Syed Saleem Shahzad: ON THE MILITANT TRAIL, Part 4 Taliban ideology echoes in the valley
Asia Times Online: You are the official chief spokesman of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Swat. Could you tell us about yourself, your childhood, education, and your intellectual journey through various political and religious movements. And what inspired you to align with Mullah Fazlullah and his movement? [Mullah Fazlullah, nicknamed "Radio Mullah", is the leader of the Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi - Movement for the Enforcement of Islamic Law, TNSM - and controls the insurgency in the Swat area.]
Muslim Khan: First, I thank you for coming here and meeting with us, without any fear and greed. I thank you for you and your organization allowing us the opportunity to air our view. Regarding your question about my childhood, I belong to a poor family of Swat. My father was a tehsildar [revenue administrative officer] during the time of the Swat [princely] state. I matriculated from Dahrai High School [Swat]. For intermediate [arts], I went to Jahanzeb College, Swat. I could not pass my intermediate from college as I joined the Pakistan People's Party [PPP] and I was sent to jail, where I spent 25 days, and I was expelled from the college.
My father was annoyed at the discontinuation of my education, so later on I passed my intermediate as an external student. By that time, I felt my responsibilities towards my home and family and to acquire further studies I went to Karachi [Pakistani southern port city]. However, God had something else planned for me over there. [Instead of work and studies in Karachi] I went into the sea service...Then, to earn my bread, I joined the sea service for three or four years. Then I went to Kuwait, where I spent 14 years. In this period, I continued my association with various religious parties, including the Jamaat-i-Islami and Dr Israr Ahmed [Tanzeem-e-Islami]. At last, while in Kuwait, I was connected with Maulana Sufi Mohammad [the founder of the Tehrik-e-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi and the father-in-law of Mullah Fazlullah].
This was not for his personality but for a cause, that we are Muslims but live under a heretic system ... no Islamic jurists or Islamic scholar can dish out an argument that while living in this system. God would forgive us. This is the sole mission. On this land, that belongs to God, only his laws should be implemented.
ATol: How can two different systems coexist at the same time? Islamic laws could be enforced in the whole country, and then they would be applied in Malakand. But how can these laws be applied in a particular region when the whole of the country is governed by separate laws?
MK: If the system of panchait [a system of arbitration] can coexist with civil laws in Punjab, if the jirga system [tribal councils]) can coexist in the provincially administered tribal areas [like Malakand] with the civil laws, why can't Islamic laws coexist with civil laws? However, we say that we should not run two system. Being Muslims, we should implement only Islamic laws.
Muslim Khan: First, I thank you for coming here and meeting with us, without any fear and greed. I thank you for you and your organization allowing us the opportunity to air our view. Regarding your question about my childhood, I belong to a poor family of Swat. My father was a tehsildar [revenue administrative officer] during the time of the Swat [princely] state. I matriculated from Dahrai High School [Swat]. For intermediate [arts], I went to Jahanzeb College, Swat. I could not pass my intermediate from college as I joined the Pakistan People's Party [PPP] and I was sent to jail, where I spent 25 days, and I was expelled from the college. My father was annoyed at the discontinuation of my education, so later on I passed my intermediate as an external student. By that time, I felt my responsibilities towards my home and family and to acquire further studies I went to Karachi [Pakistani southern port city]. However, God had something else planned for me over there. [Instead of work and studies in Karachi] I went into the sea service...Then, to earn my bread, I joined the sea service for three or four years. Then I went to Kuwait, where I spent 14 years. In this period, I continued my association with various religious parties, including the Jamaat-i-Islami and Dr Israr Ahmed [Tanzeem-e-Islami]. At last, while in Kuwait, I was connected with Maulana Sufi Mohammad [the founder of the Tehrik-e-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi and the father-in-law of Mullah Fazlullah].
This was not for his personality but for a cause, that we are Muslims but live under a heretic system ... no Islamic jurists or Islamic scholar can dish out an argument that while living in this system. God would forgive us. This is the sole mission. On this land, that belongs to God, only his laws should be implemented.
ATol: How can two different systems coexist at the same time? Islamic laws could be enforced in the whole country, and then they would be applied in Malakand. But how can these laws be applied in a particular region when the whole of the country is governed by separate laws?
MK: If the system of panchait [a system of arbitration] can coexist with civil laws in Punjab, if the jirga system [tribal councils]) can coexist in the provincially administered tribal areas [like Malakand] with the civil laws, why can't Islamic laws coexist with civil laws? However, we say that we should not run two system. Being Muslims, we should implement only Islamic laws.
posted by temporal at 2/03/2009
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