The evolution of Taliban radio appears to be mirroring the evolution of the Taliban itself — from “appealing” to just plain ugly: “Women would follow all the instructions he gave in the beginning and listened very carefully to the radio, however, it lost it’s attraction for them as soon as Durran started dictating what to do and what not to do.”
“This is Radio Taliban…,” by Fawad Ali Shah for the Daily Times, May 18:
KARACHI: “Da paka army na ganda army da, da kafiran di dwee na sirf sar na di prekawol pakar balkai da dwee tukri tukri kol pakar di,” (They are not the Pak army, they are infidels, not only behead them but also chop their bodies up into little pieces), this is what Zuleikha, 52, heard on Fazlullah FM, after the military operation was launched in Swat; it was Maulana Shah Duran, a close-aide of Maulana Fazlullah, who delivered the speech.
“They call the police and army infidels and have given permission to everyone to kill them,” says Zuleikha, who hails from the Khwazakhela Town of the Swat Valley.[…]
Zuleikha reveals that Maulana Shah Duran, who was one of the three speakers on Fazlullah FM, would use abusive language when talking about government officials. The FM radio would broadcast programmes from 8:00 to 10:00 pm and rebroadcast them from seven to nine in the morning. The programme schedule was divided into three segments; the recitation of Holy Quran verses and their inferences, threats to opponents and a programme titled “˜Good News”.
Many violent incidents started after Maulana Fazlullah established a FM radio station in Swat; he first used the station for the purpose of reciting and preaching Quranic verses, but later on, he and his accomplices used it to spread propaganda. This radio station was very popular among women, who traditionally stay at home in the Malakand division. On it, they could learn the Quran and the principles of Islam.
“When I heard it for the first time, I found it very informative,” the elderly woman, playing with her granddaughter’s locks said. The station would teach us Islamic rituals and other things, she added, however, she laments that later on, Maluana Fazlullah and Shah Durran started using abusive languages on the station. “Women would follow all the instructions he gave in the beginning and listened very carefully to the radio, however, it lost it’s attraction for them as soon as Durran started dictating what to do and what not to do,” Zuleikha went on to say. “Even after the peace agreement was signed they continued dictating people.”…