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Coverstory A Call To Arms Jihadi newspapers offer a disturbing insight into the medieval
mindset of their parent organisations. By Naziha Syed Ali
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The image is ripe with metaphorical suggestions… a collage of a Kalashnikov and two lurid red and orange roses against a backdrop of a flowing river over which flies a fighter jet. The image is emblazoned with the message “Rise! Rise, you who yearn for heaven!” This is the cover of a recent issue of the fortnightly Jaish Muhammad, one of several jihadi publications brought out from Karachi that urge Muslims to join their co-religionists in fighting “holy wars” in various parts of the world, such as Chechnya, Kashmir and, of course, Afghanistan. Among these, the best-selling publication is Dharb-i-Mumin , a weekly newspaper brought out in Urdu and English by the Al-Rasheed Trust (whose accounts were recently frozen by the State Bank of Pakistan for allegedly funding terrorist activities) and a group of jihadi organisations. The paper has an estimated readership of between one-and-a-half to two lakhs. Next is Jaish-e-Muhammad – also in Urdu and English – with an estimated readership of one lakh, rather good going for a fortnightly that saw the light of day only after its chief editor, Maulana Masood Azhar, was released from an Indian prison less than two years ago in exchange for the lives of passengers aboard the Air India jet which was hijacked to Kathmandu in December 1999. In a recent editorial, Jaish-e- Muhammad adopts a defiantly nonchalant stance to the fact of its parent organisation, the Jaish-e-Muhammad party, being officially categorised a terrorist group by the west. “Definitely, this is a matter of delight and a medal for us that Almightly Allah’s enemies are troubled by us and they are giving the testimony of our Jihad....In this battle the winners are the Muslims only if they are faithful to their religion. Today the Taliban movement has reached the infidel annoying stage and is busy in the war… Jaish-e-Muhammad (Sallalahu alaihi wasallam) has also reached the infidel annoying stage in a short period.” Judging by his copious contributions to various jihadi publications in which he fulminates against the “infidel” forces, Maulana Masood Azhar is obviously putting his pen where his mouth is. Some of the other jihadi publications of note are Islam Daily , which is also brought out by the Al-Rasheed Trust, and the Al-Hilal newspaper, the mouthpiece of the Harkatul Mujahideen, the Pakistani organisation deemed one of the most active on the warfront in Afghanistan. Since the US strikes on Afghanistan began on October 6, these publications have seen increased sales of approximately 25 per cent and more, according to several newspaper vendors and wholesalers. One vendor on Bunder Road in Karachi claimed that each day he sells about 40 copies of Islam Daily , up from 25 prior to the war. Another states that Dharb-i-Mumin is selling at the rate of 75 copies a day compared to 35 copies until about two months ago. The English edition of the latter reportedly has an extremely low readership. The content of these publications is a mixture of a call to arms, eulogies to those who have embraced “shahadat” (martyrdom) and morale-boosting news items for well-wishers of the mujahideen. In the process, news tends to undergo a makeover and re-emerge with an optimistic spin on it. Thus, the fall of Taloqan and Mazar-i-Sharif in the November 14 issue of Islam Daily are described as tactical withdrawals by the Taliban, an interpretation consistently adhered to in other newspapers of the same ilk. In the Dharb-i-Mumin issue of November 15-21, a headline announces, “Taliban more stable than ever,” conveniently overlooking the fact that the Northern Alliance troops had entered Kabul on November 13 without any resistance from the Taliban forces after establishing their hold – barring pockets of resistance here and there – over Mazar-i-Sharif, Bamiyan, Taloqan, Herat and Jalalabad in a week that marked a turning point in the Taliban’s fortunes. Some news reports are blatantly concocted, such as the one in the latest issue of Dharb-i-Mumin titled “5000 armed, veiled women express desire to take part in jihad.” This seminal event, which would have drawn the international media, notwithstanding its prejudices, like bees to nectar had it been true, is said to have taken place in Bajaur agency. The article also reports that “When it was said during speeches that a time could come when women also have to come out in the battlefield for the protection of Islam, certain armed ladies present at the gathering resorted to heavy firing by Kalashnikovs to announce their willingness.” The few strains of reliable reportage are lost in an avalanche of tedious, verbose