Talk about a vicious cycle: the authorities raid madrassas to crack down on pissed-off Islamists, which inevitably results in—more pissed off Islamists. From Pakistan’s Daily Times, Jan. 29:
ISLAMABAD — Police raided several seminaries in Rawalpindi and Islamabad early on Sunday to arrest clerics “as a pre-emptive measure to maintain peace during Muharram,” while a meeting of clerics was underway later in the day to evolve a strategy against the demolition of some mosques by the government authorities and raids on madrassas.
“Special police squads raided several seminaries to arrest clerics as a pre-emptive measure to maintain peace on Ashura and implement a ban on the use of loudspeakers,” sources told Daily Times. Police raided Jamia Muhammadia in F-6/4, Madrassa Ma’araful Quran in Karachi Company, Madrassa Haqania and Jamia Qasmia in F-7 and offices of the Khatam-e-Nabuwwat Pakistan and Jamia Sadda, and arrested Mian Muhammad Naqshbandi, Maulana Khalid Alvi, Maulana Tayyab and Mufti Khalid. However, Senior Superintendent of Islamabad Police Sikandar Hayat said that only two clerics had been arrested during the last 24 hours.
“We have arrested them over misuse of loudspeaker,” he said. Maulana Zahoor Alvi said that a meeting of the clerics to discuss raids on madrassas and demolition of mosques was in progress. He said the meeting would evolve a strategy to deal with the prevailing situation.
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