Threats and taxes
Friday, July 3, 2009
The News International, Pakistan, Friday, July 03, 2009
A series of calls purportedly from the Taliban have been made to the Hindu community of the Battagram district in the NWFP, and also to some NGOs, attempting to extort money. A Hindu doctor was ordered to collect Rs6 million from his community as 'jizya'. The caller warned all non-Muslims must pay the tax. The precedent for such action seems to have been set some time ago, with Sikhs in various tribal agencies ordered to make 'jizya' payments. It is quite possible that this is no more than a simple act of extortion, by people out to make money. There is as yet no solid evidence of an actual Taliban hand. But the fact is that the fear of militants makes it possible for citizens to be terrorized in this manner. The images of the kind of violence they are capable of remain engrained in many minds. The role played by the Taliban is then possibly being exploited by common criminals. But the root behind the problem is the same. Only when people are confident that the Taliban have gone for good will the sense of fear begin to dissipate.
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A series of calls purportedly from the Taliban have been made to the Hindu community of the Battagram district in the NWFP, and also to some NGOs, attempting to extort money. A Hindu doctor was ordered to collect Rs6 million from his community as 'jizya'. The caller warned all non-Muslims must pay the tax. The precedent for such action seems to have been set some time ago, with Sikhs in various tribal agencies ordered to make 'jizya' payments. It is quite possible that this is no more than a simple act of extortion, by people out to make money. There is as yet no solid evidence of an actual Taliban hand. But the fact is that the fear of militants makes it possible for citizens to be terrorized in this manner. The images of the kind of violence they are capable of remain engrained in many minds. The role played by the Taliban is then possibly being exploited by common criminals. But the root behind the problem is the same. Only when people are confident that the Taliban have gone for good will the sense of fear begin to dissipate.
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Labels: Hindus, Jizya, Taliban, Taxes, Threats, War on Terror
posted @ 11:25 AM,
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