Pksecurity
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The sectarian clashes in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, claimed 10 lives on Ashura, Friday. The clashes between Shias and hardline Deobandi Muslims started with provocative speech but whatever followed was the doing of our so-called vibrant Social Media.
Pakistani government and its intelligence agencies deserve kudos for pre-empting suicide attacks on Shia mourners’ processions on the eve of Ashura this year. It was one Ashura after many where terrorists could not succeed in bombing the gatherings. This is thanks, mainly, to alertness of intelligence agencies and their coordination with law enforcement agencies. Many terrorists were either killed or apprehended and huge cache of arms and explosives seized before it could be used by the terrorists. The threat of terrorism, particularly in the province of Punjab, was real as TTP had warned of stepping up its activities to avenge the death of terror chief Hakeemullah Mehsud, killed in a US drone attack on November 1 this year.
However, there were skirmishes between Shia mourners and pro-Taliban madrassahstudents in garrison town of Rawalpindi, in the thickly populated business district of Raja Bazaar area. The prayer leader of the mosque delivered a fiery sermon against Shias, and what they stand for, leading to reaction which turned into riots developing into arson and carnage. The city remains under curfew ever since.
The rating-hungray mainstream media, exercising remarkabkle restraint, had blacked out the news but Social Media filled the gap and provided provocative news to all and sundry; the most dangerous one that Shias have slit the throats of underage seminary students. Pictures were also posted on Twitter which added fuel to fire and the unrest spread to other cities. It was later announced by Sheikh Rashid, a local politicians, that no throat slitting ever took place. The pictures, as it later transpired, were doctored from the pictures of Burma Muslim children. Twitter messages from Shia Twitterati were no less provocative.
The city is still tense with army patrolling the streets but the damage has already been done. Major newspapers carried detailed account of the incident blaming both Shias, irresponsible cleric and the city administration for the mayhem. A superior court judge will hold inquiry to determine what actually happened and who inflamed the situation.
Rawalpindi Riots: How Social Media added fuel to fire?
Pakistani government and its intelligence agencies deserve kudos for pre-empting suicide attacks on Shia mourners’ processions on the eve of Ashura this year. It was one Ashura after many where terrorists could not succeed in bombing the gatherings. This is thanks, mainly, to alertness of intelligence agencies and their coordination with law enforcement agencies. Many terrorists were either killed or apprehended and huge cache of arms and explosives seized before it could be used by the terrorists. The threat of terrorism, particularly in the province of Punjab, was real as TTP had warned of stepping up its activities to avenge the death of terror chief Hakeemullah Mehsud, killed in a US drone attack on November 1 this year.
However, there were skirmishes between Shia mourners and pro-Taliban madrassahstudents in garrison town of Rawalpindi, in the thickly populated business district of Raja Bazaar area. The prayer leader of the mosque delivered a fiery sermon against Shias, and what they stand for, leading to reaction which turned into riots developing into arson and carnage. The city remains under curfew ever since.
The rating-hungray mainstream media, exercising remarkabkle restraint, had blacked out the news but Social Media filled the gap and provided provocative news to all and sundry; the most dangerous one that Shias have slit the throats of underage seminary students. Pictures were also posted on Twitter which added fuel to fire and the unrest spread to other cities. It was later announced by Sheikh Rashid, a local politicians, that no throat slitting ever took place. The pictures, as it later transpired, were doctored from the pictures of Burma Muslim children. Twitter messages from Shia Twitterati were no less provocative.
The city is still tense with army patrolling the streets but the damage has already been done. Major newspapers carried detailed account of the incident blaming both Shias, irresponsible cleric and the city administration for the mayhem. A superior court judge will hold inquiry to determine what actually happened and who inflamed the situation.
Rawalpindi Riots: How Social Media added fuel to fire?
