Rising Attacks On Polio Workers In Pakistan - Media Report: Rumors That The Vaccine 'Is A CIA Plot To Sterilize Muslim Children'; Article: 'Jews, Who Dream Of Ruling The World, Have Invented... Vaccines, Drugs, And Injections... To Weaken Muslims'

Article in Urdu magazine titled "Polio: Disease, Or Dangerous Jewish Conspiracy?"

On January 21, 2014, three members of a polio vaccination team, including two women, were shot dead in the streets of Karachi, while another anti-polio health worker was killed in Mansehra district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.[1] According to a January 22 Pakistani media report, "Following the attack[s], health workers halted polio vaccination drives across Pakistan, where efforts to eradicate this crippling disease are being obstructed by the local Taliban militants and hardline clerics, who declare it a Western conspiracy to make children infertile and is against the tenets of Islam."[2]

In recent years, attacks on polio vaccination teams across Pakistan have been increasing. While neighboring India halted polio in 2011 and is to be certified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as polio-free in February 2014, Pakistan has become a cause of concern over rising polio cases, with many countries considering mandating a polio vaccination for travelers from Pakistan.

Across the world there has been progress in polio eradication, but not in Pakistan. In April 2013, a WHO assessment noted that Pakistan was among only three countries - along with Afghanistan and Nigeria - which remained polio-endemic, down from more than 125 in 1988."[3]

The conspiracy theories against polio vaccination gained steam after it emerged that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had used a polio vaccination camp run by Dr. Shakil Afridi to collect information leading to the 2011 military operation in Abbottabad in which Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed. However, Pakistani commentator Raza Rumi tweeted: "Let's face it. Even before Shakil Afridi and #CIA blunders on vaccination were discovered, #polio vaccination was opposed by clerics in Pak[istan]."[4]

The following are excerpts from Pakistani media reports explaining how an anti-vaccination campaign has been strengthened by Islamic clerics over the years in Pakistani society.

"Last Year's [Vaccination] Campaign Missed Almost 300,000 Children"; "During 2013, As Many As 75 Cases Of Polio - Out Of Which 7 In Sindh, 6 In Punjab, 10 In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, And 52 In Federally Administered Tribal Areas… Were Reported"

The following are excerpts from a January 22, 2014 report in Pakistani daily The News, assessing the overall situation in Pakistan regarding the polio vaccination campaign:[5]

"The Prime Minister's Polio Monitoring Cell's data reveals that the polio vaccination campaign has claimed 31 lives of polio workers and policemen from July 17, 2012 'til date [January 21, 2014]. With the rise of attacks on polio workers the vaccination campaign has been badly hampered as last year's campaign missed almost 300,000 children to be vaccinated.

"Not only this, but the international community is also closing the doors for Pakistanis to enter their countries without obtaining polio vaccination certificates prior to leaving the country. Talking to The News … Polio Monitoring Cell's head Dr. Altaf said the Cell has already derived a National Emergency Plan, according to which the government has formed committees on each level. He said they already have provided the security guidelines to the provinces and the provincial governments were bound to provide security to workers and other team members of the entire polio campaign.

"To a question, he said although TTP has vigorously opposed the polio vaccination campaign it has never accepted the responsibility [of attacks on vaccination teams], hence the government is facing unidentified miscreants who want to sabotage the whole campaign.

"The World Health Organization has already declared the city of Peshawar as an epicenter of the polio virus. During 2013, as many as 75 cases of polio - out of which 7 in Sindh, 6 in Punjab, 10 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 52 in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) - were reported in Pakistan.

"If we have a look at the history of resistance against the polio campaign, it was started back in 2005 when the current Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Chief Mullah Fazlullah banned the vaccination in Swat [district, where the Taliban militants were powerful]. However the resistance campaign against the polio vaccination became violent and attacks on the polio workers started after the U.S. forces killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011."

