The following is research published today from MEMRI’s Special Dispatch Series and the MEMRI TV Project.
Special Dispatch No. 3727—Pakistan
Ex-Pakistani General: U.S. Exit from Afghanistan will be a 'Defeat of America at the Hands of Muslims; As a Result, Muslims Across the World will Rise against the U.S.'
In a recent interview, Lt.-Gen. (retired) Shahid Aziz, a former Pakistani military general, answered a range of questions on the U.S. role in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, especially in the wake of the Raymond Davis issue. Lt.-Gen. Aziz has held key positions in the Pakistani military establishment, including as Director of Military Operations, Director General of the Analysis Wing of the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and Commander of the Lahore Corps. He served as Chief of General Staff at the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Pakistan Army after the 9/11 attacks, and is known for his first-hand knowledge of Pakistan's role in the U.S.-led war on terror. It should be noted here that soon after 9/11, Pakistan's military ruler General Pervez Musharraf agreed to support the U.S.-led war on terror against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.
In the interview with the Urdu-language daily Roznama Ummat, Lt.-Gen. Aziz accused the CIA of creating spy networks across Pakistan and masterminding bomb blasts and suicide attacks in the name of the mujahideen, i.e. the Taliban. Opposing the U.S. drone attacks in Pakistan, he also accused the Pakistani leadership of creating national a furor over the Raymond Davis issue while ignoring the killing of hundreds of other Pakistanis in U.S. attacks in the tribal region.
To read the full report, visit http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/5161.htm.
Special Dispatch No. 3726—India/Islamic Reform
Indian Islamic Scholar Examines the Islamic Clergy's Grip on Indian Muslims
A view of Jama Masjid, a 17th-century mosque in Delhi
In a recent interview, leading Indian Islamic reformer and author Asghar Ali Engineer answered a range of questions about Islamic clerics' hold on the mindset of Indian Muslims and the reasons behind the community's continuing economic and educational backwardness.
Engineer, author of dozens of books on Islamic reform and head of the Mumbai-based Centre for the Study of Secularism and Society, argued that Islamic organizations and clerics in India continue to pose a major hurdle to the progressive development of the community. He also noted that a large number of Indian Muslims are earning good money in Gulf countries but along with it they also bring back an orthodox version of Islam from that region.
The leading reformist scholar argued that even leading centers of modern education among Indian Muslims, such as the Aligarh Muslim University, situated near Delhi, are in the grip of orthodox Islamic forces like the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and the Tablighi Jamaat, a revivalist Islamic movement. He also noted that with regard to the status of women, Muslim organizations in India are articulating retrogressive viewpoints.
To read the full report, visit http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/5160.htm.
Special Dispatch No. 3725—Pakistan
Pakistani Actress Veena Malik (Short Version): Malik Defies Mullah Accusing Her of Immoral Behavior on an Indian Reality TV Show, and States: Mullahs Are Raping Children in Mosques
Following are excerpts from an interview with Pakistani actress Veena Malik, who participated on the "Big Boss" show – the Indian version of the "Big Brother" show. The interview aired on Express News TV on January 21, 2011.
To view the clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/2878.htm.
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Interviewer: "There is an allegation against you, made by a segment of Pakistani society, that you brought dishonor upon Pakistani culture by going to India. Your dresses and your actions, as well as your interactions with people there, did not represent the ideological foundations of Pakistan, its culture, or its people." [...]
To read the full report, visit http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/5159.htm.
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