Just a few burqa-clad females from one school decided to take the law in their own hand for one day and everyone is trying to make all sorts of projections and predictions -- Many for their own vested interest. Everyone has hyped it up to the nth degree.

Manz, Boston, USA

They are doing this in all countries where there is an islamic community,but in a discreet manner for the time being.
What will the future bring for Europe?

David Nigel Braham, Milan, Italy

'we live next door in India and are watching the situation in Pakistan with concern.India has been a democracy for 60 years and we guard it very very carefully.'

I don't agree with the situation in Pakistan - I think this is the work of ignorant, backward people. However, I don't agree that India is a Democracy - how can it be, when it employs the caste system whereby certain communities are regarded as 'untouchables' and are denied access to basic resources. Where does democracy fit in here?

Regardless of caste, colour or creed - backward and ignorant people the world over employ fear as a control tactic. Whether they are Jewish extremists, Hindu extremists, Islamic or Chrisitian fundamentalists etc. - all are guilty of the same thing.

To make a sweeping generalisation about any peoples is an indication of a weak mind and borders on the bigoted.

Lucash, Delhi, India

Its not just Pakistan where this happens. The same tactics are alive and well in
some parts of London. And spreading the nasty influence of militant islam.

the informer, London, UK

The people who despise Bush and Blair--for good reason--will be in for a grand surpise when the Taliban takes over, as the freely liberated Western woman is forced to don burka and adopt an attitude that she is a temptress and a source of all sin. And what about the liberated, progressive male of today and his liberal beliefs? He, too, will experience a new world of coercion where he will be forced to think and act as the proverbial sacrificial cow, without an inkling of freedom. A Brave New World but not at the hands of the communists but at the hands of the Taliban and other Islamic fundamentalists. Only then, enslaved and treated like oxen, will people start to appreciate that Bush and Blair, incompetent democrats catering to the masses, were pitiful amateurs compared to the Dark Age hordes now massing at the borders, laughing at the weakness and appeasement of the West, and ready for the slaughter.

Tony, Puerta Vallarta, Mexico

Islam is at a crossroads. It is more than a religion, and certainly not a private religion alone, it has a social, economic and political outworking - which the Iranian revolution implemented. Even so called 'secular' Islamic states are in constant tension with the clericalist Islamists who campaign for a Sharia state: Egypt, Algeria, Turkey, Indonesia are all embattled by hardliners whose parties are close to voting in clericalist rule. That is why democracy in such states is not fully possible - without mutation into Sharia states. It is time for 'moderate' Muslims to tell us the answer to this rising tide of hard line Islam. Ruth Kelly here at home is clearly very worried by its effects.

Blackstone, Abingdon, UK

we live next door in India and are watching the situation in Pakistan with concern.India has been a democracy for 60 years and we guard it very very carefully. The West will now understand how the Islamists bite the hand that feeds it. These thugs are reminiscent of the 'brown shirts' of the 1920's in Europe and it took two world wars to remove them from power. They are illiterate boors,have no sense of honour and only understand the laws of the land when firmly dealt with. Just look at the countries from the Eastern Med to the Far East and there are only 3 real democracies.The rest are theocracies / dictatorships period. It is time for democracies to wake up to this reality and take measures to bring this crescent of crisis under control before the 'fifth horsemen' arrive. Unfortunately they have energy resources which the world consumes and pays for and wealth so generated is used by them to fund wars around the globe!! Why are we funding these characters??

dave seth, new delhi, india

Its not just Pakistan where this happens. The same tactics are alive and well in
many parts of London. And spreading the nasty influence of militant islam.

the informer, London, UK

“It’s like if you have garbage outside your house and the city authorities fail to clear it "

Why not:
It's like you have a God, but he fails to do it .....?
These people lack confidence in their God.

Per, Oslo,

As a Pakistani, I view the rise of these elements with great concern. I also agree with analysts who feel that President Musharraf is deliberately allowing these elements a certain amount of latitude, in an effort to convince his allies in Washington DC that the only alternative to his rule is an Islamist take-over. I feel that the government is easily capable of cracking down on these elements, and will eventually do it.

I don't think these fanatics can take over Pakistan yet. We still have educated, secular people who will resist this. This is Pakistan, not Afghanistan. The majority of working-class Pakistanis are hard-working and face great economic challenges. They simply don't have the time to engage in fundamentalism and moralist crusades.

Ziyad, Lahore, Pakistan

i think musharraf should have the backbone to stand up to these thugs. how we in pakistan wish someone were to provide these 10,000 to martyr themselves - ideally they can suicide bomb themselves against each other in this mad rassa - i am sure some mullah can find some quranic verse justifing them killing them selves and taking their ilk with them so the rest of pakistan can live in peace and prosper.
enough is enough musharraf either help these religious maniacs to get rid of themselves or get out of the way and let others handle this enemy of pakistan and islam.

Mohammed, Islamabad, Pakistan

They better stand up to the radicals now before it gets any worse. otherwise Pakistan will become another Afganistan but with nukes. It's not looking good for world peace. India must be nervous. I can' t see any good coming from this.

Jay, Cardiff, UK

It's a sure bet that this type of behavior will start happening all over Europe and Britain very soon. Hope the state can protect you, because you will be forbidden to protect yourselves.

