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Anti-Taliban cleric among four killed, 10 injured in a suicide attack in Lahore. The blast occurred right after the Friday prayers finished at the Jamia Naeemia mosque.
Prominent anti-Taliban Pakistani Muslim cleric Maulana Sarfraz Naeemi is pictured in this file photo taken in Lahore July 17, 2005. Naeemi was killed in the suicide bomb attack, police said. – Reuters
Suicide bomber kills anti-Taliban cleric Allama Naeemi By Muhammad Faisal Ali
Pakistani Islamic students mourn over the body of Sarfraz Naeemi, the head of Jamia Naeemia madrassa at a hospital following a suicide bomb attack. – AFP LAHORE: Allama Dr Sarfraz Ahmed Naeemi, a renowned religious scholar of the country and principal of the Jamia Naeemia, was killed, in what police believe was a targeted suicide attack at his seminary’s office in Garhi Shaho on Friday. His close aide, Maulana Khalilur Rehman, Abdul Rehman, an ex-student and a journalist, and two students were also killed while five others suffered injuries in the attack which destroyed furniture and religious books lying in the single room office and smashed all the windowpanes of madrassa-cum-mosque where over 1,000 students are receiving religious education. A series of protests broke out outside Jamia Naeemia and other parts of the city following the attack on Mr Naeemi, who was the son of the ex-chairman of the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee and founder of Jamia Naeemia, Mufti Muhammad Husain Naeemi.
Capital City Police Officer Pervez Rathore said Dr Sarfraz had supported military action against Taliban militants and also issued a decree calling suicide attacks ‘Haram’ in Islam.
He told Dawn that Mr Naeemi had also arranged an Anti-Taliban seminar in his madrassa two weeks ago.
Senior Superintendent of Police (operations) Chaudhry Shafeeq believed Mr Naeemi was targeted by a suicide bomber, saying Mr Naeemi, however, did not inform the police about any immediate life threat to him.
‘We had asked him many times for the security but he did not accept it,’ he said. The blast, which was carried out by a suicide bomber with approximately 12 kg explosives, shook students and staff present in the madrassa and residents of adjacent localities.
All adjacent markets and shops were closed following the incident and the police barricaded all roads leading to the Jamia Naeemia.Some rangers also patrolled the spot.The angry mob smashed in the windowpanes of the Alahsaan Welfare Trust ambulance.Ambulances of Rescue 1122 and Edhi rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to Mayo, Sir Ganga Ram Services and Jinnah Hospital.
Mr Naeemi, after Friday prayer, was sitting in his room to see visitors when a young man, thought to be in his 20s, entered from the main gate, turned left and detonated an explosive device after entering Mr Naeemi’s office, witnesses said.
Most of the people had left the madrassa cum mosque after Friday prayers, and only students were present in their rooms and in other premises when the blast took place.‘I had just started lunch after Friday prayer when an explosion took place and I initially thought that some structure had collapsed. I along other fellows came downstairs and saw smoke arising from the office of Mr Naeemi and screams,’ a student, who was in his room situated on the first floor, told Dawn.
He said he, along with others found Mr Naeemi with multiple injuries and shifted him to the nearby Railway Cairen Hospital.Police rounded up a few students and took them to an unidentified location for interrogation.Muhammad Ali Naqashbandi of Jamia Naeemia complained to the police took three students including Wajahat, son of Samiullah.
He said it had become police practice to pick up innocent people soon after any terrorist act in the name of security but not to act on intelligence in a timely manner.
A police official, however, said some people were detained who were found making videos of the spot.Meanwhile, the police seized the complete face and legs of the alleged suicide bomber, and shifted the remains to an undisclosed location for identification process.
A suspect identified as Shahbaz was also taken from the spot and was shifted to an unidentified location for interrogation.Civil Lines division SP Investigation Dr Hyder Ashraf told Dawn the bomber used a suicide belt which contained pellets, but that he was yet to be identified.The SP said the bomber could not enter into the madrassa during prayer timings because of security checking by four policemen and madrassa volunteers.
