Afghans to probe accident that precipitated riots

une 3, 2006

By Kim Barker Chicago Tribune

KABUL, Afghanistan — The cleric told about 10,000 worshipers that Afghans made one mistake in their anti-American riots Monday. They should never have looted any Afghan shops. "I'm telling you, if you want to put pressure, put it on the Americans," Maulavi Enayatullah Baligh thundered during Friday prayers at Kabul's largest mosque. "If you want to fight, fight them. If you want to burn, burn them."

His sermon underlined how anti-Western feelings have boiled over since a U.S. military cargo truck lost control and hit 12 vehicles during rush-hour traffic Monday morning. During the following riots, at least 20 Afghans were killed and 160 injured.

Dozens of buildings, many linked to international aid groups, were burned and looted, causing millions of dollars in damage. Rumors spread through the city that the U.S. soldiers were drinking alcohol and dancing on the convoy trucks after the accident. That such rumors were false did not stop people from believing them.

On Friday, police and national army soldiers brandished riot shields at intersections and made sure that any volatile Friday prayers did not spark further protests. A nightly curfew continued, and by Friday evening, all seemed quiet in Kabul. Street carts sold mangos and ice cream. Children played soccer.

more: http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060603/NEWS/606030319/1002/EDUCATION05

the ranks of the Disciples can be increased, and how religious extremism can spread right under people's noses?

But seriously, it can't have *anything* to do with mosques and madaris, what people hear each week and which is called "peace" and "tolerance", to guide the action of the best nation. Nope. Can't. They only preach the incredible tolerance and peace, the willingness to turn the other cheek, that has always defined every action of every Muslim, from Muhammed to the present. Surely Muhammed only preached forgiveness ... never retribution or punishment?

Perhaps this loon is a fool, rejected by the masses that come to hear him speak. Sorry, can't buy that snake-oil. So perhaps he's an isolated, though popular, imam? Nah.

The Toronto Star ran a story a couple of weeks ago about a different imam saying the same things--but not in reaction to the truck crash. Perhaps he was truly inspired, prescient. Or perhaps he's pissed, like this guy is, that people dare do something he disapproves of, especially those nasty foreigners. Nah, that would be fundamentalism. And xenophobia. Of course, a large percentage of Pashtuns and other Pakistanis would then be fundamentalist, intolerant, and xenophobic. (Oops ... did I just say 'large percentage'? No, nearly none, an infinitesimal percentage ... after all, that would mean many, many millions of Muslims were intolerant and xenophobic, and that's ruled out a priori, by definition.)

You don't confront the real problem, all you do is confront the symptoms. Musharraf is walking a fine line between fellow-traveller and principled opponent of these dorks; he'll have to decide. Karzai appears to be lining up as 'fellow traveler'.