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Disclaimer: Views expressed are not necessarily shared by editorial committee.
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Names will be withheld on request.
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Pakistani renegades Preparing Demonization of Islamic Pakistan
Sind Post Caught distributing Disinformation to the Global Alliance
for Justice Education (GAJE) which comes out of Vanderbilt University in Tennessee
ksidd accused of anti-semitism: See exchange of email below

[Friday Times is a notorious secularist publication coming out of Pakistan, representing the tiny westernized elite in that country. Somehow ksidd received a groundless but vicious article being fed by Sindhi nationalists to an American group as noted above. Sindh is a province of Pakistan.]

[New Trend is publishing the Friday Times story as received from Sind Post. This is the sort of thing which was being distributed against the Taliban from 1999 to 2001 before the actual attack on Afghanistan took place.]
[When ksidd challenged the story, a number of Americans from GAJE accused him of anti-semitism. The exchanges are given below without alteration.]
[Friday Times is dated forward.]

The Friday Times: June 5, 2003

Mohammad Shehzad
On a sunny Sunday afternoon I saw maulvis beating women outside the Faisal Mosque. Where is our country heading?
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Two maulvis were beating up two young women, shouting: "They are gushtian [prostitutes] giving people dawat-e-gunnah [invitation to sin]. We told them to cover their heads. When they did not listen, we thought to teach them a lesson!"

Every Sunday I go for a little trip. This week I decided to visit Daman-e-Koh, a hill station above Islamabad. On my return, I stopped by the Faisal Mosque, one of the busiest public places in town. Those who consider the military dictator General Ziaul Haq a "true soldier of Islam" visit the mosque frequently to pay homage to him. But I just visit because of the beautiful architecture.

When I was coming out of the mosque, I witnessed a frightening scene. Two maulvis were beating up two young women with sticks, while shouting: "Cover your heads you bay-sharam [amoral] and bay-haya [unscrupulous] women". Since I have an inherent habit of interfering in such brawls, I intruded.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"They are spreading obscenity. They are gushtian [prostitutes] giving people dawat-e-gunnah [invitation to sin]. We told them to cover their heads. When they did not listen, we thought to teach them a lesson!"

"But you have no right to beat them. You have no right to force them to cover their heads. Why are you angry if they are not covering their head?"

The girls started speaking to defend themselves: "We are not 'loose women'. We come from good families. They were staring at us with wicked looks. When we protested, they started beating us while concocting this story."

"They are 'taxis' (prostitutes). We will not allow anyone to corrupt society. We are the workers of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal and have won the elections. Now, the country will be governed by the rules of shariat. We are the votaries of Maulana Fazlur Rehman. He is going to be the next prime minister of Pakistan. We will see you and these whores again when he has power."

"This is not Afghanistan. You better disappear, or I'll call the police," I warned them and they left. The women thanked me and went into the mosque. It was a horrendous incident. Islamabad is not Kandahar; it is the capital of Pakistan, a nation of moderate, forward-looking Muslims. Or so we like to believe. Faisal Mosque is located in the most exclusive sector of Islamabad, E-7. People visit the mosque not just for prayers, but also for fun. Such an unseemly sight at such a spot was inconceivable.

I was shocked at the wickedness of Maulana Fazlur Rehman's aficionados. They were acting as if Islamabad was a country of infidels that they had conquered through jihad after the October 10 elections. Now, the infidels has only two options — either to embrace their brand of Islam or face the severe punishment prescribed by the maulvis, which would be death, perhaps through stoning, for the "gushtian" and "taxis" don't allow anyone to stare at them with evil eyes!

What kind of message does this incident send across the world? That the MMA is the legacy of those vandals known as the Taliban? That it is hell-bent on following in the footsteps of Mullah Omar, the host of international terrorists?

The MMA leadership is very unhappy with the media, particularly the Western press. They say it is working at a systematic character assassination against the MMA. Qazi Hussain Ahmad told me recently that the West was not upset with the MMA's victory, it was only the Western media owned by the Jewish lobby that had spearheaded a malicious campaign against the MMA. This leaves a very simple question: Why is the MMA leadership and membership issuing statements that provide the media masala (material) to ridicule them with? For example one of the MMA's leaders recently said that women in the NWFP would not be allowed to have their clothes stitched by male tailors. And on May 16, the clerics in NWFP imposed a complete ban on male instructors for women's payers. Now women in sports will not be trained by men. All signs of women have been removed from advertising hoardings in the Frontier. Where is this madness going to end?

If Maulana Fazlur Rehman ever becomes prime minister of Pakistan, the country could witness a replay of the Taliban phenomenon, and be pushed back into the Stone Age. Would this lead to the next war on terrorism being waged in Islamabad? And what of the lackeys of the party such as I saw outside the mosque? If cloaked in the veil of authority, what atrocities out in the far reaches of the countries would go unseen by us? How many replays of barbarity will it take before we react?
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>>> KSidd37398@aol.com> 06/02/03 11:47PM >>> Friday Times is notorious for this kind of lies about Muslims.

