FTN: Mullahs vs Musharraf in Pak

Islamic clerics issued a fatwa against Pakistan Tourism Minister Nilofar Bakhtiar after she was photographed hugging a French paragliding instructor. Clerics of Islamabad's Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, said Bakhtiar had acted in an "obscene manner" and brought "disgrace" to Pakistan and all Muslims.

Though the Pakistani officials dismissed the fatwa, saying it had no legal, religious or moral authority, the question that arises is are Muslim clerics using religion to achieve political ends?

On Face the Nation this issue was discussed threadbare by CNN-IBN’s chief political correspondent Bhupendra Chaubey with Islamabad-based political and defense analyst Ayesha Siddiqa.

Are fatwas taken seriously?

Political and defense analyst Ayesha Siddiqa said religious fanaticism rules highest among the lowest strata of the society in Pakistan. "I think people do take fatwas seriously but that depends on where you stand in the society," she said.

She asserted that people from the upper middle class or the elite society seem to be lesser affected by religious fanaticism in Pakistan. It is the lowest strata of the society and those who are economically backward that remain dominated by the fatwa-preaching clerics, said Siddiqa.

So, even in the acceptance and non-acceptance of these fatwas, there is a class bias.

"The clerics try to reach the unreachable. They want their presence felt in those parts of the society, which are not catered to by the elite or the state policies," Siddiqa said.

Fatwas for political ends

The decree from the Red Mosque is the latest chapter in a Taliban-style anti-vice campaign launched by hardline clerics in defiance of state authority in the relatively liberal Pakistani capital, despite President Pervez Musharraf's promotion of moderate Islam.

There is an entire section in Pakistan's polity that stands to gain if these fatwas are issued and if they are obeyed, views Siddiqa. "There is a definite political mileage that the clerics get by issuing fatwas," she said.

The same group of clerics at Lal Masjid who issued the fatwa against Bakhtiar had also issued similar warnings to the video parlour owners in Pakistan. The clerics issued fatwas attacking video CD shops and burnt piles of CDs and DVDs in order to stop the viewing of films.

"None of these people was ever stopped by the Pakistani authorities. It shows that they enjoy fair degree of political backing in Pakistan," said Siddiqa.

Siddiqa added, “Right now it is the best time for the clerics to do some thing controversial,” since it will help the Musharraf regime draw the attention away from the on-going row over former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry in Pakistan.

BHUTTO SPEAKS OUT
	Former Pakistan president Benazir Bhutto slammed the issue saying that there is a whole campaign going on against female political leaders in Pakistan.
	According to Bhutto such "disgraceful onslaught" on women by Islamic clerics is not a new thing. She added that the incident could be an indirect warning for her as well.
	"Even before this fatwa was issued against Bakhtiar, we saw a woman provincial minister gunned down in Pakistan last month. My sister-in-law survived a murder attempt. The information secretary of Pakistan who was again a woman was also hit and physically assaulted recently. So, these things are not new in this country," Bhutto said.
	Over the last two-three months, crimes against women have been on a sharp rise in Pakistan.

Islamic fanaticism in India

There is a difference in terms of religious fanaticism in India and Pakistan especially in matters like fatwas.

A fatwa was issued by a maulvi against Indian tennis player Sania Mirza. According to the clerics, Sania's tennis costumes were offending to the Muslim culture but not many paid heed to the issue in India.

However, in Pakistan such issues are viewed seriously. "Though people do give in to religious fanaticism in Pakistan, there is a silent majority that doesn't subscribe to these ideas. The educated forward thinking class does not want to follow such rules and bindings. But the problem is that there is no leadership to oppose such views. There is a certain vacuum that the mullahs and maulvis are filling in," said Siddiqa.

Siddiqa indicates that in Pakistan, fatwas can be issued against those who want to project themselves as independent or liberal.

“Fanaticism exists in certain sections but it may not be true for the whole of Pakistan. What is unfortunate is that the government seems to refuse any action against fanatic leaders which encourages them further," she said.

Status of women in India and Pakistan

According to Siddiqa, there should not be a comparison between women in the two countries because social development in India and Pakistan is very different.

“Pakistan is a Muslim state battling with issues such as whether at 18 a woman can take the decision to get married or not. India's social development has been different," said Siddiqa.

She explained that the problems plaguing the two countries are also different. "I think ours has been a very imbalanced development. On one hand we have atrocities against women in the name of religion. While on the other hand there exist a section of educated workingwomen in Pakistan. We have had female Prime Ministers twice in our country," said Siddiqa.

So, is it really possible for the Pakistani society to move over Islamic clerics and fatwas?

"Unfortunately these things are going to remain. Religion is used tactfully by politicians to subvert attention from key issues in Pakistan," she said.

Many Pakistanis have expressed fears that such religious decrees mark the beginning of a dangerous precedent. Some even say that the entire controversy may have been triggered off to douse an earlier controversy – suspension of former Pakistan chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhary.

Pak tries to kiss and make up for hug controversy

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