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Afghanistan/South Asia
Musharraf condemns sectarian violence that killed 14 in Pak
2005-01-12
Moammar just called. He wants his sheriff badge back.
President Pervez Musharraf on Monday condemned fighting between Shiite and Sunni Muslims that left 14 people dead, and said he was trying to make Pakistan a moderate Islamic state and not one controlled by terrorists. His comments came after gunmen on Saturday attacked a car carrying Shiite leader Agha Ziauddin, wounding him. But one of his bodyguards and one of the assailants was killed in an exchange of fire. Angry supporters of Ziauddin then went on a rampage, setting buildings on fire and clashing with rival Sunni Muslims in Gilgit, about 250 kilometres north of the capital. The violence left some 14 people dead.

Authorities imposed a curfew in Gilgit with police, army and paramilitary troops patrolling the city. "We shall not allow the extremists to take the society as hostage," the military-run Inter-Services Public Relations department quoted Musharraf as saying in an address at a military college in Islamabad. He said was making efforts to make Pakistan a "moderate and enlightened Islamic welfare state."
As far as I can tell, Pakland has been held hostage to religious extremists for years and years. Religious extremism is to Pakistan as disco was to the U.S., only more deeply entrenched and not as wholesome. Pakland will never get rid of religious extremism until it stops concentrating on being Islamic and starts concentrating on being a state.
Posted by:Fred

#6  More lettuce please.
Posted by: Captain America   2005-01-12 4:48:29 PM  

#5  they might as well just be part of India

They could be what Jinnah wanted, a secular state FOR muslims, who in India have a distinct cultural history and identity from Hindus. Just as Ben Gurion envisioned Israel as a SECULAR state FOR Jews.

Has worked out less well in Pakland than in Israel (not that its worked perfectly in Israel, mind you) Possible reasons 1. The nature of Islam 2. The nature of Israel as an immigrant state freed it from certain kinds of tribalism Pakland was subject to. 3. The intense poverty and illiteracy of Pakland at independence. 4. Jinnah died shortly after independence, while Ben Gurion had time to set the state on the right path. 5. Pick the right enemies. Contests with Arabs gave the state of Israel reinforcing successes, while contests with India left Pakland with failures, which led to a turn away from secularism, which led to MORE failures, and MORE Islamism, in a downward cycle (till 9/11, and its been pretty touch and go since then)
Posted by: Liberalhawk   2005-01-12 2:09:01 PM  

#4  "We shall not allow the extremists to take the society as hostage,"
"Hell no, that's our job" said the ISI.
Posted by: Spot   2005-01-12 8:36:57 AM  

#3  Being Pakistan?
Posted by: Fred   2005-01-12 8:33:03 AM  

#2  But if they aren't Islamic, Fred, they might as well just be part of India. And what could posssibly be worse than that?!?
Posted by: trailing wife   2005-01-12 3:35:54 AM  

#1  "moderate and enlightened Islamic welfare state."
Posted by: 2b   2005-01-12 2:03:51 AM  

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