References to Maulana Fazlur Rahman and MMA indicate that this is a fabrication. Who speaks in real life that! Read it again. Maulana Fazlur Rahman even worked with Benazir and his supporters do not behave like this. No one from MMA is in charge of Faisal Masjid and all kinds of people visit there every day, including women whose heads are not fully covered.

Friday Times supports America and is known for its hatred of Islam and its character assassination of just about ALL Islamic leaders. Friday Times editor is often on NPR, America's main Jewish-supported radio network.
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From Elizabeth Cooper, Fordham University
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions - and I admittedly know little about those espoused in the latest flurry of messages. However, there is one thing I do know: I am deeply disturbed by comments that describe any media source as "America's main Jewish-supported radio network." This is a hurtful, inaccurate, and anti-semitic statement.
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[from ksidd]
Ms. Cooper wrote:

'I am deeply disturbed by comments that describe any media source as

"America's main Jewish-supported radio network." This is a hurtful, inaccurate, and anti-semitic statement.'

I wonder how much she knows about NPR. It's the biggest line-up of Jews in the media. It's just a fact. What makes it anti-semitic?
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[From Gallant]
KSidd:

What makes your statement anti-semitic is the suggestion that there is something wrong with Jews reporting news. There isn't.

GAJE is, I think, devoted to fair treatment of all people.

Kenneth S. Gallant
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
William H. Bowen School of Law
1201 McMath
Little Rock, AR 72202-5142 USA
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[RESPONSE FROM ksidd.]
Gallant wrote:

"What makes your statement anti-semitic is the suggestion that there is something wrong with Jews reporting news."

That "suggestion" is in the readers mind. We must deal with FACTS, not SUGGESTIONS. What's important is that a news outfit hires Jews in large numbers, supports Israel, and then connects with anti-Islam elements, such as Friday Times, in Pakistan.

The slogan of "anti-semitic" is used much too often to squelch debate about the inordinate growth of Jewish power in America.

Would Gallant deny that:
1. NPR has numerous Jews on its payroll.
2. These Jews all support Israel.
3. There is a constant endeavor on their part to connect with elements of the secularized elite in Pakistan who abhor the Islamic character of Pakistan's people
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[Response from Prof Gallant.]

Yep, NPR hires Jewish people. Don't know that they hire any more than anyone else in the US.

No, they are not all pro-Israel--and certainly they don't all support the policies of the current government. There are a lot of Jews like me who want justice for the Palestinian people, including a secure state with a right of return for Palestian refugees. It does not help the cause of peace to attack Jewish reporters and the folks who hire them, any more than it helps the cause of peace to equate Islam with terrorism.

No, NPR does not just make linkages with with secular elements in Pakistan. I have heard many reports from the religious schools in Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere on NPR.

By the way, the last time I was in Pakistan, most or all of the folks writing for the Friday Times were Muslims. Yes, the orientation of the paper is more secular than some others. You can disagree with their views on that without considering them anti-Islamic.

Kenneth S. Gallant
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[ksidd replies]
Gallant wrote:
"Yep, NPR hires Jewish people. Don't know that they hire any more than anyone else in the US. No, they are not all pro-Israel--and certainly they don't all support the policies of the current government."

That's a relief that he admits the obvious: Yes, NPR has a lot of Jews on its staff. And yes, it does hire more than any other news outfit.

And they are pro-Israel. NAME ONE WHO IS NOT? I am not talking of "policies" but of Israel.

DO YOU KNOW OF ANY ISLAMIC PEOPLE NPR HAS HIRED? Zero! A public radio hiring people of one race and one religion (plus a couple of Hindus). As far as I know Askia Muhammad hasn't reported for NPR in quite a while. [By the way, I am semitic, so don't go off with the usual ADL type slogan.]

Then Gallant wrote:

"By the way, the last time I was in Pakistan, most or all of the folks writing for the Friday Times were Muslims. Yes, the orientation of the paper is more secular than some others. You can disagree with their views on that without considering them anti-Islamic."

I wonder if he realizes that for anyone who knows Islam, that's quite funny. Of course, legally they are Muslims, but they do not owe their loyalty to the teachings of the Holy Qur'an. That's what makes them anti-Islamic. [Is Gallant sure of 'most or all?' I thought legally they are all Muslims.]

[Yes, NPR did have some reports from medressas, quite vicious and full of hate for all that Muslims revere.]

Back to Friday Times report on the "incident" at Faisal mosque; it was propaganda, unverified and unverifiable. Mere gossip. Faisal mosque is not controlled by Fazlur Rahman's people or by any other segment of MMA.
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[Message from K. Raphael]
This type of correspondence is not appropriate. Please desist, or if you must, send it only to the people with whom you are in direct contact.
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[From jpg]
Please stop this. It is of no use for GAJE and considered spam
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[from ksidd]

So jpj doesn't want me to answer Gallant. He calls it spam. Is that what civil discourse is all about?

I guess you folks thought you would quietly spread the Friday Times story and no one would be the wiser.
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2003-06-07 Sat 20:25ct