Porcupine, Washington, DC

If these people get control of Pakistans nuclear weapons ,we will all be soon living back in the stone age again .
Reg ,Aylesbury, England

Reg , Aylesbury, England

It is their business, and they are not exporting their ideology to Europe or anywhere else, you on the other hand are exporting your corruption everywhere, so why cry if they do the same. Bottom line you Islamist have right to government of their choice, not west's choice and they will have it, and you can do nothing but watch, both of your wars will fail. You think these people are uneducated, they are more educated in western philosophy and sciences they you might thing. We will establish Khlafa and you would deal with one Muslim country and your hegemony will end.

jEnnaBoo, Austin, TX, USA

Pakistani citizens, including Bangladeshis, have borne the brunt of military thuggery since the coup in 1958. Armed forces are now held in such contempt that application of the constitution's article 6 (treason and death) on all serving and retired Generals would be a cause for celebration. Instead the army celebrated the 27th anniversary of PM Bhutto's hanging on April 4th, by kicking out a serving Chief Justice a month earlier, to insure rigging another election. While the jury is still out on this, ISI is busy terrorising secular citizens by letting loose fundamentalist storm troopers, all ISI supported and trained since Zia-ul-Haq's days, to create civil conflict. Such scenes are designed to push panic buttons in western capitals, fearing loss of nuclear weapons to the mullahs, to temper current western critisism. Do not loose heart and fall into that trap. Mullahs will be sanctioned by a Government of the people and your support is needed to ensure that the people elect it.

Billoo Bhai, Lahore, Pakistan

Pakistan is going to be the next religious nightmare to unfold. Like some 'Sleeping Policmen' placed upon a road, the only effect the the US and Nato have had is to move the problem elsewhere.

For us here in the UK, our solution is simple. Separate Religion from the State and do so completely. There will be zero tollerance of any religious activity paid for by the State. The State will provide a religious free education. Practicing members of any religion will be allowed to continue under license and with regular state inspection. No religious brainwashing of the young will be tollerated. Any licensed premise found doing so, will be shut down.

Religion becomes a private matter with no state support, save for respecting the wishes of those who have died in its service.

David Downes, Chester, UK

This is the poster child for why organized religion can be so incredibly dangerous. People actually believe in this tripe. Allen of Laguna Woods poses the question whether Democrats believe they can negotiate with these type of people. My question to Allen would be....do you believe you can go to war against every country that has this evil in it? Look at the state of our forces just from five years in Iraq. Even the commanders say we are near the breaking point. This is an evil that must be dealt with in a smarter manner than we have done so far. Start by refusing the H1V visas to countries that harbor this mentality, who's people our country employs for cheap labor. Stop importing their goods. This is not the same type of war as in WW1 or 2. It is an amorphous evil that transcends any country. Look at it as a guerrilla war of evil ideas. We should reacting smarter than we have been.

Mike Hermsen, omaha, Nebraska/U.S.A.

What is happening in Islamabad is Reagan's Holy Warrior's from 1979 who are back to haunt the world.
The Religious seminaries (Madrasah's) were propogated in the 70's and 80's by Western taxpayer's money. Maybe someone asks the CIA and their friends a few questions too.
The way forward is to openly support President Musharraf and the moderates, rather than in half measures.
Please do not forget the MAJORITY of Muslims are ordinary moderates.
Grant is right:
Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it.

M S Quraishi, Nottingham, Notts

Oh yeah. By the way, muslims aren't really "sons" of Allah. Nor daughters of Allah, or any particular relative really. It's kind of not technically possible being that Allah is like, intangible and everywhere. I mean, He's God. Not in the Jesus sense. He just IS. The One & Only God. He wasnt like born to anyone or married to anyone. No offense to other religions but that's kind of the point of being the Creator of all life. No chicken and the egg conundrum.

i'm not a religion/race. I'm just ME., b.s.b, Brunei

I have this to say. Islam is not, and has never been, nor will it ever be, a religion that FORCES people to adhere to it. Islam is a religion that allows CHOICE. People have a personal right to CHOOSE for themselves whether or not they should or should not do such and such action. Islamic preachers can only GUIDE. NOT force. To 'guide' is true Islam and to 'force' is what is UNislamic. Those who force religion on others by using weapons and murder and commit suicide and calling it so-called "sacrifice for the good of Islam" are misled fanatics. These people are not followers of the true islam. Its always really people who do damage to people, its their own human nature, not religion nor race. I can say all this because i AM a muslim. I believe in Islam. it's people who have things to gain from subverting the religion that cause fanaticism. its just all wrong. its all so stupid. UGH.

i'm not a religion/race. I'm just ME., b.s.b, Brunei

Intolerance and inflexibility is what these imams (who for personal power clothed under the guise of Islam) preach. It is perverse and unholy, unworthy of any religion. The masses are being led through the nose like in Nuremburg in the early to mid 1930s.

Mario, Miami, FL US

Back to the 14th Century? They'll grow out of it, eventually. Look at Europe in the corresponding historical period - torquemada, etc., locking Galileo up for daring to challenge the church's "astronomy". People are stupid, let's face it.

James Montgomery, NYC,

Depressing !
Next they'll exporting their "ideology" to Europe. Many of those "students" are going to surface as imams, and some will find their way to Europe.
Two large Danish municipalities are presently considering having imams frequent kindergartens to secure the correct environment and handling of the muslim children. First time religion ever entered into that sector!
Next it will be schools - and thereafter universities, hospitals and workplaces.
Churchill must be revolving in his grave - read "The River War II", pages 248-250.

Gerald B., Aarhus, Denmark

Those 10,000 sons of Allah say that they are willing to sacrifice their bodies. I think Musharraf better provide them their wish of martyrdom, otherwise he will be the one hanging from a tree.

Carlos Medica, Aurora, Oregon

This story is reminiscent of the rise of the Brown Shirts in pre-Nazi Germany, gangs of thugs roaming around to foist their warped ideas onto the community. Nothing was done about this thuggery at the time and look at what it took eventually to rid the world of that evil ideology.
Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it.

Grant, Scarsdale New York, USA

Do the Democrats really believe it is possible to negotiate with these people?
How would theTimes deal with those who believe that beheading and torturing is an honor and should be honored?

Allen, Laguna Woods,