Lal Masjid breakdown
Thanks to powerful supporters in the federal government Maulvi Abdul Aziz has enjoyed indemnity for a long time despite flouting several laws of the land. Under pressure from public opinion the Aabpara police finally booked Aziz in two cases, one under the blasphemy sections of the PPC and the other related to criminal intimidation. The cleric who has a tendency to chicken out when under pressure, the escape in a Burqa during the siege of Lal Masjid being an example, told the media after getting bail that he was ready to forgive Pervez Musharraf and others in the Lal Masjid case. The statement caused furore in his camp.
The emerging split within the Lal Masjid clergy is the outcome of the fissiparous tendency rooted deeply in the genome of the extremist outfits. Clothed in ideological differences the splits are frequently caused by worldly motives, the desire to occupy the turf being one. The latest example is al Qaeda giving birth to IS which has turned into the mother organisation’s nemesis, occupying its space in Syria and Iraq. In Syria al-Nusra and Ahrar ash-Sham are cutting each other’s throats for control over lucrative areas in the war-torn country. The Afghan Talban split into two hostile camps after the news of Mullah Omar’s death became public. The TTP broke into a number of factions like Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and the Sajna group. The Sipah-e-Sahaba met the same fate. A similar race is likely to start among the Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa clergy for the control of funds and properties under the use of the mosque and the seminary.
Abdul Aziz is under strong internal pressure. In days to come there would be arm twisting from local and foreign donors. In case he recants his forgiveness for Musharraf, the Lal Masjid and Shuhada Foundation might remain united. In case he does not, the rift will lead to further infighting which could assume ugly proportions.
