Dual Standadrds of TTP & Jammat-e-Islami exposed

jhangvimurshid KARACHI> Shia Target Killing K Naam Per Qoum Ko Baghawat Per Uksaya Ja Raha Hai.Ksi Ko Pak Ki Salamti Se Khelne Nhi Dengy. Alama Farooqi Sb Attacker’s demonic tattoo draws fresh TTP conclusions By Kamran Yousaf Published: December 17, 2012 The tattoo shows a demonic image inspired by a Peruvian painter. PHOTO: REUTERS ISLAMABAD: One of the 10 terrorists involved in Saturday night’s brazen attack on Peshawar airport had Western-style “tattoos” on his body, raising questions about the identities of those behind the assault. Security officials said at least five of the 10 attackers involved appeared to be Uzbek nationals. But counter-terrorism officials are perplexed by the discovery of a demonic “tattoo” on the back of one of the terrorists. “It’s the first time I have seen tattoos on the bodies of terrorists,” added the official, who has been part of several counter-terrorism operations in the tribal regions. What does the tattoo show? The image, though incomplete, appears to be a rendition of a Boris Vallejo sorcery-fantasy character. In the militant’s case, the tattoo on his back is unfinished. One entire limb, strands of flowing hair and a smaller-headed sorcery-monster appear to be missing. Vallejo, a Peruvian-born American painter, works almost exclusively in the fantasy and erotica genres. Swords and sorcery gods and monsters are some of his recurrent themes. Tattoo experts say the image on the militant’s body symbolises evil. “Skulls, in my opinion, are demonic representations, but only in visualisation. They represent strength, rebelliousness and serious drawbacks,” said a Lahore-based tattoo artist. “Mostly people who get such tattoos want to give out a message that they defy death, those who have seen death very closely, including criminals, gangsters and even rock stars,” he said on condition of anonymity. About the tattoo on the militant’s body, he said, “It looks 10 to 12 years old. The outlines, curves and shading clearly tell that it has not been made by an expert.” A Karachi-based tattoo artist concurred. “Mostly, criminals and gangsters get such tattoos made on their bodies,” said the artist who works at a tattoo parlour. He also spoke on condition of anonymity. He pointed out that he had not seen a single religious person in his 10-year career with tattoos on his body. “It’s unlikely for a religious person to get such tattoos made on his body,” he said. Religious scholars reaction The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which claims that it is fighting for the enforcement of Islamic shariah, has already claimed responsibility for the attack. That is why this aspect has now added significance because according to religious scholars having tattoos on the human body is against the spirit and teachings of Islam. “You cannot perform religious duties if you have tattoos on your body,” said Prof Khursheed Ahmed, who has written several books on Islam. Associated with Jamaat-e-Islami, Khursheed maintained that the Peshawar airport attack confirmed “our fears that some foreign hands are carrying out these terrorist attacks in the name of Islam.” “A practicing Muslim cannot have such images on his body,” he argued. Mufti Naeem of Karachi’s Jamia Binoria seminary told The Express Tribune that there was no exception to drawing tattoos in Islam as shariah has clearly imposed restrictions on it. “Yes, you can offer prayers but Islam does not permit drawing tattoos on bodies and has banned it,” he said. The head of Pakistan Ulema Council Allama Tahir Ashrafi also endorsed the view. “It was astonishing to see the body with a horrible face tattooed on his body. Islam does not allow drawing tattoos,” he added. “This cannot be the body of a Muslim.” ‘True face of TTP’ But a security official pointed out that tattoos on the bodies of terrorists exposed the TTP claims that they were fighting for Islam. “We know their (TTP) true face. We have raided their dens and even found pornographic films and male potency drugs from there,” he said. When approached, the director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations, Maj-Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa, said the authorities investigating the airport attack would certainly look into all possibilities. “But it is premature to draw any conclusion at this point,” Maj- Gen Bajwa told The Express Tribune. (With additional reporting by Umer Farooq in Peshawar, Ayesha Hasan in Lahore and Farhan Sharif in Karachi) Published in The Express Tribune, December 17th, 2012. ======== Militants battle Pakistani police after attacking airport Sun, Dec 16 06:26 AM EST 1 of 3 By Jibran Ahmad PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Militants holed up in a half-built house in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar battled security forces on Sunday after taking part in an attack on a nearby airport the previous night, officials said. All five of the militants who were holed up in two buildings under construction were killed by the afternoon, a provincial government and army official said. The shoot-out erupted hours after an attack on Peshawar airport. The military declared the airport secure after killing five attackers who rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the outer wall of the airfield and battled guards after dark on Saturday. The raid on the airport was the biggest assault on a high-profile military facility in Pakistan since gunmen stormed an air base in the province of Punjab in August, and underscored the resilience and reach of Pakistan's Taliban insurgents. The Pakistani Taliban, who have been fighting for more than five years to overthrow the state, said they had sent 10 men to attack the airport. "Five militants were hiding in an under-construction house near Peshawar airport," said Mian Iftikhar Hussain, a spokesman for the provincial government, on Sunday. "All of them were suicide bombers. They had weapons and hand grenades." One policeman was killed and two wounded in the clash on Sunday, he said. During the Saturday night attack on the airport, three rockets slammed into a nearby residential area. Health and police officials said at least four civilians had been killed and 45 wounded in the flurry of blasts and gunshots. Authorities sealed off the airport, which handles military and civilian traffic, during the attack and suspended flights. The gritty streets of Peshawar, the gateway to the Khyber Pass and Afghanistan beyond, have often been shaken by bomb attacks and shootings, but residents said this was the first significant raid on the heavily guarded airport. (Reporting By Jibran Ahmad; Editing by Robert Birsel)