I am a member of the Swat District Bar Association, and was elected its President for the year 2009. I had also been a General Secretary of the bar in 2002. I myself, and my entire fraternity comprising of 360 members of the bar were declared infidels by the 'Voice of Taliban', the FM radio operating in Swat. WE were tarred such because of our profession, practice of law, and because of our belief in Islam of Allah rather than that of Mullah Fazlullah. We were branded kafirs because we believed in the Shariah of Holy Prophet (PBUH) instead of Sufi Muhammad. Three of our lawyer friends; Muhammad Hussain Advocate, Ghani Akbar Advocate and A. Jamil Advocate were murdered brutally by the TTP. Some of us have been kidnapped for ransom or torture. I have given a number of interviews wherein I tried to alert my fraternity and my country of the global carnage we have on our hands. I have also authored a number of pieces including 'Allah or Mullah' - 'Islam, Synagogue and Temple' - and The Taliban Empire etc - which have been published in a number of world class dailies, magazines and blogs. Attempts for killing me have been made twice, once merely on the ruse that I was wearing the international dress of lawyers; black coat and collar, which the militants deemed as 'un-Islamic'. The second attack was carried out on May 5. Along with 2.3 million peoples of Swat, we the 360 Lawyers have also been forced to leave Swat. Sorry to say, the Pakistan lawyers' fraternity has not moved thus far to help us in any way. I, on behalf of Swat District Bar Association have launched a bank Account No: 1307-1 in the National Bank of Pakistan, main Branch Saidu Sharif, Swat that is presently shifted to and functioning at the Bank Road Mardan, NWFP. Cash donations can be made through DD, TT, MT or Cross-Cheques. -AFTAB ALAM, Swat, via e-mail, June 13.