Pakistani Daily Report: "Pakistanis May Face Travel Ban If polio Not Curbed"; "After Infecting China, Egypt, Palestine, And Syria, The Pakistan Polio Virus Now Threatens Turkey And Parts Of Europe"

In November 2013, a Reuters report quoted the World Health Organization as saying that polio that recently crippled at least 13 children in Syria was confirmed as being caused by a strain of the virus that originated in Pakistan and is spreading across the Middle East.[6] Noting that the virus was linked to the strain of Pakistani origin found in Egypt, Israel, and Palestinian territories, the report quoted a UN statement: "Genetic sequencing indicates that the isolated viruses are most closely linked to virus detected in environmental samples in Egypt in December 2012 (which in turn had been linked to wild polio virus circulating in Pakistan)."[7]

A November 14, 2013 report in The News, titled "Pakistanis May Face Travel Ban If Polio Not Curbed," warned: "After infecting China, Egypt, Palestine, and Syria, the Pakistan polio virus now threatens Turkey and parts of Europe, as the ban on anti-polio campaign in parts of the tribal areas continues to deprive thousands of children of vaccination against the crippling disease. The situation also mocks the authorities of the polio program, who tried their level best to eradicate polio from Pakistan. After confirmation from the WHO and UNICEF that the polio virus that infected 13 children in Syria belonged to Pakistan, scientists in Europe have now put the Republic of Turkey in a state of high alert, fearing that the massive refugee movement into the country from Syria may transmit the polio virus…."[8]

However, a government-appointed committee of experts expressed optimism that the Pakistani government can eradicate polio in the year 2014 if it tackles political and management issues that have marred the immunization programs across Pakistan. A two-day meeting of Technical Advisory Group of experts held in Islamabad in November 2013 observed that Pakistan could eliminate polio because the root cause of the problem - in terms of security and management issues - was identified.[9]

"The Government Is Clueless And Has Failed To Frame An Effective National Policy To Counter The Propaganda Against The Polio Campaign"; "The Data Available With The … Polio Monitoring Cell Reveals That Most Of The Attacks On Polio Workers Were Carried Out In Settled [Non-Tribal] Areas [Such As Karachi]"

"The government is clueless and has failed to frame an effective national policy to counter the propaganda against the polio campaign being used by the extremist element. The opponents of the campaign in those specific areas where the polio campaign is opposed vigorously circulate rumors that the vaccine is a CIA plot to sterilize Muslim children. Another myth is that it contains materials forbidden by Islam, such as alcohol and pig's blood.

"The data available with the prime minister's polio monitoring cell reveals that most of the attacks on polio workers were carried out in settled [non-tribal] areas, despite the main opposition in the tribal areas of Pakistan. With the killing of three polio workers in Karachi on January 21, 2014, the toll reached 31 within one and half years, including 10 police personnel.

"[In Karachi] the first attack on polio workers was carried out on July 17, 2012 in Gadap Town Karachi, wounding two polio workers. However, the very next day on July 18, 2012 a polio worker was shot dead in the same area of Gadap Town Karachi. Then the next victim in this regard was a worker in Quetta who was killed on October 16, 2012. The month of November was silent, and then December 18 [2012] was deadly for the polio workers as five persons were killed, including four in Karachi's Landhi, Baldia, and Korangi area and one in Peshawar. The next day was deadly for the workers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as two workers were killed in Charsadda and one in Peshawar.

"In 2013, the first month of the year claimed three lives of poor polio workers as one policeman protecting the workers was killed in Swabi on January 28 and two workers were killed in Kurram Agency on January 31. The month of February claimed one life as one polio worker was killed in Mardan on February 26. Similarly, one policeman was killed in Mardan on April 10. Then in June one Levi personnel was killed in Bajaur and two workers were killed on May 28 in Peshawar.

"Similarly, on June 16 [2013], two workers were shot dead in Swabi while on July 30 one worker was shot dead in Pishin as well. Then on October 7, two policemen were killed in Peshawar. The next victim in this campaign was also a policeman, who was killed on November 30 and that too in Peshawar. Similarly, two policemen who were protecting polio workers were killed in Swabi on December 13 and on the same day one polio worker was also killed in Khyber Agency as well. The year 2014 has now claimed three lives of poor polio workers. The government pays them only … 200 [Pakistani Rupees] per day."

