Taliban take Sikh Hostage, demand ransom
Lower Orakzai Agency, FATA Pakistan: Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Ten houses belonging to local Sikh families in Qasimkhel area, where about 35 Sikh families have been living for many years, were seized 2 days ago, as militants took the Sikh leader of the small community hostage. A Jirga was formed to meet with the militants, who 2 days later agreed to leave the houses and free Kalak Singh, their hostage.
The area, located near the city of Peshawar, was once part of the Sikh Kingdom of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Today the area is coming under increased attacks from the taleban and pro taleban militants who are carrying out increasing violence and attacks on local police, the frontier army outposts and Shia Sufi Shrines. They have recently taken control of the Swat valley (not part of FATA) and, in a controversial agreement with the local authorities, promised peace (ending their violence and laying down their weapons) in turn for the government of Pakistan allowing Nizam-e-adl in Swat.
On the 13th of April the Parliament of Pakistan voted to meet their demand. Many are worried that the Sharia will be the same type as had been previously seen in Afghanistan. One day after the president of Pakistan signed the bill into law Sufi Mohammad who had said the Sharia would be forced equally and swiftly has stated, in a TV interview, that all crimes done by the taleban including the many murders and beheadings of the last year (thefts, kidnappings, ect.) would not be punished. A day later an explosive laden truck has killed 15 in a nearby suicide attack on a police post; a week ago a young suicide bomber triggered his explosive vest as Juma prayers were about to start in a Mosque in Jamrud, which destroyed the two story masjid killing more than 80 worshipers.
The day after the sharia vote was approved the Taleban stated that they have no intention of laying down their weapons and will expand into new areas to establish their writ. As one young taleban (in charge of recruiting young children suicide bombers) said in a recent "Frontline" interview, "lambs were always eager to kill themselves for their cause" another stated that women had no place other than in the home and had no reason to venture out without a male relative, could not work and and were only created to serve men. His only education was in an Ashram where he was taught to rock back and forth (in the same way that orthodox Jews pray) while memorizing the Qur'an, written in Arabic, a language they can not read. Their Mullahs, most of who are self educated, tell them what the words mean.
In part of the Frontline film one of the Taleban comanders was filmed arriving at a meeting in a brand new armoured version of a US Humvee recently stolen in an attack on a supply caravan taking supplies to the forces that had driven the taleban out of Afghanistan. The taleban has used terror to control much of the country even resorting to throwing acid in young girls faces on their way to schools, which they destroy almost as soon as they are built.
Federal Minister for minority affairs, Shahbaz Bhatti, told the National Assembly that the government condemns the harassment of Sikh families by Taliban militants in Buner and Orakzai tribal agency.
Raising the issue of harassment of minorities on a point of order, the legislators told the House that Taliban had demanded Rs5 million from a Sikh family in Buner.
Reference: www.geo.tv/4-15-2009/39926.htm
FRONTLINE/World | Pakistan: Children of the Taliban