However, he said that as the police left the venue after the departure of people, the bomber made his entry and blew himself up.He said Mr Naeemi had recently refused to receive police guards when he was contacted for the purpose. DAWN: Friday, 12 Jun, 2009
============================== The Lahore blast and Taliban ideologyThe fight against the Taliban on ideological battlegrounds poses a grave challenge, Huma Yusuf.
Scan newspapers and blogs in recent months and you’ll see that the fight against the Taliban in north-west Pakistan has been framed as a ‘war against terror’ or an ‘information war’ over the ‘hearts and minds’ of residents of the Frontier province. Op-eds have argued that the Pakistan Army is fighting the Taliban to restore territorial integrity, safeguard human rights, ensure good governance and establish the writ of the Pakistani state. Books and articles point out that Taliban foot soldiers are young men, lured to militancy by hefty cash dole-outs in the absence of other job opportunities. Indeed, one aspect of the fight against the Taliban has almost been forgotten in recent months – its ideological underpinnings. The suicide bombing at the Jamia Naeemia mosque in Lahore on Friday, in which the head cleric Dr Sarfraz Naeemi lost his life, is an urgent reminder that the fight against the Taliban is nothing less than a battle for the future of Islam and how the religion is to be practiced and interpreted in Pakistan. Events in recent months – such as the fiasco of the passage of the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation and increased focus on the Taliban’s funding sources – have made many Pakistanis cynical about their motives. In some quarters, the militants are viewed as money- and power-hungry warlords, hell-bent on claiming territory and control (and revelling in the wealth that Swat’s emerald mines have to offer). But Friday’s blast confirms that Pakistan’s militants are primarily on a broad ideological mission to impose, consolidate and spread their preferred interpretation of Islam. Dr. Naeemi was not targeted by suicide bombers because he could offer them cash, territory, new recruits, communications technology or weapons. He was targeted because he opposed the Taliban ideology, consistently and brazenly. Earlier this month, he led a rally in Lahore condemning the Taliban. Members of two dozen parties comprising a Sunni alliance known as Tahaffuz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat Mahaz gathered behind Dr. Naeemi as he criticised the Taliban, demanded the eradication of militancy and expressed vociferous support for the military operation in Swat. For opposing the Taliban ideology – and having the clerical clout that makes his opposition significant – Dr. Naeemi was killed by a suicide bomber in his own office on the premises of the Jamia Naeemi mosque. He isn’t the first cleric who shuns extremist Islamic views to be assassinated, and he won’t be the last. In fact, the practice of targeting influential clerics with contradicting ideas has been flourishing among Afghan Taliban for several years now. Clerics of the Ulema Shura, a body comprising two thousand religious leaders that opposed the Taliban ‘jihad’, were regularly killed by militants in Afghanistan. Their support for Hamid Karzai’s government and a softer interpretation of Islam ‘displeased’ Taliban commanders who would ‘kill them’ to ‘obtain silence’. For good or for bad, it’s time Pakistanis realised that once the dust settles in the wake of the Rah-e-Rast operation, the war against the Taliban will continue on ideological battlegrounds. And Friday’s blast reaffirms that these are not metaphorical battlegrounds, confined to the column inches of scholarly journals or the lecture halls of universities. These battlegrounds will take the form of mosques and madrassahs. They have already taken the form of Sufi shrines. Recently, analysts have criticised the fact that politicians and political parties defer to religious councils to support their secular stance against the Taliban. For example, the MQM, despite its secular credentials, convened an ulema convention to speak out against Taliban infiltration. Similarly, the Pakistan government recently created a seven-member Sufi Advisory Council aimed at combating Talibanisation by spreading Sufi teachings instead. These efforts have been maligned because they “add yet another layer of religious governance to a country wracked by religious conflict” and further entangle religion and the state. No doubt, having the Pakistan government champion and concretise one interpretation of Islam as the ‘correct’ one in an effort to stamp out extremist interpretations is a dangerous idea. But those who genuinely want to see the eradication of the Pakistani Taliban – liberals, moderates, and those who advocate for the separation of the church and state included – cannot now shy away from an ideological battle. It is increasingly apparent that the struggle for a Pakistan free of militancy is conflated with a struggle over the soul of Islam. For that reason, in addition to military operations that target Taliban methodology (bombings, attacks, killings), the government – and the people of Pakistan – will have to jointly engage in ijtehad to devise a way to quash Taliban ideology. Dawn:12-06-2009 ======================
