Will Najam Sethi and Raza Rumi take care of their sectarian minion Mohammad Shehzad please?
Mohammad Shehzad Deobandi is a regular columnist of The Friday Times (TFT). Under the able editorship of Najam Sethi and Raza Rumi, he has written and published quite a few articles in TFT humanizing leaders and terrorists of the banned Deobandi sectarian outfit Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (currently operating as Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat ASWJ an Lashkar-e-Jhangvi LeJ), the terror group that has killed at least 21,000 Shia Muslims, thousands of Sunni Barelvis, Ahmadis and Christians in the last few years in Pakistan.
Not unlike pro-establishment proxies in right-wing dominated Urdu media, (fake) liberal dominated English media too is infested with spokespersons and proxies of intelligence agencies. Journalists in Islamabad and Karachi are aware that at least two bloggers /budding columnists writing in TFT work for intelligence agencies. One of them is Mohammad Shehzad (Deobandi) who is known for his pro-Sipah Sahaba pro-Deobandi militants inclinations. (The other TFT columnist, based in Karachi, is too well known for his leg-work for intelligence agencies and ASWJ.)
Mohammad Shehzad is the same person who recently conducted a notorious interview with ASWJ-LeJ’s chief Ahmed Ludhianvi which comprised hate speech and incitement to violence against Shia Muslims. https://lubpak.com/archives/251181
Sadly, instead of apologizing to Shia and Sunni Barelvi Muslims, both Najam Sethi and Raza Rumi shamelessly defended the publication of that interview. https://lubpak.com/archives/251633
Now it appears that Najam Sethi has asked his minion to attack liberal writers and Shia and Sunni activists critical of the ASWJ-LeJ and its promotion via the fake liberal press.
In the following mostly one way exchange, Mohammad Shehazad Deobandi may be seen attacking and abusing liberal writers and bloggers, Shias and PPP leadership. Most distasteful is his abusive attack on the founder and former editor of the LUBP blog; he is oblivious to the fact that Mr. Nishapuri is already forced to retire by physical threats to his family by Akram Lahori’s niece (an NGO-liberal based in Islamabad) a few months ago. Now Mr. Nishapuri’s account on Twitter is managed by some of his friends and comrades.
Have a look at the abusive content and hatred in Mohammad Shehzad’s tweets. Does that person really belong to a liberal magazine? More importantly, do his mentors and promoters Najam Sethi anad Raza Rumi and their RFT really represent Pakistani liberals?
March 15-21, 2013 – Vol. XXV, No. 05
The Firday Times
Interview By Mohammad Shehzad
‘Sectarianism has nothing to do with recent terrorism in Pakistan’
Maulana Mohammad Ahmad Ludhianvi heads Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ). When sectarian group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) – founded by Haq Nawaz Jhangvi in 1985 – was banned in January 2002, it resurfaced as Millat-e-Islamia Pakistan. After being banned again in November 2002, it resurfaced as ASWJ.
In this interview, Ludhianvi speaks about the rising anti-Shia violence in Pakistan in general, and the recent bombings in Quetta and Karachi in particular.
Mohammad Shehzad: Is the Shia-Sunni divide the reason behind the recent terrorist attacks on Shias?
Maulana Ahmad Ludhianvi
Ahmad Ludhianvi: Sectarianism has nothing to do with the ongoing wave of terrorism in Pakistan. Whatever has happened in Quetta or Karachi has nothing to do with the differences between Shias and Sunnis.
I personally believe we are greater victims of terrorism than Shias. In 2012, more than 600 ASWJ workers were killed. We remained peaceful. Some people were arrested and they confessed that they were Shia and trained and funded by Iran. Moreover, foreign agents of the US, India, Israel and Blackwater are roaming freely in Pakistan, making conspiracies against the country.
You should look at what happened in Quetta in the backdrop of the handing over of Gwadar Port to China, and what happened in Karachi in the perspective of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project. The US has expressed its concerns on both the developments.
Despite this, our party is being maligned for no reason. Half of the people killed in Karachi were Sunnis. The FIR of the Quetta bombing did not name our party or our senior vice president Malik Ishaq, but he and his son have been put behind bars. This is great injustice, but we are still showing patience.
MS: Your outfit is known for chanting the slogan Kafir Kafir Shia Kafir in public rallies. Doesn’t that provoke people to attack Shias?
“You should look at what happened in Quetta in the backdrop of the handing over of Gwadar Port to China, and what happened in Karachi in the perspective of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project”
AL: Kafir Kafir Shia Kafir is just a slogan, like any other, such as Roti, Kapra aur Makaan. It does not tell anyone to kill Shias. Speeches of Haq Nawaz Jhangvi are available online and in the market. He used this slogan throughout his life but never said Shias should be killed.
