Students Protest at Red Mosque

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Students Protest at Red Mosque

Friday July 27, 2007 9:31 AM

By SADAQAT JAN

Associated Press Writer

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Hundreds of religious students
protested Friday at Islamabad's Red Mosque and blocked a
government-appointed cleric from leading prayers at its planned
reopening.

The protests come more than two weeks after a bloody army
siege at the mosque left more than 100 people dead.

The protesters demanded the return of the mosque's pro-Taliban
former chief cleric, Abdul Aziz - who is in government detention
- to lead Friday afternoon prayers, and shouted slogans against
President Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

“Musharraf is a dog! He is worse than a dog! He should resign!”
students shouted. Some lingered over the ruins of a neighboring
seminary that was demolished by authorities this week. Militants
had used the seminary to resist government forces involved in
the siege.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6809379,00.html