A few members of the Peoples Resistance group visited Banares Colony in Karachi, Pakistan and interviewed an IDP refugee Doctor from Swat who shares his thoughts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJY8uqc00-s
I would also like to quote a short section from the email by Abira Ashfaq which had accompanied this video
It seems like one can always accuse people who are opposed to the operation on humanitarian, human rights, and political grounds that we are twisting the words of the interviewees to suit our viewpoint – but never before have I met so many Swatis who were unanimous in the opinion that something has gone/or was always awfully wrong with this military operation – that it has caused immeasurable human suffering – that there are other powerful interests at play -that people have not been allowed safe passage and have had to resort to mountainous and unfriendly terrain and escaped in horrific conditions – almost everyone says that civilians are being targeted and never (purposefully) the Taliban – that they have seen burning bodies of these civilians – and the next day ISPR will report that a taliban commander and several militants were killed. That we are taking ISPR reports in DAWN as authentic is indicative of the lack of media critique and questioning in our state. Understandably there is a lot of outrage in the IDP community against the operation.
Comments
30 responses to “A Swati Doctor Interviewed about the War in Swat”
Our military has made a pact with US-NATO which says bring suffering on your own people as much as you can on the name of phoney war on terror.
We are living in a totalitarian society dying to take off its mask in a way that makes tyranny appear normal, natural and necessary, so the masses will accept increased degradation and servitude.
Shame on Kiyani and Gillani. They all are agents of totalitarian power whose aim is to degrade and decadent mankind esp Muslims.
The poor guy (Dr in the interview) doesn't know that Pakistan Army does not have the capability to trace Satellite Phones and Bugti's mistake was that he thought his masters would cover him even if he used a satelite phone.
Moreover, Pakistan Army does not have drones yet. Bugti could not have been killed without the help of drones. So Musharrafs bragging (we would hit them from somewhere they wouldn't even know) was in part a favor returned by the drones company.
I doubt that Pakistan Army is playing a cat-mouse game this time but at the same time I doubt the other party is foreign agents.
If they were (foreign agents) as claimed by ISPR and Pakistani media and army-paid-big-mouths-like-Zaid-Hamid, they would have sophisticated weapons not just sub-machine guns. India would have provided them with shoulder-to-air missiles and Pakistan Army would have lost the only few helicopters they have and Pakistan Army couldn't have driven them out of Swat valley.
Besides if Pakistan Govt is so sure that India is involved then why not take a stand just like India did at the time of Bombay-drama.
i think the lack of media critique is a very valid comment. at the very least, we in the media should not refer to the dead as militants, which is what the army wants us to believe. however, it feels like such a catch-22. if we send people inside the valley, the channels will get shut down etc etc. if we don't we have the ISPR's lies to present as facts. but once again good work dr. sahab
on a side note, i know i am being an asshole, but one of my new things to do at your blog is to copy paste comments by guY-sir and put them on google. EVERY time i find them to be ctrl+c from some makow guy's article. hehe
This is the age of deception, it is too difficult to know who is telling lie and who is telling the truth.
The presence of Top Taliban Leadership arises a doubt in everybodies mind, why are they still alive against the might of Pakistan military.
some thing very fishy is going on in so called operation rah e haq.
like many people i believe that sawati taliban is planted by pakistani establishment (mainly by pakistan army)
there are many things which is just not right about this operation.
1) resentment of CAOS gen kiyani over drone attacks and shooting down one drone.
2) conflicting reports that pakistan govt including pakistan army giving the full support secretly.
3) peace deal with taliban despite of opposition of the europe and USA.
4) sudden rush of american state officals and meeting of gen kiyani with gen mike moulin in his ship.
3) media campaign against swat peace deal including controversial statements of sufi mohd,fake flogging video, march of taliban(20-50) towards islamabad to conquer it,surge of beheading videos just before the operation.
4) unusually high civilian death due to aerial attacks.people were killed in their houses,farms and work places.
5) extremely low numbers of images of taliban dead bodies despite of high no of taliban casualities (>1500)
6) displacement of millions of people for only 4000(as per claim)taliban.
7) finally foreign aid and wazeeirstan operation.
it sounds bizarre but many feel that most of pakistani decision makers like president, PM, CAOS, army generals and other top govt officials believe in chinese art of war, using common pakistani man as a bet for their vested interest and diabolical way of running state affairs.
@ikram
They have at last got a helicopter with 26 soldiers (?). Is it not a deadly strike capable of turning the tide as Stingers did in the war against Soviet Union?
