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JAMAAT-E-ISLAMI. Dr. Farid Ahmad Piracha (FAP), Deputy Secretary General.
TQ: Should Pakistan apologize for 1971?
FAP: No, under no circumstances. Pakistan met Indian forces there!
The Pakistani forces, and those who did not speak Bengali–the non-Bengali Pakistanis–were killed on a large scale.
If anyone should apologize, it should be the Bangaldesh government.
Sheikh Hasina should apologize. Her government should apologize. They conspired with India, and laid the basis for the the separation of Pakistan.
The Indian Army Chief General V. K. Singh made Mukti Baihin. And they carried out atrocities on a large scale. The Bengalis let Indian forces support them, and take part. The Indian forces infiltrated that area from December 3.
Sheikh Hasina should ask the Pakistani government for forgiveness. The Indian government should apologize too.
TQ: Jamaat-e-Islami is currently on trial in Bangladesh–and have been accused of providing lists of “traitors” to the Pakistani forces. What are your thoughts on Jamaat-e-Islami’s role?
FAP:After the Awami League won the elections, we said the victory should go to Sheikh Mujibur Rehman. Since they won elections, they should be given a chance. On 23 March, 1971, we were against the decision to stop the National Assembly session from being held. But a situation was created, where we were told that our legs would be broken (daange tori jaaye gi) if we attended it. We were against such threats, and this decision.
But when the Indian forces took part, and the Mukti Bahini put on their white clothes and did what they did, then we supported the Pakistani forces. 10,000 members of the Al Badr al Shams–our people–were martyred. After Bangladesh was created, atrocities were carried out against our people. They were bound behind jeeps. They were whipped and beat.
We wanted to save Pakistan, and keep it united. They were trying to separate Pakistan. It was a difficult decision. But it was a necessary one.
And look at them now. Jamaat-e-Islami is being put on trial. Ghulam Azam is on trial–he is 90 years old. Motiur Rehman Nizami is on trial–he is 69 years old. This is the sort of trial where the Tribunal Chairman has said there is a lot of pressure from the government to make the sort of decision that they (the government) want. That is unacceptable.
TQ: But the Pakistan Army has been accused of carrying out mass killings–with the help of the information provided by your party.
FAP:: We did not kill any innocents. Not a single one.
We did take Pakistan’s side. We have no problem with that. We took part in the war to save Pakistan.
When we see a terrorist today, we say that they should be caught. When you see someone who is dangerous, we say, catch them. Then it is every citizen’s duty.
Jamaat-e-Islami was not even partially a part of mass killings, nor was the Pakistan Army.
I would recommend that you ready Sarmila Bose’s book (Dead Reckoning: Memories of the 1971 Bangladesh War). She says that the accusations against the Pakistani forces are exagerrated.
I would also recommend another book, The Untold Facts. The author was in the Pakistan Army, and in the Mukti Bahini. In his book he says that Bengalis were playing and Indian game. He says that they thought they were fighting a war of independence, but found out that it was rather a War for India.
So these allegations are completely wrong. These allegations against the Pakistani forces, and against the Jamaat-e-Islami, are completely wrong.
The Urdu-speaking Bihari still live in camps. After 41 years, they are in their third generation, and they are still living in camps. There is no water, dirty streets, they still call themselves Pakistanis, and because of that they receive no help from the government.
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A good initiative. The politicians in Pakistan, especially the present political parties will not agree to apolagize .
Interesting comment. Thanks MaS. I have to admit hinavg enough trouble struggling to grasp the inane extremes of Christianity much less exploring the depths of Islam. How did we all get swept up in this fundamentalist extremism of our respective faiths?Imagine if the Muslim world had never had oil but, instead, a favourable climate and an abundance of fertile lands and other non-carbon resources? Then, my friend, you would have to struggle with the concept of a region, a faith, a culture able to develop its own style of democratic institutions and prosperity free of Western influence. Take that back a few centuries and try to imagine where the Islamic world might be today. I don’t care if its your prophet or mine – somebody made us really, really stupid.
a very very sitpud sitpud analysis full of hatredouldbanglash is a bery very dear brotherly country with pakistan.we pakistani love bangladeshi nation,will love them for ever.but this indian propaganda machine would be unsuccessful INSHALLAH.they should understand this was a cricket match.long live pakistan and long live bangladesh.
Pakistani politicians are foolest politician. Ignorant. people who believe that pakistani army did nothing wrong in Bangladesh should check out some international resources. There are videos and interviews of people in youtube. Just see the pictures of atrocities. They have burnt villages, one after another because some guyz of that village was in Mukti Bahini and people from those villages help them. So to deal with it, the pakistani army was killing everyone. How funny!!! How fool. Pakistani people should apologize. I live outside Bangladesh. I meet pakistani people of new generation. I dont have any hartret for them. But if I find anyone who thinks that pakistani army did the right thing in 1971 in Bangladesh, keep in mind, I will be hating him with all my heart.