From The MEMRI Archives - Taliban Commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur: "Because Of The Day-And-Night Flight Of Drone Aircraft, Nearly Every Waziristani Has Become Mentally Ill... Which Is More Dangerous Than Polio"

In a pamphlet dated June 16, 2012, Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a Taliban commander, ordered a ban on polio vaccination in Waziristan. A similar order was also issued by Taliban commander Maulvi Nazir Ahmad, now deceased. The pamphlet read: "Hafiz Gul Bahadur, the servant of the Shura-e-Mujahideen North Waziristan, in consultation with the Shura has decided that there will be a ban on administering polio drops until the series of [U.S.] drone attacks is stopped.

"What is the benefit of the goodwill of such benefactors [Americans] who on the one hand are spending billions of Rupees [Pakistani currency] on the eradication of polio while polio infects just a few among the hundreds of thousands of people...?

"Because of the day-and-night flights of drone aircraft, nearly every Waziristani has become mentally ill, or is becoming so - which is more dangerous than polio. Furthermore, there is strong possibility that [someone is] spying against the mujahideen for America in the garb of polio vaccination campaigns. And Dr. Shakil Afridi is a living example of that [for carrying out a vaccination campaign in Abbottabad to track the presence of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden]."[10]

Pakistani Media Report: Over 200 Tribal Elders And Islamic Scholars "Endorse Taliban Ban On Polio Vaccination"

In July 2012, media reported on an event held in Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan, where tribesmen decided to endorse a Taliban man on polio vaccinations. According to the report:

"Tribesmen endorsed a Taliban ban on polio vaccinations Wednesday [July 18], closing the door to the prospect of any child being vaccinated in North Waziristan as part of a nationwide campaign. [Local government officials] ... had pinned their last hopes of inoculating children in the northwestern district on talks with tribesmen, which were successively delayed until Wednesday, the last day of the nationwide campaign.

"'Polio vaccination will be banned until drone attacks are stopped,' tribal elder Qadir Khan told a gathering of more than 200 elders and Islamic scholars in Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan. 'Drones martyr so many children, while polio afflicts one or two out of hundreds of thousands,' said tribal elder Maamoor Khan."[11]

Media Report: Punjab-Based Islamic Cleric "Declares Jihad Against Polio Campaign"

In June 20102, an Islamic cleric in the town of Muzaffargarh in Punjab province described the polio vaccination campaign as un-Islamic, and called for jihad against the health workers visiting the area. According to a Pakistani media report:

"A cleric [Maulvi Ibrahim Chisti] in Muzaffargarh declared the polio campaign 'un-Islamic' and announced at the local mosque that jihad should be carried out against the visiting polio vaccination team. According to details, the local polio team entered Muzaffargarh's rural Khan Pur Bagga Sher area and asked local families to cooperate with the campaign.

"When the local cleric, Maulvi Ibrahim Chisti found out about the campaign, he immediately went to the biggest mosque in the area and declared that polio drops are 'poison' and against Islam. He added that if the polio team forced anybody to participate in the vaccination campaign, then jihad was 'the only option.'

"As a result, the polio team returned to Muzaffargarh city without carrying out immunization… A police inquiry was ordered, after which a raid was carried out in the cleric's area. However, Chisti had already escaped by the time the police arrived. Residents added that the cleric had tried to convince them that the polio campaign was a 'Western conspiracy' to render the population impotent…"[12]

On Facebook, 'Pakistan Cyber Force' Calls Anti-Polio Vaccination Campaign A Zionist Agenda: "We Exposed The Zionist Eugenics Agenda Of Mass Vaccination And Deliberate Injection Of Deadly Diseases"

Pakistan Cyber Force (PCF), a group of Pakistani activists and hackers on the social networking site Facebook, promotes antisemitic views, arguing that the polio vaccination campaigns being run by various non-governmental organizations in Pakistan are part of a Zionist agenda.

