Link: Munaeem's News & Reviews Blog:
Extremism has taken a dangerous trend. They have now started taking mosques as their sanctuaries and launching pads for extremist activities. The die-hards claim to be better Muslims. They must know the sanctity of a mosque better than what they call rest of the people as ‘lesser Muslims’.
The Lal Masjid tragedy was twofold: one, its sanctity was damaged by using it as terrorists’ hideout, two, the security forces had to act against it, and extra care to uphold the sanctity of mosque took a number of lives of our soldiers.
Secondly, it gave an idea of using other mosques as bunker-hideouts to exploit the religious sentiments. Such a situation can lead to highly sensitive ends with greatly damaging repercussions. Under this backdrop the extremists have once again occupied yet another mosque in Mir Ali, giving it a name of another Lal Masjid, and announced to continue mission of Ghazi Abdur Rashid.
It means the extremists are neither true Muslims, nor do they want sanctity of mosques upheld. Our media has to draw line between extremism and heroism. Can those who hole themselves up in the mosques be in any way called heroes? Or are they the ones who can even resort to take our religion and sacred places as their hostage for achieving their nefarious ends?
Publishing their photographs on front pages and even calling them Ghazis or Shaheeds or Hussaini lashkars or what not, tantamount to lack of knowledge, psychological outcomes and ignorance of religious sensitivities.
Media will have to discourage use of mosque in such a desecrated way. Together with the help of media and the people, we will have to reject the exploitative forces and block their moves to play with our religious sentiments.
