfiqar Khan Khosa, had assured them that there will be no ban on delivering speeches during Ashura.

“Now at the start of Muharramul Haram, all zakirs have been banned from speaking at majalis and some have been banned even from entering Lahore,” the disgruntled leaders said.

They said they would guarantee that zakirs do not utter a single word, in their speeches, which might hurt the feelings of other sects or communities.

Rehman asked the community to let him know if they had any problem regarding the installation or working of streetlights at imam bargahs and along the route of Zuljanah processions.

On the leaders’ query whether imam bargahs will be exempted from power shutdowns, Rehman said that instructions had already been issued to the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) to ensure uninterrupted power supply to all imam bargahs.

Town administrators, the District Coordination Officer (DCO) and DMG officers remained conspicuous by their absence. Only a few MNAs and MPAs of the Lahore division attended the meeting though all of them had been told to attend it.

Rehman said that he would submit a written complaint to the chief minister to take action against those who did not attend the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th, 2010.