| November 2, 2001 | Friday | Shaba’an 15, 1422 |
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Misuse of mosque loudspeakers
A simple bloomer?
WITH the Anglo-American air strikes on Afghanistan having entered the fourth week, there is no evidence yet that the world coalition is anywhere near realizing its war aims. Both militarily and politically, the air strikes have failed to yield results. While it may be argued that three weeks are too short a period in which to expect results in a country of Afghanistan’s territorial and organizational disposition, one would have expected at least some visible progress in that direction. The lethality of American weapons and their firepower cannot be doubted. Still, they have failed to make the Taliban bend. In fact, the Taliban remain as defiant as ever. It is, of course, obvious that the air strikes have “eviscerated” the Taliban’s command and control centres, crippled their communication system, and destroyed or damaged their ammunition depots and fuel dumps. Nevertheless, the Taliban’s ground forces are fully intact and ready to give battle if and when the ground war begins. However, apart from the acknowledged fact of the landing of a certain number of commandos in the northern part of Afghanistan, there is no evidence yet that the Anglo-Americans are anywhere close to beginning a major land operation.
Politically, the US-led allies seem to be groping in the dark. With the Taliban still in control, no alternative government is conceivable at this stage, and the formation of a broad-based government has run into serious trouble. The Peshawar moot, organized by Syed Pir Ahmad Gilani, was boycotted by the Northern Alliance, and King Zahir Shah did not send his representatives to participate. This means the holding of the Loya Jirga is nowhere in sight. The silence with which the summary trial and execution of Commander Abdul Haq has been treated on all sides speaks volumes about the world coalition’s total inability to comprehend, much less influence, the intricacies of Afghanistan’s tribal politics.
In the midst of all this, the humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan is assuming catastrophic proportions. The bombings are interfering with UN relief work, and supplies cannot be taken to the hungry. Their number is in millions. No wonder, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called for a halt to the military operations, especially the air strikes so “that we can begin to move in our supplies.” To the world, including large segments in the West, the air strikes now seem useless. All they are doing at the moment is to increase the civilian death toll, since very few of the Taliban military installations are left to be destroyed. Clearly, the ground operations should have begun long ago. Air strikes alone cannot defeat an enemy; ultimately, it is the infantry that must occupy and hold, making it possible for the real objective of the operation to be pursued, namely the capture of Osama bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda operatives who are supposed to be behind the September 11 carnage in New York and Washington. Action against the Taliban is justifiable only to the extent of their culpability as protectors and harbourers of bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda network. Washington also does not seem to realize that a continuation of air strikes with their concomitant “collateral damage” is making the task of the world coalition’s Muslim members difficult. The more the civilians get killed, the greater becomes the difficulty for Muslim governments to explain their policies to their people. At any rate, with no significant military obstacle to remove and the holy month of fasting only a fortnight away, the aerial strikes must come to an end soon.
THE government has decided to clamp down on the misuse of loudspeakers in mosques, and directed the provincial governments to strictly implement this ban. The use of mosque loudspeakers will now be restricted to calling the faithful to prayer and for the Friday khutba (sermon). The timing of the announcement is clearly related to the turbulent internal situation following the US-led attacks on Afghanistan. Recently, certain prayer leaders have been using strong language against the government for aligning itself with the anti-terrorism coalition, with mosques being used as rallying points for the anti-government campaign. The official announcement has termed these attacks as “malicious and seditious.” While the announcement has been strongly condemned by some religious groups, it will be welcomed by most moderate elements in society. Over the years, certain mosques have been using loudspeakers to openly incite people against various sects. Frequently, two rival sects launch full-blast verbal attacks against one another from neighbouring mosques, much to the alarm of local residents caught in the crossfire as well as normal worshippers who go to mosques to pray and not to get caught up in a blizzard of sectarian vituperation.
Part of the blame for the growing sectarian violence in the country can be attributed to this tendency to make inflammatory pronouncements from the pulpit. Apart from the political and sectarian dimensions of this practice, there is also a social element involved. Many people privately complain about the incessant speeches and devotional songs that blare out from certain mosques at all hours of the day and night. For those who are ailing, or need to study for their examinations, this can be highly distracting. The government decision to curb such practices will be welcomed by many who have suffered in silence in the face of this onslaught. Welcome though it is, the crux of the matter is the enforcement of this restriction. With thousands of mosques spread across the country, how will the authorities manage to implement the plan? And does the government have the will to remain firm even if the action leads to a defiant reaction? Despite these constraints, the government must stick to its decision. Perhaps it could begin its campaign by getting at some of the most blatant offenders. The government must show that it means business and will crack down on anyone who misuses places of worship to incite people to violence and hatred.
STUDENTS who appeared for the IBA-conducted admission test to Sindh’s medical colleges on Tuesday alleged foul play, protesting that the test paper had been leaked to those attending a preparatory tuition centre. Sources at the IBA confirmed that the entrance test given this year was a recycle of the entrance test — except the section pertaining to English proficiency — given to students back in 1999. The tuition centre in question said it was common practice to go through the old tests in its preparatory classes for a forthcoming admission test. Obviously, there is nothing in the rules that forbids the IBA from reproducing questions from an old test paper. However, it certainly gives ground for suspicion when the reproduced test paper contains even the same typographical errors that the one in 1999 also contained.
Here, perhaps, is a valid case of an otherwise highly respected institution showing the kind of complacency that was not expected of it. There is nothing wrong in randomly repeating some questions from old papers but it simply does not make sense when up to 87 per cent of a single old paper is reproduced, complete with printing errors. Taking into account the widespread complaints of foul play by students and many parents, the health department is rightly considering rescheduling the admission test at a later date. This must be done to avoid any misgivings and to keep the admission test process above suspicion. After all, careers of many students depend on such a test, and it should not be allowed to become a scam that defeats the very purpose of the transparent process to enter a professional college.