May God help us!
some thing very fishy is going on in so called operation rah e haq.
like many people i believe that sawati taliban is planted by pakistani establishment (mainly by pakistan army)
there are many things which are just not right about this operation.
1) resentment of CAOS gen kiyani over drone attacks and shooting down one drone.
2) conflicting reports that pakistan govt including pakistan army giving the full support secretly.
3) peace deal with taliban despite of opposition of the europe and USA.
4) sudden rush of american state officals and meeting of gen kiyani with gen mike moulin in his ship.
3) media campaign against swat peace deal including controversial statements of sufi mohd,fake flogging video, march of taliban(20-50) towards islamabad to conquer it,surge of beheading videos just before the operation.
4) unusually high civilian death due to aerial attacks.people were killed in their houses,farms and work places.
5) extremely low numbers of images of taliban dead bodies despite of high no of taliban casualities (>1500)
6) displacement of millions of people for only 4000(as per claim)taliban.
7) finally foreign aid and wazeeirstan operation.
it sounds bizarre but many feel that most of pakistani decision makers like president, PM, CAOS, army generals and other top govt officials believe in chinese art of war, using common pakistani man as a bet for their vested interest and diabolical way of running state affairs.
Fake flogging video? Man oh man.
Well done karachikhatmal, i am really of the same belief, while we were coming out of Dir, i saw with my own eyes that our car was stopped by the military at their check point and just superficially checked it but as soon as we stepped forward about 1-2 kilometers there were the so called TALIBAN/Paramilitary with masks, i was the same time shocked to see them while searching our car. It was so shocking to see these talibans very peaked relaxed while they were just 1-2 distant from the military on the main highway from DIr to chakdara. How comes both the sides very normal, happy and just dealing their own business on a shiny day, open plain bazar of gul abad. If they both are not brothers or not the two players of the same game then why military didn’t show up at that time, or vice versa. Whatever they killed, is an innocent farmer, an innocent kid having a satchel going to school or coming back sweaty due to sun shine and so on, and next day you can hear that ISPR claims of having killed _______ taliban leaders and _____sub commanders etc. ohhhhhhhh, Why is Maulana Faqir muhamad still enjoying meetings at Bajaur PA’s office. Just tell me which Governmental grade he has, or to which regiment he belongs??? TIme has come to speak the truth ok. The Bastard PAKI/PUNJABI Govt if can block the very high frequency of mobile and wireless phones, then why they can’t block the very short frequencies of Maulana Fazlullah’s FM radio at SWAT that always concuss and threat the poor Pashtoons……..????????????? I need to know Please!!!! If all this is not a game then i need shortly to be informed that why Maulana Sufi Muhammad was released out of jail since he has been a proven indirect killer of hundreds of pashtoons in 2001, taking them to Afghanistan for Jihad. Don’t you think one day this pashtoon soil will cry to tell the realities, my pooor uncle was bringing his cow from Bajaur and a helicopter just reached few meters above his head and shoot him at his forehead and next day ISPR announced another high ranked TALIB leader……….do we have hearts or patience more to bear these things. Where is Maulana fazalgay and qazi and others who were talking of jihad and other things and are now sitting calm and silent………don’t they hear their sisters are suffering, crying, having no clothes, and even live picked by the Punjabi military from the upper dir with a simple excuse that she is betraying the military. Such leaders should wear a dopatta now, i can lend them my own being a poor teacher…… I hate anymore to call myself Pakistani, i wish to be killed instead of hearing such upside down fake games.
I am not a Pakistani please, i am not a human even anymore. i hate myself and any other human being as well who is one or the other way a part of the Pakistani geography.
what it gave me, honor—no never, education—-no never, respect—-to take our sisters with themselves as they did in bangladesh–no never, islamism….no never-they defamed it and made the world hatre it.
I am sorry for being sentimental that soon but you can imagine now i am weeping, crying all along in front of your webpage.
I wish a Punjabi milatry high ranked officer could see these words, or those Mullahs as well who destroyed our EZZAT.
staso khor
seelai
no offense!just try flogging.no need for 50 just 5 lashes and feel the difference between you and the girl after flogging.
oh boy!
