The New York Times reports:
Security forces besieging a radical mosque in the Pakistani capital captured its top cleric Wednesday as he tried to sneak out of the complex in a woman’s burqa, and more than 1,000 of his followers surrendered.
In a burqa? He was dressed as a woman? What a brave little extremist he is.
A security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said authorities captured the mosque’s top cleric, Maulana Abdul Aziz, after a female police officer tried to search his body, which was concealed by a full-length black burqa.
The officer began shouting ”This is not a woman,” the official said, prompting male officers to seize him. ”The suspect later turned out to be the mosque’s chief cleric,” the official said.
This would be funny if it wasn’t so… well, heck, it is funny.
The cleric will face legal actions (as will all the male students who were “involved in killings and other crimes.” I wonder whether it is legal in Pakistan for men to dress like women?
What does the Sharia say about this?
Pakistani snipers were directly shooting at the students, and their leaders, which seems to have surprised most of them. Quite ridiculous considering that these people kidnapped prostitutes, policemen, and even attacked the police before the authorities decided that enough is enough.
Meanwhile, once again bad news for Musharraf. The extremists in his country are more and more openly resisting his rule. How long will he be able to lead the country?
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