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Protest in Islamabad against religious extremism

Nirupama Subramanian

ISLAMABAD: Residents of the Pakistan capital took out a protest on Thursday against the "mullahism" of the Lal Masjid and the associated Jamia Hafsa and Fareedia and urged the Government to take action against the controversial mosque and madrassas that are demanding the implementation of Sharia law.

"Concerned citizens of Islamabad/Rawalpindi have been watching with anger and frustration the terrorism being inflicted on them by the extremist fringe within society. The citizens are also appalled at the state's inability to deal with the violations of law and order by the Jamia Hafsa and the Jamia Fareedia students," the protestors said in a written statement.

The Lal Masjid and its affiliated seminaries have in the last few weeks raided a house on the charge that it was a brothel, threatened video and music shops with closure and given the Government a deadline to implement Islamic law, or else face fidayeen attacks. The Government is negotiating a "peaceful resolution" to the crisis with the clerics who run the mosque.

The protestors marched a short distance to the National Assembly holding placards and shouting slogans against religious extremism. One placard said, "No to Religious Extremism, Yes to Music and Life."

Although their numbers were small, Nageen Hyat, who runs an art gallery in the capital said, "each person here need to be counted and multiplied by 100", because they expressed the views of the "silent majority".

"It is absolutely crucial that the people of Pakistan, the progressive people, come out on the streets and register their protest. What [the Jamia Hafsa-Jamia Fareedia-Lal Masjid] are doing is totally against the spirit of Islam. The Government has to bring law and order in this country," Ms. Hyatt said.

The protestors, who said they were each participating in their "individual capacity" and not as members of any organisation, condemned the "terrorisation of a whole city by extremists."

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