What does that even mean?
whether the video was fake or not is not the point – the taliban and the state are both capable of treating women in such misogynist ways – to punish the, OR to legitimize the need for a wat. the point Dr. Jawwad is making are valid – we need to systematically read and analyze the news on the operation- and see the contradictions and the lies. for e.g. a story should be done on the nature of death reporting – how do they decipher who is a dead civilian versus a militant – why do we not see their ID cards and their bio data? and if the army does not have this information, how do they know he was a militant. perhaps, he joined the taliban 5 days ago out of fear of the army or for money or even, say, out of threats. should he be bombed and killed for it? why are we not seeing burned bodies? is it because the army knows it will shift public opinion about the war instantly. is that the not selective coverage/ a lie..Thankx for posting Awab!
dear danial!
did you see the girl after flogging?
the way she stood up and ran towards house?
i bet even the most powerful man can not stand and run like that after flogging.
as a doctor i can tell you that she was flogged on the gluteus maximus (the muscle which play an important role in standig from lying position). look again the way she stood up ran towrds room. it is 100% fake.
@readinglord
Lol, I just read in the news today.
But you know what? I bet the copter went down because of of the weight (there were some 42 people in it). What did they think it was a G-11
Or it couldn't lift up high enough because of so many *sawaries* in it and even a TT bullet could have brought it down 🙂
any way check this out:
http://www.jang.net/jm/7-5-2009/pic.asp?picname=0…
I have indeed seen the video of the girl, and I have also seen numerous other flogging videos from Saudi Arabia (unless the Khadim-e Harimain is issuing fake videos too!), and I have spoken about this with doctors too: regardless of what muscle was being attacked, the fact is that if the muscle is tense in anticipation of a blow, then it does not register pain for quite a bit. This is very common with boxers who take blows repeatedly and do not feel the pain till three rounds later. Same applies to cyclists and football players whose tense muscles do not register pain till they try to go to sleep at night.
You're on pretty thin ice, Mr Pious, especially when you're trying to imply that the Taliban never flogged this girl or anyone else. Bilkul jee, non-violent Gandhi'ites hain na!
@danial burki!
1)the purpose of my post was to highlight the use of media to change the public perception rather than defending the swati taliban as sister abira also pointed out.i am not denying what those swati taliban did.they might flogged some other girl on some other time.
(BTW the penalty in islamic jurisprudence for adultry by married woman is stoning to death not the flogging)
2) the way that video came out! would you tell me the source of video? it was said that the film was captured by mobile camera but who gave the video clip to the pakistani media?
if i am not wrong no body owned that video.
3) can you locate the area where this flogging took place.residents and govt officals in chaharbagh denied that flogging took place there.
4) especially the way those video spreaded in pakistani media.i felt some thing unusual and preplanned.
5) TTP spokesman muslim khan denied the involvement of TTP in that particular flogging case.
6) i am just trying to look in if there is some thing behind the scene.if i am missing a bigger picture thats all.
best regards
In response to Dr Jawwad Khan:
1) This is the same media that was begging for negotiations and appeasing the Taliban. Channels like Geo and Express are full of Taliban sympathisers, and I dare anyone to review clips of their top anchors, from Hamid Mir and Kamran Khan to Shahid Masood and Javed Chaudhry, and tell me with a straight face that they are not Taliban sympathisers. Why would they bother to change the perceptions of an already schizophrenic public? Further, the video was released by none of the main channels, but the only liberal Urdu channel: Samaa TV. Which brings me to the next point…
2) The video was first aired on Meher Bokhari's show "Nai Rahein" on Samaa TV. The video was shot by several people who were present when this took place, and people in Swat were spreading the video among themselves through mobile phones. After this was aired, the Guardian was passed on another copy of the same video by Samar Minallah, a Pashtun documentary film maker who had family contacts in Swat.
3) The location is provided by most sources as Matta. And you are right: some residents did deny that this ever took place, but then for every denier, there are two who say that not only did this incident take place, several such incidents have taken place, and not just flogging but hand-chopping and beheading too.
4) I bet the media felt unusual too, as most outlets were supportive of the Taliban. Consider the reaction of Ansar Abbasi, Hamid Mir and Javed Chaudhry to the airing of this video. It was not until channels like Samaa and Dunya had aired the video and people got angry that the main channels and papers decided that the tide was turning. This was not a media conspiracy to brainwash the people, but the other way around: the people were horrified and the media had to change tack.
5) Muslim Khan did not deny the flogging. In fact he supported it! Here are his direct quotes to the Guardian, which he had parroted to Reuters, AP and Dawn News too:
Reached by phone, Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan claimed responsibility for the flogging. "She came out of her house with another guy who was not her husband, so we must punish her. There are boundaries you cannot cross," he said. He defended the Taliban's right to thrash women shoppers who were inappropriately dressed, saying it was permitted under Islamic law.
