Cross-dressing Jihadis
This is simply too rich to pass up. From The Australian:
THE leader of a radical Pakistani mosque was arrested while trying to flee in a woman's burqa as security forces stepped up pressure on a few hundred hardcore followers still holed up inside.
Firebrand cleric Abdul Aziz's capture sparked an exodus from Islamabad's Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, with 1,200 male and female students surrendering to the authorities a day after clashes there left 16 people dead.
The government of embattled President Pervez Musharraf hailed the capture of the firebrand preacher as a major success, after months of criticism that it was failing to tackle extremism.
"After all the things he has said and all the oaths he took from his students that they should embrace martyrdom with him, look at this man,'' deputy information minister Tariq Azeem said.
Aziz was caught after a group of 20 burqa-clad women from the mosque started screaming as they were taken to a nearby school for security checks after giving themselves up, saying the procedure was un-Islamic. "Our men spotted his (Aziz's) unusual demeanour.
The rest of the girls looked like girls but he was taller and had a pot belly,'' a security official said on condition of anonymity.
Paramilitary officer Manzoor Ahmad, who saw the incident, said a policeman spotted one member of the crowd staying silent.
"The officer pounced on the lady, and as he grabbed her, the burqa came off and his beard fell out. He asked the man who he was and he said 'I am Maulana (senior cleric) Abdul Aziz,'' the soldier said.
Television footage showed armed intelligence officials dragging the bearded Aziz towards a black Toyota Corolla and driving away at high speed.
Hat-Tip to Michael Ledeen @ NRO's Corner who adds this, which I could not disagree with at all:
It's like an upper-class Indian masquerading as an Untouchable, or a Ruler of the Universe in blackface, trying to fool the cops. The deputy information minister has it precisely right, just look at this guy, a typical blowhard inciting his followers to martyrdom, who cross dresses and tries to sneak out the alley, leaving his followers to their doom. ...
You may have noticed that some of the hardliners in Iran are demanding death for former president Khatami, because he shook hands with a woman-not-his-wife. But I rather wonder if these same tough guys will wrap themselves in burqas and chadors when their moment comes. It's a delicious practice, isn't it? These vile misanthropes who delight in having women stoned or hanged or flogged, sneaking around in drag rather than facing their Maker. Or the Marines, for that matter, who are firmly committed to arranging the meeting.
We have known for some time that many of the so-called jihadi leaders tend to be more cowards than cavaliers. They are willing to leave the "martyrs" behind whilst they skedaddle out the back door, living to fight (yeah right) another day. This story just serves to show people how craven these people really are. Sure, they can blow up soldiers and civilians with carbombs, and roadside IEDs. They can grab innocent civilians to use as shields. But when push comes to shove, they will turn tail and run at the first sign of mortality.
Marcie
THE leader of a radical Pakistani mosque was arrested while trying to flee in a woman's burqa as security forces stepped up pressure on a few hundred hardcore followers still holed up inside.
Firebrand cleric Abdul Aziz's capture sparked an exodus from Islamabad's Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, with 1,200 male and female students surrendering to the authorities a day after clashes there left 16 people dead.
The government of embattled President Pervez Musharraf hailed the capture of the firebrand preacher as a major success, after months of criticism that it was failing to tackle extremism.
"After all the things he has said and all the oaths he took from his students that they should embrace martyrdom with him, look at this man,'' deputy information minister Tariq Azeem said.
Aziz was caught after a group of 20 burqa-clad women from the mosque started screaming as they were taken to a nearby school for security checks after giving themselves up, saying the procedure was un-Islamic. "Our men spotted his (Aziz's) unusual demeanour.
The rest of the girls looked like girls but he was taller and had a pot belly,'' a security official said on condition of anonymity.
Paramilitary officer Manzoor Ahmad, who saw the incident, said a policeman spotted one member of the crowd staying silent.
"The officer pounced on the lady, and as he grabbed her, the burqa came off and his beard fell out. He asked the man who he was and he said 'I am Maulana (senior cleric) Abdul Aziz,'' the soldier said.
Television footage showed armed intelligence officials dragging the bearded Aziz towards a black Toyota Corolla and driving away at high speed.
Hat-Tip to Michael Ledeen @ NRO's Corner who adds this, which I could not disagree with at all:
It's like an upper-class Indian masquerading as an Untouchable, or a Ruler of the Universe in blackface, trying to fool the cops. The deputy information minister has it precisely right, just look at this guy, a typical blowhard inciting his followers to martyrdom, who cross dresses and tries to sneak out the alley, leaving his followers to their doom. ...
You may have noticed that some of the hardliners in Iran are demanding death for former president Khatami, because he shook hands with a woman-not-his-wife. But I rather wonder if these same tough guys will wrap themselves in burqas and chadors when their moment comes. It's a delicious practice, isn't it? These vile misanthropes who delight in having women stoned or hanged or flogged, sneaking around in drag rather than facing their Maker. Or the Marines, for that matter, who are firmly committed to arranging the meeting.
We have known for some time that many of the so-called jihadi leaders tend to be more cowards than cavaliers. They are willing to leave the "martyrs" behind whilst they skedaddle out the back door, living to fight (yeah right) another day. This story just serves to show people how craven these people really are. Sure, they can blow up soldiers and civilians with carbombs, and roadside IEDs. They can grab innocent civilians to use as shields. But when push comes to shove, they will turn tail and run at the first sign of mortality.
Marcie
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 4:24 PM
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