Monitor the Juma prayer khutbas for hate speech: An excellent initiative
The LUBP has received the following statement via our friends on Facebook:
“There is HOPE!!!! Altaf Hussain has instructed all MQM workers to monitor Juma prayers khutbas all over Karachi. If any cleric is guilty of inciting hatred and violence, the worker must check openly him then and there, report him and leave the mosque. This is just one step the MQM has taken among several to curb …extremism and lawlessness which will be revealed later. Yayyyyyy! Mullah gardi naheen chalay gi. I request you all to copy paste this status and spread it as far as possible.”
The LUBP team feels that this initiative should be widely supported, especially by the PPP and ANP. Furthermore, this is the time when bridges should be built between political parties and liberal members of civil society groups such as Citizens for Democracy which has been spearheading efforts to take a stand against extremists.
Some of its members have seized the day by such initiatives going to the Darakhshan Police Station to lodge a complaint against Sultan Mosque cleric Munir Ahmed Shakir for provoking people’s sentiments and inciting violence during his Friday sermon.
The PPP has to realize that its muted stance has disappointed its supporters all over the country and it must support and protect civil society groups that are taking a stand against extremists. This is a welcome initiative by Citizens for Democracy and LUBP supports it. Here is their facebook page.
MQM has already taken a lead on this. Shouldn’t PPP also be joining in?
—– Forwarded Message —-
From: Naziha
To: citizens-for-democracy
Meeting with Nasreen Jaleel and MQM response
This afternoon a group of us (Sheema Kermani, Mohsin Sayeed, Sabeen Mahmud, Ambareen Kazim Thompson and myself) on behalf of the CFD held a meeting at Nine Zero with Nasreen Jaleel of the MQM regarding the rally in Karachi as well as the campaign against extremism in general. Also present were MQM Rabita Committee members Kunwar Khalid Younus, Saif Yar Khan and Dr Farooq Sattar. It was heartening to see that they concurred whole-heartedly with the objectives of the campaign and offered us their unstinting support across the country in this endeavor.
Following is a brief summary of the salient points that emerged from the meeting.
– A press conference should be held several days before the rally to introduce the campaign and explain its aims and objectives to the public and the press.
– Rallies should be held simultaneously in several cities on the afternoon of Sunday Jan 30.
– The MQM agreed that their participation would be with the CFD rally as supporters. They however assured us that they will bring in their supporters provided we can arrange the transport (which Sheema will be coordinating with certain ngos) and would also help to obtain the requisite permits for holding the rally at the Quaid’s mazaar. They also stated that after the citizens are seen to have applied pressure in the form of the demo/rally, they will take up the issue from their political platform on the grounds that they are following through on the public demand.
– They have requested that a larger delegation of members from CFD member organisations visit them at Nine Zero on Sunday 16 Jan at 4pm to further discuss the issue and also speak with Mr Altaf Hussain. We urgently need to assemble a group for this purpose. Could we address this at tomorrow’s CFD meeting?
– Mr. Altaf Hussain also spoke with us and offered complete support in the rally/campaign and also directed the MQM members present to extend whatever assistance CFD may require in making it a success.
– Rabita Committee member Saif Yar Khan will be in Lahore on 15-16 Jan and has asked that CFD Lahore meet him during his visit to the city so he can ask MQM’s Lahore office to assist with the Lahore rally. He can be reached on 0333-2219037. Email [email protected] Perhaps Taimur can take this up further.
– The party says that it is doing what it can to counter the extremist rhetoric. It has ordered its workers to monitor Friday prayers in Karachi and instructed the administrations of the mosques in its constituencies to ensure that their khutbas deal only with non-controversial topics.
– We requested them to participate in the CFD meeting on Jan 18 at Arts Council and they offered to send their MPA Mr Muqeem Alam to represent them.
Best,
Naziha Syed Ali
کیا فائدہ ؟ ایم کیو ایم تو شاید وہیں پر فیصلہ کر لے پر حکومت والے کچھ نہیں کر رہے ہیں ،جہادی کتابیں ،ترانے ،پوسٹرز ،تقریریں عام بک رہی ہیں .نہ کوئی مولوی پکڑا جاتا ہے اور نہ ہی کچھ ضبط ہوتا ہے
بچلے سال گلستان جوھر میں واقع ایک مسجد کے امام وزیرستان میں ڈرون حملے میں ہلاک ہو گئے وہ طالبان کا دشتگرد تھا ،ایم کیو ایم نے اس علاقہ محلہ کمیٹی کو کہا کے اب یہاں کوئی پٹھان امام نہیں بنے گا پھر محلے والوں نے سرائیکی امام رکھا
حکومت صرف ملٹری آپریشن تک دشتگردی سے نمٹ رہی ہے لکن اس کو نیچے سے کس طرح ختم کرنا ہے اس کا حکومت کے پاس حل نہیں
I think this is a right step. I was in Karachi last friday and deliberately avoided listening to the urdu sermon as I anticipated hate speeches and defending the killing of ST. I weas very right and the molvi said stuff I would have shouted listening to.
If people begin to identify sych molvis and stop attending the sermons will be a good step. This is not a one day thing. This has to happen on a daily basis. Intelligence has to be stepped up.
Well done CFD and MQM. If not pakistan, then we need to protect karachi’s traditional open-mindedness, pluralism and diversity.
Ali Abbas Anayatullah, come out of the Qudsia closet
Who will monitor Ali Abbas Anayatullah’s hate speech on this blog?
@Amna
We have more than 50 authors at this blog. I think you are confusing identities here.
We don’t promote hate speech!