6) While I agree that all aspects of a case must be investigated, unfortunately for Taliban sympathisers, in this case they have been. And it is clear that the Taliban did this, and many other such things. They admit as much and are unrepentant.
The bigger picture is that the Taliban are doing what they think is right and heaven-worthy in their worldview, and in this particular instance, the majority of Pakistanis disagreed with this worldview. Consider the latest polls where while Pakistanis continue to hate America, 80 percent feel the same way about the Taliban. And many said that the floggings were a main reason for their disapproval.
@ dr jawwad
firstly you conveniently failed to acknowledge the debunking of your gluten maximus or whatever muscle – as pointed out it was because of the tense muscles not registering.
secondly, the man who made the video had an interview on Dawnnews the day after it was aired. other than samaa, express english also replayed the video contantly.
to help you understand how the media works, videos such as these are usually in the hands of all the major channels within a day or two. it depends on who has the guts to air it first, after which everyone follows cuz they have no choice. there is no conspiracy at the level you claim there to be. a related example are cctv videos of bomb attacks. within maximum 36 hours, all the major channels get a hold of it cuz they are people willing to sell. the flogging video of course was a different situation, since the person had little financial incentive, but again the channels all got it once one of them aired it. its called competition, not conspiracy.
"firstly you conveniently failed to acknowledge the debunking of your gluten maximus or whatever muscle – as pointed out it was because of the tense muscles not registering"
no i am not! some time i chose to remain silent.why this time?
because i do have much time to help you understand the mechanics and after effects of trauma on human musculature.
1) i was not talking about the pain. read it again i said the way girl stood up and ran taowrds nearby house.
2) yes! danial is right when he said about temporary lack of sensation although girls started after few lashes which is again makes this whole procedure suspicious because only initial trauma is painful in conditions in the situations like that.
3) not only initial lack of sensation there there is also initial temporary paralysis.
4) you need a support to stand up in case of injury on the gluteus maximus.
5) now look again the girl did she took any support ?
i hope it will be enough for you.
or you need more explanation?
sweet dreams
Poor people, may Allah end their sufferings and guide them to the right path.
Still at a point this pooor-cum-ignorant doctor is saying "these are not talibs, talibs are good people". This is because this guy is seeing the talibas face in his part of the world. He dont know about talibs deeds in afghanistan.
I wonder why people classified Talibans as Pakistani or Sawati or Punjabi etc etc. Talibans are just Talibans. A product of U-S Think Tanks, Mullah and I-SI to achive the uncle Sams' interest. Tell me even a single good thing done by Taliban since their inception. People say banning of poppy cultivation, yet such people need to upgrade their info store that in the final days of their reign Taliban allowed poppy cultivation with issuing a fatwa that said, "It is halal to sell it to non belivers and to get money from them in return". And then see what did they do with ignorant Pakistanis who went to help them out after their daddy[amrika] attacked them, they put the pakistani brainwashed jihadists on the front line and ran from the back!!! Qila Jangi is the best example!!! And tell me where did the people wanished like MR. Mulla Umar and aides who were use to give big sermons for the jihad and sacrificing the lives for the sake of islam….hiding in caves….what a jihad!!!
So I ask people who were use to say "Ameerul Momineen Mullah Umar"[What a bullshit indeed!!] where is your ameerul momineen??
And guys a very humorous stuff: The nizam-e-adl passed [obviously at the point of gun] by the morons and lunatics at the assembly, now their lunatic phase has been over and now they are hailing for the war…hillarious!! I give a big hand to the parties that disagreed with bowing at the guns' barrel while "legalizing" the nizam e adl with the terrorists. I also give a big hand to the parties who are still yelling for "MUZAKRAAT" specially JI, since they are true keen beliver of "paiwasta reh shajar say umeed-e-bahar rakh." Actually the fact goes like this; talibans were produced by u.SA with the help of i.si while pregnancy services were provided by JI and other likeminded orgs.
Moral: Talibans are Talibans Only. *Dont divide them on racial/area basis.
*BTW: Talibans while reigning afghanistan left too many story of racialism by giving high ranks and benefits to pakhtoons only and in the whole country pakhtoons are the best lovers of talibans….
By the way with mullah uamr a name of his follower came to my mind, [aunty]Abdul Aziz, he ruined the name of whole bunch of thugs by wearing burqa[he is not at all a good planner, if he would used dummy bra the chances of being caught up would be so low :D]
So point is that the people who give sermons to the nations children to sacrifice of thier lives should come first and should have some courage to bear the actual things. Should not run away. And also guys the list is getting more names; Sufi Muhammad. Pakistani women police should check all the IDP ladies may be their they will find a burqa clad sufi muhammad.
