By Tahir Sema

The Pakistani government betrayed the trust of the Ulema, and even tried to play down the numbers of the dead involved in the Lal Masjid standoff.

According to a telephonic interview conducted at Radio Islam with one of the mediators Ml Rafee Uthmani who was involved in the mediation between members of the Lal Masjid, and the Pakistani government, some startling evidence was revealed. The government in the final stages of negotiations betrayed the trust of the Ulema that formed part of the negotiation party, which as a direct result ended up in a bloodshed that left hundreds dead. At the last moment government went back on the promises that were made to the Imam of the Masjid Moulana Abdul Rasheed Gazi (RA) which in turn led to his assassination. As well as the governments effort to play down the numbers of the dead.

Due to the demolishing of many Masaajid in Islamabad because of construction in the area, the two brothers Moulana Abdul Aziz and Moulana Abdul Rasheed Ghazi who were in charge of Jamia Hafsa, the Lal masjid and the boys Darool Uloom objected to the governments demolishing of the Lal Masjid which was in the way of a highway to be constructed. Moulana and the students put forward these conditions to the government: they should rebuild the masjid’s they destroyed, there was a law that came out in pakistan which was totally unislamic they wanted that law to be revoked, they also wanted the government to bring about Islamic law in the country and close down all the brothels operating in the area, after six months of negotiations the situation turned violent when the army decided to storm the Lal masjid

The muslim community in Islamabad Pakistan were outraged at President Pervez Musharaf’s decision to storm the masjid an resort to violence. Some of the conditions Ml Abdul Rasheed Gazi (RA) agreed to: He will hand over the running of two Madaris and the Masjid to Wifaqul Madaris (a central organization involved in the upkeep of Masjid’s in the area), him and his family and all his belongings must be sent to his village, he should not be forced to leave his village by government, what ever weapons he had he will hand it over to the government in the presence of Ulema, the reason for this was so that the government could not accuse him of holding back any arms and ammunition, the negotiators went back to government with these conditions and also a condition from the negotiators side which was: for the government to pardon Moulana Gazi as the government had pardoned other major criminals in the past, initially the government had agreed to all these conditions, when the negotiators went back to Moulana Gazi to relay the message that government excepted these conditions, an order was sent by President Pervez Musharaf to the commander in chief to storm the masjid, with an order to shoot to kill.

According to the chief negotiator Moulana Rafee Uthmani, there were hundreds dead of which were students of the Lal Masjid and not militants in contrast with main stream media reports. Contrary to official reports Moulana Rafee Uthmani informed Radio Islam that “the death toll is enormous, it is in the hundreds”.

The Lal masjid which now stands empty is now riddled with bullets. Reports have suggested that the Masjid is the size of an average mall, or a high school. What used to be a centre of higher Islamic education buzzing with more than a 1000 students is now deserted and reduced to near rubble , all the glass shattered, the entire place swarming with flies, possibly because of all the blood that still remains within the walls of the Lal masjid, indeed a very sad seen. At present government insists that the death toll is only 73 which sparked a huge controversy, over a thousand coffins were ordered from organizations for the bodies of the dead, according to residents of the area 100s of bodies were dumped on the outskirts of the town, a plot by the government to conceal the numbers. The first burial was that of Abdul Rasheed Ghazi (RA), his body was taken to his home town, near Waziristan and Baluthichistan. Attending his Jazanah among others was his brother Abdul Aziz Ghazi who is out on parol.

Ml Rafee Uthmaani asked the ummah to make dua that Allah must protect the muslims of Pakistan ,to keep it safe from the the clutches of the west and those that intend to bring harm to Pakistan Ameen.