Friday, May 08, 2009
Pakistan
There seems to be repression of harmless locals by Taliban and army.
The Taliban are stopping locals from fleeing Swat. "Apke khidmat ke liye baithe hain," is what they are telling residents trying to get out of the picturesque valley in north-west Pakistan. Locals now fear the Taliban might use them as human shields.
In Mingora, the army is not allowing people to move out anymore, says A G Vilayat who lives in Kanju township. Vilayat sent his wife and sons to Peshawar three days ago. "It wouldn't have been possible now," he says. Ahmed's mother and sister have their bags packed, ready to leave at a moment's notice. The situation is particularly tough for women who are practically under house arrest. They are now forced to wear black 'shuttlecock' veils, the only ones allowed by the Taliban. No fashionable or coloured veil will do. It has to be the full cover one, says Vilayat.
Local criminals support the Taliban, says Ahmed. The timber mafia is with the Taliban. "Young people are joining them, some out of fear," adds Vilayat. Locals say 12 to 18-year-old boys move around with guns.
The change in personal appearance that the Taliban writ is forcing is also having its own repressive impact. "I haven't shaved in the last two months. I don't recognize myself. Swatis are clean-shaven. This is not us," says Vilayat with a dry hollow laughter. From shuttlecock veils to long beards, Swatis left in the valley say they are living each day as it comes.
IMO: It seems to me that all this came about mainly because of Saudi Arabia and USA. The USA are in a woolly way, perhaps trying to rectify their earlier blunders but the Saudis still have not met the requirements of Allah, as I see it. Maybe someone should issue a fatwah against the Saudis, might wake them up. Not much hope in the Emirates, Dubai for example ... If I were a Pak I think I would want to go to India, where Muslims are (mainly) well treated, are free to hold their views, and are well fed. Certainly I have seen many less burquas, for example, in Vasai, Maharashtra (just the occasional one) than in Bradford, England (hundreds if not thousands) - by choice I believe, although whether it is a good choice is of course debatable. In Pak even men don't have a choice.
The Taliban are stopping locals from fleeing Swat. "Apke khidmat ke liye baithe hain," is what they are telling residents trying to get out of the picturesque valley in north-west Pakistan. Locals now fear the Taliban might use them as human shields.
In Mingora, the army is not allowing people to move out anymore, says A G Vilayat who lives in Kanju township. Vilayat sent his wife and sons to Peshawar three days ago. "It wouldn't have been possible now," he says. Ahmed's mother and sister have their bags packed, ready to leave at a moment's notice. The situation is particularly tough for women who are practically under house arrest. They are now forced to wear black 'shuttlecock' veils, the only ones allowed by the Taliban. No fashionable or coloured veil will do. It has to be the full cover one, says Vilayat.
Local criminals support the Taliban, says Ahmed. The timber mafia is with the Taliban. "Young people are joining them, some out of fear," adds Vilayat. Locals say 12 to 18-year-old boys move around with guns.
The change in personal appearance that the Taliban writ is forcing is also having its own repressive impact. "I haven't shaved in the last two months. I don't recognize myself. Swatis are clean-shaven. This is not us," says Vilayat with a dry hollow laughter. From shuttlecock veils to long beards, Swatis left in the valley say they are living each day as it comes.
IMO: It seems to me that all this came about mainly because of Saudi Arabia and USA. The USA are in a woolly way, perhaps trying to rectify their earlier blunders but the Saudis still have not met the requirements of Allah, as I see it. Maybe someone should issue a fatwah against the Saudis, might wake them up. Not much hope in the Emirates, Dubai for example ... If I were a Pak I think I would want to go to India, where Muslims are (mainly) well treated, are free to hold their views, and are well fed. Certainly I have seen many less burquas, for example, in Vasai, Maharashtra (just the occasional one) than in Bradford, England (hundreds if not thousands) - by choice I believe, although whether it is a good choice is of course debatable. In Pak even men don't have a choice.
# posted by uv : 5:12 AM
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