We call Shias Kafir on the basis of a unanimous edict issued by highly reputable jurists of Deoband.
This slogan is not the reason behind the killing of Shias, and we don’t force people to chant the slogan in our rallies.
MS: Should the slogan be chanted in public?
AL:You can disagree with the procedure.
MS: Your offices were raided and your workers were arrested after the Quetta bombing. Was your party involved?
AL:We strongly condemned the Quetta carnage. We condemn the killing of every innocent human being whether Shia or Sunni or even non-Muslim. The media is carrying out propaganda against us.
We have been accused of supporting the PML-N. Tehrik-e-Jafria is also a banned group, but its leader Iftikhar Naqvi has been made member of the Council of Islamic Ideology. What is wrong then if we decide to vote for anyone? We are a defunct outfit but our vote is not defunct. According to Pakistan’s Constitution, we can vote for anyone. It is our right.
MS: What are your suggestions for Shia-Sunni harmony?
AL: The country has suffered greatly because of Shia-Sunni rivalry. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had constituted the the Milli Yakjehti Council and the Muttahida Ulema Board for sectarian harmony. They came up with a code of conduct that bears my signature, and the signatures of Allama Ali Sher Haidri, Sajid Naqvi, Ali Naqvi and Iftikhar Naqvi.
We all agreed on a 14-year sentence for anyone who chants the slogan Kafir Kafir Shia Kafir or insults religious figures.
All you need to do is to turn it into a law through the parliament and the Shia-Sunni issue will be resolved.
Comments (5 comments)
@Mohammad Shehzad You seem to be lesser-journalist. Question that you should have asked but failed to do so, now I ask you and you answer me. LeJ claims for the massacres of Quetta and everywhere else themselves, are they CIA/RAW/Black Water agent?
Posted: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 by Arif from Quetta
Yes, we should not only accuse upon sectarianism because it is not the solution of to bring the peace in country. but all the politico-religious parties come ahead to work together for bringing the peace. and they should strive to fighting against the extremism which has been escalating in the country.
Posted: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 by imran khoso from Dadu
It is indeed disappointing to see TFT pandering to militant organizations. Knowing that ASWJ is a banned organization, you gave a full page to its top leader. What a shame.
Posted: Monday, March 18, 2013 by Raani Jhaansi from Lahore
Well Said. because this is not secterianism but it a complete Genocied of the Shia Community by SSP with the help of the state and some foriegn powers.
Posted: Monday, March 18, 2013 by Mhuammad Hussain from Islamabad
what a disappointment
Posted: Sunday, March 17, 2013 by Diep from Pakistan
http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta3/tft/article.php?issue=20130315&page=5
Ali Rahman Pakistan @Baahirezaman 19m
Will Najam Sethi and Raza Rumi take care of their sectarian minion Mohammad Shehzad please? http://criticalppp.com/archives/257411 via @criticalppp
Yasmeen Ali @yasmeen_9 16m
@Baahirezaman @CriticalPPP Was does this idiot have to do with Raza/Najam?
Ali Rahman Pakistan @Baahirezaman 13m
@yasmeen_9 works/writes under them apparently. @CriticalPPP
Yasmeen Ali @yasmeen_9 12m
@Baahirezaman @CriticalPPP Which paper???
Ali Rahman Pakistan @Baahirezaman 10m
@yasmeen_9 TFT… remember this: http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta3/tft/article.php?issue=20130315&page=5 … @CriticalPPP
Yasmeen Ali @yasmeen_9 8m
@Baahirezaman @CriticalPPP Ohhh OK.I remember now.What a Jackass!
In his recent article in TFT, this man (Shahzad) is lying once again. “In another political move, Ludhianvi met Dr Tahirul Qadri last week. Qadri assured him of his support in Jhang despite announcing that his party Tehrik-e-Minhajul Quran (TMQ) would boycott the elections. The TMQ is a Barelvi outfit, and ASWJ hardliners are not happy with the move. ”
Tahirul Qadri and his Minhajul Quran have assured ASWJ-LeJ of no support at all. Ludhianvi visited Dr. Qadris seeking his support but the request was rejected.
http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta3/tft/article.php?issue=20130405&page=6.1
In the same article, Shahzad continues to equate Shia Muslims with Takfiri Deobandi terrorists of ASWJ Sipah Sahaba. False neutrality or sheer dishonesty?
Mr Shehzad as far as I know has wrote against those who are involved in shia killings.. I have read his writings and found them balanced not tilted toward the killers..
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