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MMA announces arrival with a `bandh'

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD Oct. 11. Hours after it captured the North-West Frontier Provincial Assembly, the right-wing alliance of religious parties in Pakistan — Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal — announced a countrywide bandh today in "protest" against the alleged derogatory remarks made by an American against Prophet Mohammad last week.

Perhaps it was MMA's way of telling the world that it has arrived on the political scene of Pakistan. The alliance of six religious parties that is likely to dominate media headlines in the next few days on account of its emergence as a `third force' in the just-concluded general election, was born just weeks before the election process began in the country. It consists of the Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, the Jamiat Ulema-e- Pakistan, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Samiul Haq), the Jamiat Ulema-e- Islam (Fazloor Rahman), the Islami Tehreek Pakistan and the Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith.

Though all the parties aspire to bring a `true Islamic' system in Pakistan, it is not a homogenous group. There are serious differences among the leaders at the ideological and personal level. Only two of the six entities, Jamaat factions led by Maulana Haq and Fazloor Rehman, supported the worldview of the Taliban that claimed to have established the first "true Islamic Republic" any where in the world.

The Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest religious party in the country, openly denounced the version of Islam practised by the Taliban. However, it is their opposition to the Musharraf regime's decision to join the U.S.-led coalition in the war against `international terrorism' and subsequent military operations in Afghanistan that brought them together.

Leaders of all these parties were in the forefront of rallies and demonstrations held in different parts of Pakistan after the U.S. commenced its military operations. They targeted the U.S. for going ahead with military action without providing "proof" on involvement of Osama bin Laden and the Al-Qaeda in the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Most of them were detained by the Pakistan Government on charges of disturbing peace as they stepped up their campaign against the "killing of innocent people" in Afghanistan by the U.S. led coalition forces. The alliance contested the election under one flag and a common manifesto. At the time of the formation of the alliance it was proclaimed that religious parties should play an active role to "protect the Islamic identity" of the country and promote the basic objectives of the creation of Pakistan. The alliance had condemned the ban on jehadi outfits and arrest of jehadi leaders and called for the restoration of the people's right to engage in political activities. Its main election campaign has been anti-America. India also figured as an "oppressor" in the context of Kashmir.

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