Breaking News: Srilankan Security /Players Shot In Lahore

[cochise]

Lashkar-e-Toiba must also be working for RAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWW: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25144579-25837,00.html

Islamists wage war against cricket, 'the other religion' Amanda Hodge, South Asia correspondent | March 06, 2009 Article from: The Australian CRICKET is akin to a religion in Pakistan, which might explain why it is so loathed by Islamic extremists there. While few believe Tuesday's terror strike on the Sri Lankan team was designed as a specific attack on the sport of cricket, the ambush has highlighted one of the more peculiar preoccupations of Islamic extremists. Following the Indian cricket tour of Pakistan in 2004 -- the first in a decade -- the Lashkar-e-Toiba terror group in Pakistan issued what amounted to a fatwa against the sport. "The British gave Muslims the bat, snatched the sword and said to them: 'You take this bat and play cricket. Give us your sword. With its help we will kill you and rape your women'," the LET magazine Zarb-e-Toiba said in its April 2004 edition. The magazine article commented: "It is sad that Pakistanis are committing suicide after losing cricket matches to India. But they are not sacrificing their lives to protect the honour of the raped Kashmiri women. To watch a cricket match we would take a day off work. But for jihad, we have not time!" More fitting for a mujahid (or holy fighter), the magazine said, were the sports of archery, horseriding and swimming. "The above are not just sports but exercises for jihad," Zarb-e-Toiba told its readers. "Cricket is an evil and sinful sport. Under the intoxication of cricket, Pakistanis have forgotten that these Hindu players come from the same nation that raped our mothers, sisters, daughters, wives and daughters-in-law." The Punjab-based LET is a prime suspect for the Lahore attack, with analysts suggesting it could be motivated by a desire to retaliate for the recent arrests of six top operatives linked to November's Mumbai terror strike. The other major suspect for the ambush, the Tehrik-e-Taliban -- which has waged a bloody campaign for control of the northwestern tribal areas and Swat Valley -- has also made clear its distaste for flannelled fools. Just days before Tuesday's attack, Sufi Mohammad, the Taliban-linked cleric who brokered the dubious peace deal between militants in the Swat Valley and the Islamabad Government in return for the imposition of sharia law, condemned cricket as a distraction that needed to be curbed. But cricket is not universally condemned among Islamists. During its years in power, the Taliban regime in Afghanistan applied -- unsuccessfully -- for membership of the International Cricket Council. The sport was played in Afghanistan during that time, although with a distinct Talibani flavour. Players were forbidden from wearing short-sleeved shirts, and crowd participation of any sort was banned, as were women spectators. Several of Pakistan's national cricket team are devout Muslims. But there is a growing movement against the sport among Pakistan's increasingly powerful Islamist militants now waging war within Pakistan for the overthrow of the civilian Government. The Hindu newspaper noted yesterday that the weekly radical Islamist magazine al-Qalam last year attacked Pakistan's plans to reform its religious schools, or madrassas, which included plans for an inter-schools cricket tournament it branded as "evil". "We, the ulema (arbiters of sharia law) of the Deoband school, will have nothing to do with this tournament," al-Qalam's editors wrote in April last year, saying the West was "promoting obscenity" in Pakistan's schools.

The rapist accuses others...how very RAAAAAAAAAAWWW....

[punjabi_khota]

This Alam Dar speaks a lot of sense and some crap.

[Kohum]

25 armed commandos were there? and yet not a single 'terrorist' was shot or caught BS

May be they changed the party once their Jihadi friends arrived.

[King Tendulkar]

This Alam Dar speaks a lot of sense and some crap.

Exactly he does talk sense at times. At time he acknowledges the problems pakisatn has etc but still falls in to age old trap of blaming others for ills of pak.

[CricketSchool]

not good when innocent international sports men are pulled into things like this... Imran Khan's comments where interesting where he stated that Pakistan where involved in a war on terror that was and had be brought round by the American's. Is the feel around the forum the same.."that Pakistan's involvement with America has brought this on" ? Pleasenote i am not sanctioning or condoning those comments...just looking for opinions..J

[cochise]

Can you state your argument a little more cogently? Sorry, I didn't get you. Take your time.

[Anakin]

not good when innocent international sports men are pulled into things like this... Imran Khan's comments where interesting where he stated that Pakistan where involved in a war on terror that was and had be brought round by the American's. Is the feel around the forum the same.."that Pakistan's involvement with America has brought this on" ? Pleasenote i am not sanctioning or condoning those comments...just looking for opinions..J

Wake up son

[Rajiv]

This Alam Dar speaks a lot of sense and some crap.

..that makes it crapsense

[cochise]

Right on!!! http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/We-dont-need-your-advice-Muslim-leader-to-Musharraf/articleshow/4241534.cms

NEW DELHI: "Indian Muslims are capable of solving their problems... We don't need your advice.. Don't try to alienate Indian Muslims by your remarks, here or in Pakistan." This blunt message was conveyed to former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf by a prominent Muslim leader Mehmood Madani at a function in India. Madani, member of Rajya Sabha and leader of Jamat-e-Ulema-i-Hind, made it clear to the Pakistani leader that he or his country need not bother about the condition of Muslims in India. "Don't start your politics of Pakistan from here," Madani told Musharraf after the latter claimed that Muslims in India were alienated and suggested that this was one of the reasons for terrorism here. Virtually retorting the former Pakistani military ruler, Madani said, "Pakistan ki jitni total population hai , us se zyada population hai Indian Muslims ki . (Population of Muslims in India is more than that total population of Pakistan). You should be knowing this." When Musharraf said he was aware of it, Madani said "If you know this, then you should also know that Indian Muslims have the capability to solve their problems. We don't need your advise. Don't try to alienate Indian Muslims by your remarks, here or in Pakistan."