Security officials and rescuers gather at the Jamia Naeemia madrassa, an Islamic seminary and mosque, after a suicide bomb attack in Lahore. — AFP A humble and moderate scholarBy: Iqtidar Gilani
LAHORE
- Allama Dr Sarfraz Ahmad Naeemi Al-Azhari was a humble, moderate
and widely respected religious scholar. He has left behind one son
and five daughters. The Nation:June 13, 2009 ======================= Naeemi worked for ‘alliance against Taliban’
Men protest the death of ceric Sarfraz Naeemi through the streets of Lahore.—Reuters LAHORE: The death of Jamia Naeemia administrator Dr Sarfaraz Naeemi has deprived the Brelvi school of thought of a sincere leader who always worked for uniting Sunni parties and groups on a single platform. The son of Mufti Muhammad Husain Naeemi, the founder of Jamia Naeemia, Dr Naeemi never showed any ambitions to secure benefits for himself and was often seen riding his old motorbike. A humble, moderate and widely respected scholar, Dr Naeemi never cared about protocol or security. He got his early education from Jamia Naeemi and then did PhD from the Punjab University besides a short course from Al-Azhar, Egypt.A former khateeb of Chowk Dalgaran mosque, he was now running Jamia Naeemia besides an organisation looking after the affairs of Sunni sect seminaries. Dr Naeemi never directly joined politics. However, like his father he had strong leanings towards Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif and for this reason he had been opposed to former army chief Pervez Musharraf. Since his return from exile in November 2007, Nawaz had twice visited Jamia Naeemia, the first seminary to introduce information technology for religious students. PML-N officials say Dr Naeemi along with MNA Haji Fazl Karim and Ittefaq Mosque khateeb Syed Riaz Shah was working to build an alliance of religious scholars against the Taliban to cut their support from amongst the masses. He left behind a son and five daughters. DAWN: Saturday, 13 Jun, 2009
===================== Jamia Naeemia, Nowshera attacks widely condemned
A policeman stands in the offices of moderate cleric Sarfraz Naeemi after an attack by a suicide bomber inside a mosque compound in Lahore.—Reuters LAHORE: The killing of Jamia Naeemia chief Dr Sarfraz Naeemi and others in Lahore and injuring of several others in suicide bombings in Lahore and Nowshera was condemned by Governor Salmaan Taseer, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, the PML-Q and several other organisations here on Friday. Condemning the incident, Taseer said a new mode of attacking mosques by terrorists had emerged, especially targeting religious leaders. This shameful policy of terrorists had left no doubt in establishing the fact that they had nothing to do with Islam and Shariah. He paid rich tributes to the late Sarfraz Naeemi and said he was humane and known as a proponent of peace. He was respected by followers of all schools of thought and continued to stick to his stance till his death that suicide attacks are not allowed in Islam. He said the real faces of terrorists had been exposed to people, and they would not be able to seek refuge anywhere. PML-Q President Shujaat Husain and former chief minister Pervaiz Elahi expressed their concern over the killing of Dr Naeemi, stressing the need for providing foolproof security to the leaders on hit list of terrorists. They termed the killing of Dr Naeemi a national loss. Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan and others expressed their grief and sorrow over the killing of Dr Naeemi and others in Lahore and Nowshera. Imran Khan urged the government to review its pro-American policies, and protect the lives and property of people. Jamaatud Dawa Amir Hafiz Saeed, expressing his grief over the killing of Dr Naeemi and others, said Indian agency RAW and other foreign agencies were trying to fan sectarianism in the country. In a statement, he said after the NWFP, Punjab too had been targeted. The government must not show any weakness over the suicide bombing and other acts of terrorism. There was a need to expose Indian terrorism to the world, he said. Opposition in the Punjab