In a post on its Facebook wall, the PCF cited a report from an Urdu-language newspaper stating that five Pakistani children had died from polio vaccination, and added: "The Pakistan Cyber Force was mocked and ridiculed when we exposed the Zionist Eugenics agenda of mass vaccination and deliberate injection of deadly diseases in the most innocent - the New Born Babies. Now even the worst critics have been silenced!"[13]

Urging Pakistanis to boycott products of various companies, the PCF claimed that the companies are owned by Jews or support Israel, and that the money paid to them by Muslims is used to make bombs for use against Muslims. In another post, it asked people to boycott Lays potato chips, calling them "another Zionist-backed product."[14]

Article In Urdu-Language Pakistani Women's Magazine: "Polio: Disease, Or Dangerous Jewish Conspiracy?"

An article published by Mahnama Banat-e-Aisha, an Urdu-language magazine for Pakistani women, called the polio eradication campaign a Jewish conspiracy furthered by international organizations. The article was titled "Polio: Disease, Or Dangerous Jewish Conspiracy?" It alleged that several international organizations, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the WHO, Rotary International, the World Bank, and UNICEF, which were providing massive funding for international polio eradication campaigns, are serving Zionist interests.

Claiming that the eradication campaigns are a Jewish conspiracy, the article quoted reports from Urdu, Hindi, and English-language newspapers on various incidents in India of children contracting polio despite being vaccinated. It also referred to several such cases in Yemen and Indonesia, adding that Islamic scholars in Nigeria issued a fatwa against polio vaccination. The article also noted that Dr. Ibrahim Datti, a physician and president of Nigeria's Religious Law Supreme Council, accused the U.S. of including anti-fertility components in the polio vaccines.

The following are excerpts from the article:[15]

"The Jews, who dream of ruling the world, have invented different types of vaccines, drugs, and injections in an organized way to weaken Muslims in their beliefs on spiritual, practical, and moral levels, and make their bodies contaminated. The oral polio vaccine campaign is being run under a worldwide conspiracy - except in the Zionist countries. Its total focus is now on South Asian countries - India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The U.S. has already marked this area as an extremely strategic region."

"Have we ever thought why these greedy Jews and Christians are spending millions of dollars on this campaign?

"1) The Pentagon, a U.S. defense institution, provides about $100,000 million [sic] for this campaign every year.

"2) The WHO spends $150,000 million [sic] on this campaign every year.

"3) Rotary International also provides a sizable amount for this campaign. Like thousands of NGOs, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the NGO of Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, has alone given $750 million for the vaccination of children in poor countries - more than double the amount that the U.S. government gave to the people affected by the tsunami. This will help the WHO vaccinate 90% of children around the world by 2015. All these organizations are known to work openly for the interest of Zionism.

"4) Institutions like the Center for Diseases [sic], the ICC Control [sic], and the World Bank are also investing huge amounts in such programs.

"5) UNICEF is supervising the polio vaccination campaign in India. It has already spent hundreds of millions of dollars on this campaign. On the other hand, the UN has continued the ban on the provision of essential drugs to Iraq since 1991. Because of this ban, half a million children have died in that country. As an alternative arrangement to save the children of that country, a pharmaceutical company was established in Sudan, but it was destroyed by a U.S. bombardment, and the UN remained a mute spectator. "

"[…] An analysis of how the polio vaccination is prepared is sufficient in order to understand how the virus is haram [forbidden in Islam], and unpious animals like monkeys, chimpanzees, dogs, mice, and pigs are being injected into our [Muslim] bodies. Experiments were carried out in different stages on 4,000 monkeys imported from India and the Philippines in 1955, at a deserted place near a river in the area of Bluffton, in southern California. After that, polio vaccines were prepared from their kidneys.

"None other than Jonas Edward Salk (1914-1995) was responsible for this achievement. Besides being a prominent bacteriologist, he was a great Jewish spiritual leader who is revered even now by Jewish religious scholars and rabbis. He established the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in the Lazola area of California in 1963. The annual budget of this [institute], one of the biggest biological laboratories of the world, is $120 million, and 400 scientists work there around the clock. For a long time, the U.S. government used the vaccine prepared in this laboratory for their sweeping polio drives."