COAS General Syed Asim Munir recently addressed the national conference of Islamic scholars which was organized to promote consensus against terrorist and violent extremist ideologies. Renowned Muftis declared the terrorist outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as “Fitna-al-Khawarij,” outlawing it in Islamic Shariah, while religious scholars endorsed the idea that militant commanders should not use revered religious titles. The Army chief issued a warning to terrorist and violent extremist outfits, stating that they must adhere to Shariah’s limits to be considered Muslims and they must uphold the Pakistan Constitution to gain recognition as Pakistanis. He cited Shariah in conjunction with the Constitution, as Article 227 mandates that Pakistan cannot enact any law that contradicts the teachings of the Quran-o-Sunnat. Therefore, the statement of COAS General Asim was also in accordance with the Constitution of Pakistan. The conference was a mega success against terrorist and violent extremist ideologies, as the use of the prefix “Kharji” with the name of terrorist leaders would expose them for their deviant conduct in society.
Terrorist groups are traumatizing the entire nation by perpetrating suicide bombings and running an intense propaganda campaign to create confusion in the public mind about the necessity, legality and justification of war against terrorism. The most regrettable aspect of our media is the use of revered religious titles for militant leaders, which help them connect their propaganda with the religious sentiments of the general public. Fitna-al-Khawarij does not have Islamic status, and its commanders conceal their criminality by using incorrect religious titles. The term ‘Taliban’ gained popularity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, attracting a positive response from the general public. Baitullah Mehsud, the founder of Fitna-al-Khawarij, and his successor, Hakimullah Mehsud, did not use a religious title and based their campaign on exploitation of the Afghan Taliban’s public image. The misuse of religious titles such as Maulana, Mullah, Hafiz, Qari, and Mufti further helps Fitna-al-Khawarij commanders connect their propaganda with the religious emotions of the people.
Most militant leaders and fighters lack basic religious education and have neglected learning from Ulema who have dedicated their lives to studying Islam. Fitna-al-Khawarij has only a few members who completed Dars-e-Nizami, the fundamental religious course at Deobandi Madaris. The media should deny them religious titles, as this proves they are not true religious personalities. Leaders like Fazlullah, a matriculate who worked as a lift operator in Swat, misused the title ‘Mullah’ without completing Madressah education. Omer Khalid Khorasani, also a matriculate, worked as a blacksmith, while Mangal Bagh, the commander of Lashkar-e-Islam, had no Islamic education and previously worked as a bus conductor. These facts highlight that Fitna-al-Khawarij does not possess Islamic legitimacy, with its commanders concealing their criminality through the incorrect use of religious titles.
In Pakistani society, religious titles hold great respect and serve to honour local religious teachers; however, terrorists’ misuse of these titles is misleading the general public. Regrettably, the media utilizes these terrorist-promoted prefixes, elevating them in the public’s perception. Terrorists and extremist forces in Pakistan are fighting in the name of so-called Jihad, but their practices do not align with true Islamic teachings. They are always trying to give false justification for their brutal act by terming it permissible in Islam which reflects that they neither have basic knowledge of Islam nor do they care for the Islamic virtues. These terrorists not only misinterpret Islam but also use religious titles for their vested interests. They have successfully exploited innocent people’s religious affiliations and used them for inhumane and brutal activities.
Militants who claim to be true followers of Islamic teachings prove to be the worst, highly insensitive towards humanity and vicious by nature. Their involvement in un-Islamic activities, such as drug trafficking, kidnapping, bank robbery, exploitation of women and children, suicide bombings, and ruthless beheadings, serves as crude evidence of their immoral practices. They follow the agenda of anti-Pakistan and anti-Islam forces, aiming to create fear and panic in society. Eminent religious scholars and Grand Muftis have unanimously rejected their deviant ideology in the Fatwa, Paigham-e-Pakistan, declaring that Islam entirely prohibits the unjustified killing of innocent people. The Holy Quran teaches that ‘killing a human being is equivalent to killing the entire human race.’ Therefore, we must highlight the criminal activities of terrorists to challenge their ideology and credibility.
The general public is non-participative in counterterrorism campaigns due to the religious perception of militant leaders. The basic reason has been our inability to persuade common people to report or indicate terrorists in their surroundings, streets, relatives, or neighbours. Law enforcement agencies alone cannot accomplish this task. People’s participation must be a fundamental component of our approach, as their active involvement can eradicate the threat of terrorism from society. Media, especially electronic, can play a dominant role in educating the general public. This campaign will be very effective as one of the counter radicalization measures, which will help educate society and youth on the actual personality traits of the terrorists and the denial of local support to them.
—The writer is MPhil international Relations from Quaid-e-Azam University.