Assembly held a meeting with its leader, PML-Q’s Chaudhry Zaheeruddin, to condemn the killing. It expressed concern over what it maintained deteriorating law and order, reduced trade activity and violation of human rights in Punjab. The meeting alleged that despite prior warnings, the provincial government did not take measures to avert terrorist activities. It expressed grief over the killing of Dr Naeemi and others. JUP leaders Dr Muhammad Zubair and Qari Zawar Bahadur also condemned the killing of Dr Naeemi and others. They said their killing was a conspiracy to engage peaceful Ahle Sunnat people in the spate of terrorism, turning the country into a ball of fire and endangering its security. They alleged that America, India and Israel were conspiring to break the country. The war against terrorism related to America and not Pakistan. Therefore, the rulers should disengage the country from it. They appealed to Ahle Sunnat people to remain peaceful, and stressed the need for jointly fighting against those conspiring against Islam and Pakistan. PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif visited the mortuary where the body of Dr Naeemi had been placed and said he had been deprived of a loving brother. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said Maulana Naeemi was a leading religious scholar who played an important role for the promotion of religious brotherhood and harmony between the followers of different schools of thought. He said his services for the promotion of religious teachings would long be remembered. Jamaat-i-Islami amir Munawar Hasan, secretary-general Liaquat Baloch and former amir Qazi Husain Ahmad said Dr Naeemi was an eminent scholar who had dedicated his life for the propagation of Islam. DAwn Report :Saturday, 13 Jun, 2009
==================== French FM pays tribute to Naeemi PARIS: French Foreign Minister (FM) Bernard Kouchner on Friday condemned the twin suicide bombings at Pakistani mosques that claimed the life of a prominent anti-Taliban cleric and five other people. Kouchner paid tribute to Sarfraz Naeemi, describing him as "a well-known Sunni cleric who was respected for his moderate views on Islam." "At great risk to his own life, he had repeatedly denounced the Taliban as 'traitors and enemies of Islam'," he said. "His courageous opposition to the Taliban's abject methods, in particular suicide attacks, made him a priority target" for the Taliban, he added. France supports Pakistani authorities in their fight against "Taliban fanaticism and the danger that it represents," said Kouchner. Naeemi and another person were killed in one of the attacks at a mosque in Lahore. Afp Daily Times: Saturday, June 13, 2009
====================== Nation mourns Dr Naeemi, protests, sit-ins held
·
Protesters in Lahore,
Hyderabad burn tyres, Jamia Naeemia students force police out of
madrassa Life of Naeemi
Anti-Taliban views cost Mufti Naeemi his life LAHORE: The military must eliminate Taliban once and for all and Sufi Muhammad should wear bangles if he is hiding like a woman, Mufti Sarfraz Naeemi had expressed these views in a convention a couple of days ago. Mufti Naeemi was strictly against the Taliban and their self-imposed sharia. He had time and again condemned the US but was clearly against suicide attacks. He also gave a fatwa (edict) against suicide bombings. “Those who commit suicide attacks for attaining paradise will go to hell, as they kill many innocent people,” Naeemi had said. Unfortunately, Naeemi also fell victim to one such suicide attack. Naeemi had several rallies to condemn the Taliban-style sharia. He favoured the military action in Swat. In a rally taken out by Tahafuz Namus-e-Risalat Mahaz (TNRM) on June 2, Naeemi had said, “Taliban have caused an irreparable loss to Islam and those who speak about stopping the operation in Swat are not true patriots.” He had also said Sufi Muhammad, Fazlullah and Baitullah Mehsud were traitors and enemies of Pakistan and the army operation was the only option to save the country from them. Naeemi had said if Taliban were not eradicated they would capture the entire country. He had vowed to protect the country if the army failed. “The Ahle Sunnat clerics should come forward and protect Islam and Pakistan,” he had said. He also criticised those religious leaders who opposed the military action and said they were siding with Taliban. “They (religious leaders defending Taliban) deliberately remained silent when the schools were closed, property was destroyed, the bodies were hanged, the shrines were bombed, women were raped and the allies of Pir Saifur Rehman were killed,” he had said. nauman tasleem. Daily Times: Saturday, June 13, 2009 |
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