And in line with the new govt of Pakistan 'talking' with 'militants'

MEMRI:

Statement by 30 Prominent Pakistani Islamic Scholars: "The Taliban Are Not Terrorists; Do Not Look Through American Eyes at [Those You Call] 'Terrorists'"

In late January 2008, 30 prominent Islamic scholars and principals of madrassas in Pakistan issued a joint statement, published in Pakistan's newspapers, discussing the state of affairs in the country and suggesting ways to deal with it. The signatories, who belonged to different schools of Islamic thought and who control a vast network of madrassas, affirmed: "We do not belong to any political group; neither do we have any political agenda."

The following are excerpts from the statement as it appeared in the London edition of the Urdu-language Pakistani newspaper Roznama Jang: [1]

"Cowardice Was Shown Vis-à-Vis the U.S. and India After 9/11;" "Our Troops were Used... Against Our Fellow Citizens;" Pakistan was Set "On an Irreligious Path"

In their statement, the Islamic scholars and clerics discussed the role played by the Pakistani government in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, and whether the government of Gen. Pervez Musharraf had acted against Pakistan's "national interests." They wrote:

"Most of our [previous] governments have been under the influence of the United States... But the way our government sacrificed itself on the altar of American interests after September 11, 2001, and ruthlessly murdered our national interests by bringing an American-interest war into our country, is an example on its own.

"Our forces were used in military operations against our fellow citizens. Cowardice was shown vis-à-vis the United States and India..."

UGH!

"On the other hand, efforts were launched with full preparedness to take the nation [Pakistan] on an irreligious path in the name of 'moderation' and 'progressive thinking.' Changes were made in the curricula of the educational system, to make them look good to 'others/foreigners' instead of... [making them appropriate for] our national interests. Completely unjustified amendments were made in hudood law [regarding women,] in the name of women's rights - [amendments] which were not only unrelated to women's rights but also included further injustices against them.

These guys know right where to go. Any attempt to make women equal to men is to denigrate god. Of course, if women were equal to men, Islam as it has come to be known today would be a far different entity, and all these morons would be the troglodytically ignored truly bigoted brutes they deserve to be.

"In our opinion, the most important and fundamental point is that the government try to see those who are called 'militants' or 'extremists' through Pakistani eyes, rather than looking at them through American eyes. These people, whether they are in tribal areas or in Swat, or in the Malakand Division or in Baluchistan, are indeed our own brothers, our fellow nationals, and from our own religion. They are not enemies of Pakistan; rather, they have always guarded Pakistan's frontiers in the Tribal Areas. But the circumstances created by the government have made them enemies of the government and enemies of every person who is not aligned with them in the enmity of the government."

How does that fit with my previous post? Think the madrassahs have some influence in Pakistan?