and jingoistic rhetoric. Death, crusaders, infidels, Zionists, Muslims, jihad, shahadat… these are some of the key words used like the staccato beat of a war drum through the text. A medieval worldview that divides people on the basis of religion (Muslims are further sifted into “good” and “bad” categories) forms the cornerstone of editorial policy and rambling accounts of famous historical battles from which Muslims emerged as victors, such as the battle of Badr, are offered as inspiration to the latter-day mujahid. The narrow vision notwithstanding, there is a fair amount of creative licence in terms of language. The writers are no strangers to the art of the mixed metaphor. “When the clamours of Jaish arose in the prisons of infidelity, then the typical Hindu grain seller became sleepless,” reads an excerpt from an issue of Jaish-e-Muhammad . The universal villain, the one that embodies the entire “infidel” race, is the US, denounced in various colourful phrases – “the global terrorist, the murderer of millions, Aids-stricken America” and “crusading monsters” – being some of the choice ones. President Bush, of course, is “the chieftain of the crusaders.” The publications carry quotes from the Quran and Hadith that reinforce the importance of jihad as a pillar of the faith and emphasise Islam’s superiority to other religions. One recent example: “You (Muslims) are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind. You enjoin good and forbid evil and believe in Allah. [3:10]” The tendency to consign followers of other religions to hell upon their death while the mujahideen and even ordinary Muslim civilians invariably embrace martyrdom seems to be one of the basic principles of editorial policy. Muslims opposing the Taliban are also given short shrift. In an issue of Dharb-i-Mumin , a report on the execution of Abdul Haq, the mujahideen commander who was seeking to create a rift in the Taliban ranks, reads, “His interest in becoming a warrior and crusader led him to the gallows of death.” In the paper’s latest issue, the bete noire is the Uzbek commander General Dostum, who is denounced through several colour photographs that are evidence, claim the editors, of his immoral lifestyle. One image shows the plush, crystal-bedecked interior of a large room with a swimming pool as its centrepiece. An excerpt from the caption: “After ridding the Afghan people of debauched and licentious elements, the Taliban had provided them a sincere and people-friendly government.” While the first half of the statement cannot be denied, describing the Taliban as “people-friendly” might be rather an overstatement. Another photograph shows a crate of vodka ostensibly seized from Dostum’s stronghold when the Taliban captured Mazar-i-Sharif five years ago. The last photograph is that of musical intruments, also allegedly “found in General Dostum’s royal residence” by the Taliban. The caption to this photograph reads, “The Taliban had revived the Prophetic practice of smashing musical instruments. After taking control of Mazar-i-Sharif and Kabul, the Northern Alliance celebrated its devilish success by singing songs and playing music.” The affinity of
the jihadi organisations with the austere, harsh brand of Islam
practiced by the Taliban is clearly obvious from the pictures used
in their publications. As
in newspapers during the Taliban-era in Afghanistan, no representation
of living creatures, human or otherwise, is allowed, a stricture
that sometimes results in ingenious manoeuvring with computer technology.
A depiction of a protest rally against the US bombing of
Afghanistan for instance, shows part of a hand holding open a copy
of the Quran in the foreground against a backdrop of several placards
merging into each other. However, photos of shrouded corpses, at least
of non-Muslims, are apparently kosher.
Maps and images/illustrations of the US arsenal, including
aircraft carriers and cluster bombs, accompany several articles. Recent issues have also been replete with photographs
of the jewellery and cash donated for Afghan refugees, particularly
in the four-page colour section of Dharb-i-Mumin which is printed on expensive art paper. The Al-Rasheed Trust, which prints the paper,
collects donations, in cash and kind, for the Afghans. Religious and ideological symbols are also
employed to dramatic effect. The
November issue of Banat-i-Ayesha , a monthly jihadi magazine for
women brought out by Jaish-e-Mohammad, depicts the cross, the star
of David and communism’s sickle and scythe lying in ruins, bathed
in rays of light emanating from the copy of the Holy Quran.
Meanwhile, to drive its point home, each page of Jaish-e-Muhammad
displays the picture of two crossed Kalashnikovs.
There can be no more succint statement of intent than that. |
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