I received this text message from a friend who fortunately is one of those who has not only read history but also never forget it.

“Richard the Lionheart fought the crusades against Muslims who were valiantly defended by Salahuddin Ayubi. In operation LionHeart, who is lion heart in present context? Can somebody ask Gen Ather Abbas?”

Since, I was running fever and hadn’t watched TV or read newspaper for a couple of days; I ask him that what operation Lionheart is? He informed me that joint operation of Pakistani and ISAF forces in FATA is named operation Lionheart. I then forwarded that text message to my favorite hosts and was lucky to get reply from two of them. In their reply they told me that they would ask the question as the next day they were meeting Gen Abbas in Seminar in the Capital. To my knowledge, till these lines are typed, no has asked this questions on-air, may be due to the censor policies of their channels.



However, the messages like these are roaming through cellular network;



“Now the crusades against Muslims of Pakistan and Afghanistan have been named operation Lionheart after the title of crusader King Richard who fought against Salahudin Ayubi for four years and massacred each and every Muslim in Al-Quds when he conquered it for a brief period. The US Army, NATO and (some of the words are edited here) our own army are operating together under the operation Lionheart, there is no doubt left for the real Muslims and Pakistanis to recognize who their clear enemies are! If you love Islam and Pakistan now is the time to stand and fight for our Faith and Country.”

We can easily call these text messages, the views of radicals, extremists, illiterates, conservatives, enemies of free society and social change and so on. But we can’t deny the truth that speaks very loud between the lines. Whether it should be a matter of our Faith or not, it’s debatable as there are the people who still believe this is “our own War”. But what is the reason and intention behind naming an operation against Muslim, no matter extremist or moderate, after the name of a cruel crusader KINGS?

It’s a new world, a cyber world, an era of information. I hope our forces and agencies would not loose their energy on making way out to shut the month speaking truth, but answering these simple question such as;

Why has a joint operation in FATA named after crusaders?

Is this a Slip of pin like the slip tong by Mr Bush right after 9/11 when he termed the war on terror as a Crusade?

Is it a deliberate act of western forces who think that Muslim masses would be stupid like their leadership and would have forgotten their history?

My friends are suggested to visit the following links for reading about Richard Lionheart. It will be also healthy for those responsible for dealing with western powers to visit the recommended Links.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_I_of_England

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/richard_i_king.shtml

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/crusades.htm

http://www.templarhistory.com/richard.html

http://www.jasarat.com/unicode/detail.php?category=8&coluid=241

Especially this one, Slaughter in the Desert

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/lionheart.htm