Who is terrorist?

Whosoever killeth a human being……….it shall be as if he had killed all….” [The holy Quran]

Irfan Ali

Contrary to the teachings of Islam, today Muslims in Pakistan are slaughtering their own Muslim brother and sisters. Targets killings in Karachi, Quetta, parachinar, and Gilgit-Baltistan are most evident examples.  Only in the year 2012, in various target killings, hundreds of Shia Muslims loss their lives in all over Pakistan. Shiaism, being the second largest sect after Hanifism in Pakistan, has the muscles to retaliate with same strength. But the problem is who are behind these killings?  In our previous article in this space, we had agreed that Ordinary Sunnis are not behind these killings.  Sectarian conflict or Shia- Sunni conflicts are wrong words which we assign for such killings.  By doing so, we are unable to focus and target the terrorist who are behind such brutal activates.

Having said this, on April 09, 2012 Shia from all over Pakistan gathered outside parliament house in Islamabad to protest against Shia killings in Pakistan. Peace full protest is the inalienable right of the citizen in a democratic state. While the Shia Muslims were busy in their protest to divert the attention of government towards target killing in Pakistan. A group extremist, first threat the protester to disperse.  When the protestors deny to do so. A mob of extremist marched towards Parliament house, with clubs in hands to disperse the peaceful protestors.  Look the bully of a group in a democratic state, that even in the presence of government they threat a religious community. Not only threat, rather do not hesitate to clash with them.

When the mob of extremist came very near to the protestors, the security forces and Islamabad police stopped them to clash with the Shia protestors. The mob was very aggressive and all were dressed in white Kamaiz- Shalwar(oriental dress). On first sight, one can easily guess that they were madressa student (seminary students or Taliban) on the hand there was a wide variety people from all walk of life were participating in the protest, there were students, engineers, doctors, and teachers, politicians, religious cleric. One can understand and perceive the difference between the peaceful protestors and extremist mob from the abovementioned comparison, that who are terrorists. The mob herself distinguished from rest of the society.

It became clear that there is some problem with maderssa students. They are behind terrorist activates in Pakistan. Either, there is some problem with their curriculum or some mind set is willingly working behind the activates.

The story doesn’t end here, On 28 Feb and April 3^rddozens of Shia Muslim were shoot to death and many were kidnapped after checking their ID cards in Kohistan and Chilas respectively.  Among them majority were from Baltistan division of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and few from Gilgit. Baltistan is division where Fiqa-e-jafria of Shia sect is predominate majority with 85% followers of the total population. Other includes 10% Noorbakshia and 5% Sunnis (majority ahal-e Hadis). In the post Kohistan and Chilas saga, it was reported in the papers that 1.5 million people offered funeral prayer of martyrs. People staged rallies and protest for arrest of the culprits. Still, schools, offices and shops are closed. The

people are demanding massive operation against the terrorist but no one has harmed even an insect against the killing of Shia Muslims in Kohistan and Chilas. From the above population statistics in Baltistan, one can easily depict that potential power of Shia Muslims in Baltistan. But their religious teachings do not allow them to hurt others fellow Muslims expect the one who themselves are directly involved in the killing. There is a small minority of Ahla-e-Hadis, Pathans businessmen from KPK, government contractors from Chilas and a number of non Shia government officials from every nuke and corner of the country are dwelling in Baltistan. But no one got a single injury in retaliation of Shia killing in Kohistan and Chilas. The Balti Muslims set an example for others, that Islam in its real essence condemns such cheap and inhumane practices.

Other example of such humane actions is that of Nagar District in GB. After Chilas Carnage 33 people mostly Deoband from Chilas and kohistan including a civil judge and DHO (District heath offices) were taken into custody by people of Nagar. Nagar is an area which comprised 100% fiqa-e-jafria of shia sect. These people were taken into custody firstly for their own safety secondly for exchange against the Shia Muslims of GB who were kidnapped in Chilas. On April 10, 2012 despite of some missing persons in chilas, when provincial government insisted to return the people for maintenance of law and order situation in GB. The people of Nagar return them to the provincial government. Some people were taken into custody for their own safety and for a political propose, which was to prevent further killing of Shia Muslims in Chilas. But when asked, were safely return to government.

These are the examples which segregates peaceful Muslims form terrorist and nullify the myth of sectarian conflict in Pakistan. Majority of population in Pakistan generally and GB particular are peaceful. They lead their life according true spirit of Islam. No one gets harms in their hands.

Only a handful of terrorists have hijacked not only Pakistan, but whole of the Muslims Ummah.  They have portrayed a wrong image of Islam. Because of their humbug and inhumane activates, non Muslims always tries to identify Islam with these terrorist. These are no other than Wahabis/ salafis or their affiliates who are pouring millions of dollars in Pakistani seminaries and elsewhere to brain wash and prepare young people in the  name of jihad to fulfill their own objectives.

If policy echelons in Islamabad are serious to tame these terrorist there could be number of options to control them. Firstly government agencies must scrutinize the financial and donation systems of religious seminaries. Government must check the source of donation and funds of seminaries. Secondly traditional religious education in seminaries must be intertwined with the modern education of science and technology, i.e. to include science, social sciences, technology in seminary curriculum. So that at end of religious studies students could jobs in market.

 The contributor can be reached at Irfanali700@yahoo.com.