Taliban rule the roost in Swat through FM radio - Benazir Bhutto's image on
Arizona Coin Collector
On the story below, the second paragraph from
the bottom got me. Benazir Bhutto's image on
coins
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FROM:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=19403
International - The News
Taliban rule the roost in Swat through FM radio
Monday, January 05, 2009
By Rahimullah Yusufzai
PESHAWAR: Most people in Swat are becoming regular listeners
of the FM radio channel run by the Maulana Fazlullah-led
Swati Taliban as they want to know about new threats or
decrees issued by the militants.
The nighttime broadcasts are also heard in certain areas
outside Swat district. This has enabled the Taliban to
spread their influence in parts of Upper Dir and Lower
Dir districts and Malakand Agency and order people around
in those places.
On Sunday, a man named Karimullah in Ouch Gharbi village
near Chakdarra in Lower Dir district was quoted as saying
in a newspaper report that he has stopped handing out
"Taweez" or amulets to the needy following a warning given
to him by Maulana Fazlullah's deputy Maulana Shah Dauran
on the FM radio. Henceforth, Karimullah said he would do
farming to earn his livelihood and never indulge in any
'un-Islamic' act.
At 8 pm every night, Maulana Shah Dauran begins his daily
broadcasts by reciting the holy Quran with translation
and interpretation in Pashto. For the next two to
two-and-a-half hours, he speaks on a variety of topics,
making announcements about Swat Taliban Shura decisions,
providing information about the day's events and militants'
attacks, and issuing threats to all those violating
Taliban decrees.
Shah Dauran, who belongs to Qambar village near Swat's
biggest city, Mingora, has been doing his nightly radio
show now for several months. He is a regular and has
seldom missed his show. He is known to use harsh language
against political opponents, government functionaries
and those adjudged as criminals by him and Taliban Shura.
The names of those in power are mentioned in a
derisive manner and fun is made of some of their actions
and pronouncements.
The FM radio is obviously illegal but it continues to
operate every night. Sometimes, the authorities try to
block its broadcasts but the radio is back on air after
a while. Shah Dauran attributes this to Allah's help for
Taliban and tells his listeners that their FM radio
broadcasts cannot be blocked as alternate arrangements
were in place to continue broadcasting.
Shah Dauran recently announced that his voice on the FM
radio could be heard in Karo Darra and Nihag Darra, two
valleys in Upper Dir district, in Chakdarra in Lower
Dir, and in most of Malakand Agency.
His leader Maulana Fazlullah broadcasts his show on
another FM radio channel that is heard around the same
time every night in upper parts of Swat including Matta,
Khwazakhela, Madyan, Bahrain and Kalam. Unlike Shah
Dauran's harsh tone, Fazlullah is said to be polite in
his broadcasts.
The 33-year-old Fazlullah, it may be added, came to be
known as Mullah radio when he started out as a preacher
initially a few years ago and then politicised his
agenda. The use of the FM radio gave him recognition
and made him an influential cleric in Swat. Subsequently,
he raised an armed force and then took on the government.
Seeking donations for their group and its projects,
including the huge mosque and madrassa built in
Fazlullah's village, Mamdheri, and announcing the names
or village of donors had been an important segment of
the programming done by his FM radio in the past. This
practice has continued in the broadcasts made by the
two FM Radio channels but now the donors' names aren't
announced. Only the total figure of donations that
Taliban claim residents of a certain village have made
are announced and the donors are praised for
contributing to a worthy cause.
Often, Shah Dauran mentions that complaints have been
received about some government employee not performing
his duty or civic services being inadequate. He
mentions the names of these employees and warns them to
mend their ways. The next day those employees strive to
perform their work efficiently and some approach Taliban
commanders to clarify their position.
Such is the fear of the Swati Taliban that persons
blamed on the FM Radio for selling drugs or liquor hasten
to give up the business or rush to acquaintances having
links with Taliban to help them clear their name.
Policemen have been quitting jobs and placing
advertisements in local newspapers in Swat to announce
their decision. Those handing out amulets or doing other
jobs declared un-Islamic by Taliban also make it a point
to publicly abandon their profession and seek forgiveness.
Shah Dauran also uses the radio to claim responsibility
for Taliban attacks. On December 28, he claimed
responsibility for the suicide bombing that killed 44
people, all civilians except two policemen and a
government employee, at a polling station in Shalbandai
village in Buner district. On another occasion, he
proudly announced that Taliban had killed a female
dancer, Shabana, in Mingora. Recently, he announced
that anyone in Swat found using the new coins carrying
Benazir Bhutto's image would be punished.
Swatis who listen to Shah Dauran's broadcasts said
they do so because they never know their names or
those of their family members may be announced for
being in violation of some Taliban decree. "To survive
in Taliban-ruled Swat, we need to know about decisions
being made by the Taliban Shura," argued a man who for
obvious reasons requested anonymity.
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