Pakistan: Violence Against Arts
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Once a booming tourist resort, the “little
London” of Pakistan, has lost all the attraction for local and
foreigner tourists due to growing insecurity.
(Daily Khabrain, February 15, 2007)
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The parents of 24,000 children in
North Pakistan refused to allow health workers to administer polio
vaccinations, mostly due the rumors that the harmless vaccine was an
America plot to sterilize innocent Muslim children. The messages were
issued from the loud speakers of the mosques and illegal radio stations
to warn the local inhabitants about the great conspiracy against them.
(Daily Ausaf, February 16, 2007)
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Terrified by the one-month deadline Jamia
Hafsa students set for them to close their
shops, the owners of the
video shops in Aabpara Market, Islamabad, demanded for the
security. The shop owners said they had stopped placing order of CDs,
DVDs and cassettes due to the threats by the religious extremists.
(Daily Times, April 7, 2007)
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Despite governments’ promises to crack
down, hate filled propaganda is thriving in Pakistan, especially
in print media and on the internet, which is contributing to the Talibanization of the Pakistani society.
(Daily Times, April 26, 2007).
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A Television Cable Operators’ office, in
Kohat, NWFP, was attacked by unknown men with petrol bomb. The same
office had also been attacked on March 30 after it did not pay heed to
the threats by the extremists demanding its closure.
(The Express, April 1, 2007)
(Daily Express, April 3, 2007)
(Daily Nation, April 5, 2007)
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The Vice Chancellor of Punjab University,
Lahore expelled 23 students that belonged to Islami Jamiat Talba.
The action was taken after the serious of the events of violent
suppression of arts related activities. The recent deadlock between
management of the university and the Islami Jamiat Taliba is on the
question of opening of the Department of Musicology. The decision of
expulsion of 23 students was taken after they ransacked the varsity’s
pharmacy festival on the pretext that “music concert was being organized
at the festival.” The attackers had destroyed all the music instruments,
beaten the festival participants.
(Daily Times, April 16, 2007)
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IJT workers of Punjab University
banned the sale of the products of some MNCs, on the shops of the
varsity. Few days back, they had beaten up two students of the English
department alleging them to be involved in the “immoral activities.”
According to one speaker of the recent conference organized by the IJT,
“the Punjab University was the fort of Islam and nobody would be allowed
to indulge in the activities like musical concerts.”
(The Daily Times, April 20, 2007)
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A fresh threatening pamphlet to the
barbers of Dir, NWFP, reveals that the 21 suicide bombers were waiting
for the order of their amir in Dir to strike at the business of the
barbers that had not implemented the order that banned shaving the men.
The Barbers’ Association, in a meeting, decided to comply with the
threats since they did not expect security from the government.
(The News, April 29, 2007).
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Girl students of IJT, in a press
conference, criticized the administration of the university for
promoting immoral activities such as Musicology Department, music
concerts etc”
(Daily Nation, April 18, 2007)
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The female students of IJT in
Punjab University destroyed the birthday party of a fellow student
saying that celebrating birthday was immoral and foreign to the real
culture of Pakistan.
(Daily Times, April 18, 2007)
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Dozens of Islami Jamiat Talaba activists
hijacked three buses packed with the students who were going there to
attend a musical show.
(The News, April 14, 2007).
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Nowshera district government of
North West Frontier Province gave 48 hours to the owners of music shops
to wind up their business or face the consequences. The ultimatum was
served on the basis of a notification issued earlier by the provincial
government. In the case of non-compliance, the shops would be raided and
their goods confiscated.
(The News, May 20, 2007)
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The government immediately banned the
theatre performance, Burqa Vaganza” by the most famous theatre group of
Pakistan, Ajoka. The play, performed in a Lahore festival, was a
satire on the growing religious orthodoxy and hypocrisy in the society.
(The Dawn, May 2, 2007)
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20 music shops of Charsadda, NWFP, were
blown up by the explosions. The shops had been warned earlier.
(Daily Times, May 6, 2007)
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A blast damaged a hairdressers’ shop in
Derra Adamkhel, NWFP. The unknown men had warned the barbers of the area
not to shave the beards of the men.
(The News, May 3, 2007)
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A girl school in Mardan was bombed. The
two bombs caused damaged to the building and harassment to the entire
community. The school administration was receiving threatening letters
from unknown persons pronouncing dire consequences if the administration
failed in forcing compulsory veiling on the students and teachers of the
school.
(Daily Khabrain, May 12, 2007)
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The nurses of the District
Headquarter Hospital, Dir received threatening letter from the unknown
elements ordering them to leave their jobs, which they considered
immoral. “Through this letter, you are warned to resign and vacate the
hospital and if it is not done, the bomb blasts shall be carried out in
the hospitals and you will be responsible for the casualties,” read the
letter.
(Daily Pakistan, May 10, 2007)
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On March 28, 2007, scores of
militants kidnapped the principle of the school that had disallowed them
to recruit youth from his school. Meanwhile, after the militants’
repeated attacks, almost one-third of the population of Tank, NWFP have
fled from the area.
(Daily Times, June 14, 2007)
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Talibans have banned TV and video CDs in
public in Wazir area of South Waziristan, warning that strict
punishment will be meted out to violators. Most of the Tea shops and
restaurants of the area removed video and audio music and DVD players
immediately after the threat.
(Daily Express, June 19, 2007).
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The stage actor Saima Khan was shot at by
a religious extremist. She was admitted to hospital where after
treatment, she was out of danger. The stage actor is famous for her bold
dances in the theatre shows.
(Daily Khabrain, June 21, 2007)
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In Mandi Bahauddin, a town at two hours
drive from the provincial capital Lahore, local Talibans sent
threatening
letters to the owners of TV Cable Operators, cinemas, Video
and Music centers asking them to close down their businesses as soon as
possible.
(Daily Khabrain, July 21, 2007)
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In Minanshah, NWFP, on
Friday July 20, around 10 armed persons entered the market and set
four music shops on fire. They left the area after gutting the
property without any panic.
(Daily Khabrain, July 21, 2007)
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