MULTIPLE ID's SYNDROM.
i wish if i could lock you permanantly in the cage.
molana abdul aziz sacrificed his mother,son and brother.
you filth hurling monkey's shit
"This is because this guy is seeing the talibas face in his part of the world. He dont know about talibs deeds in afghanistan.
I wonder why people classified Talibans as Pakistani or Sawati or Punjabi etc etc. Talibans are just Talibans"
=MORON=
@Dr Jawwad Khan: watch the video again, the girl has to be supported by the man who was holding down her arms. She DID NOT RUN into the house.
dr.jawwad khan:
"i wish if i could lock you permanantly in the cage."
Dr. Jawwad, you are a perfect example of Taliban ideology.
See guys this is the problem with the Taliban and their brainless supporters: IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO DO SOMETHING BY LOGIC DO IT BY FORCE or IF YOU ARE FAIL IN A DEBATE CRUSH THE OPPONENT BY FORCE[using the alms paid by U_S].
——————————————————-
dr. jawwad khan:
"molana abdul aziz sacrificed his mother,son and brother"
Yes you are very true. He sacrificed his mother, son and brother and saved his own life for himself, the extreme of selfishness. Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z4Ss7OdgdM&fe… Another video for discussion….
———————————————————
dr jawwad khan:
"you filth hurling monkey’s shit"
You are good at shit diagnosis 😛
———————————————————
dr jawwad khan:
" “This is because this guy is seeing the talibas face in his part of the world. He dont know about talibs deeds in afghanistan.
I wonder why people classified Talibans as Pakistani or Sawati or Punjabi etc etc. Talibans are just Talibans”
=MORON=
"
I am with you on this stand.
hahahahah!
@Ali!
you remind me a joke.
once a man fallen down from tree.he visited the doctor. doctor asked what happened. he said i climbed over a tree and got dizzy then i fell down from the tree.
doctor gave the medicine for dizziness and injury.
few days later he again came to the doctor. doctor asked what happened now.he said i climbed to the tree,got dizzy and fell down.
doctor examined the patient and found there is some lack of cordination in his nervous system. so he gave the tablets to correct it.
few days later he came again with the same story.this time doctor examined the eyes and found that there is some error of refraction so he gave spec to correct it.
few days later again the same patient came with the same story.doctor stood up and went to the store and hand over some thing…."what is this" asked patient.
"yeh keerhay mar dawa hay… behn kay lo—y!!!in ki battiyan bana aur apni g–d men lay lay.
@Karachi Khatmal
what did ye say that copy paste material im putting on my blog and it'd be makow and guy-sir articles.
you are really khatmal who himself claim to be an asshole.
I wrote whole article Marranos who worship Mammon from my own hands. ye damning debaucher what have ye put on ur blog haan
heera mandi, hijray, daru ki bottle, haan ye asshole.
do ye know I was a frequent commentator at Eric Margolis page in 2005 and after few comments I got praised from one native canadian guy that Yasir comments are Unique, Insightful and poetic. God-swear, I didn't do replica at Eric page nor i came across Makow page, later i gotta makow link on eric page and i started read him and found him one of the finest and brilliant writer on this hubbub internet
his article did touch my heart and without him the net would be khatmals like you.
ye have no sense to read his article neither you've sense to read my articles, which im writing from my own hands.
My current article They don't care about us i also wrote from my own hand no copy paste, gotcha
you damning-devils you spoil islam and islamic system, go heera mandi and find food for your soul there else go to hijra mandi and find BJ 4 ur dick, gotcha?
dr jk
i didn't try to appease khatmal at my blog
http://karachi-kool.blogspot.com/2009/07/democrac…
All i tried is to impugn him in my 1st line and in my 2nd line i tried to keep him kool yani karachi-kool
and in my middle lines i tried to show him who i am. he took wrong meaning of my profile that i wanna rule so i clarify him and in my last line i tried to gave him his Ali whom they worship more than Allah. Thats it
It seemed to me that the lady interviewing was a bit too desperately searching for criticism of this military operation. ("Iska to ye matlab huwa ke ye jang ghalat hai na?")
But I completely agree that ISPR should not be our only source of information.
The Swati Taliban need to be exterminated. Those in love with Taliban can ask them to move to Punjab, where Taliban lovers continue to reside. We Pakhtuns are sick of the Taliban psychos and want them eliminated.