Islam is a religion of peace, compassion and harmony for all humanity. Its universal message promotes tolerance, coexistence and mutual respect among people, fostering a global environment free of hatred, fear and prejudice.
The core philosophy of Islam is that through the promotion of peace and moral restraint, conflicts within societies and among nations can be reduced, paving the way for justice and collective well-being. Contrary to this divine philosophy, the Fitna-Al-Khawarij (FAK) has emerged as a violent deviation from Islamic principles. Rooted in extremism, FAK glorifies bloodshed and terror under the false pretext of religion. Over the past two decades, it has sought to exploit the name of Islam to justify barbaric acts—killing innocents, attacking schools, markets and even mosques. These actions are the very negation of Islamic teachings and spirit.
As a result of these inhuman and anti-Islamic acts, global narratives such as Islamophobia, Political Islam and Islamic militancy have gained traction, unfairly associating Islam with violence. In truth, these distorted perceptions are a reaction to the atrocities of groups like FAK, who operate under the guise of Islam but are, in essence, enemies of peace and humanity. FAK’s victims are overwhelmingly innocent civilians—women, children and worshippers. They target schools, educational institutions and civilian convoys, destroying livelihoods and spreading fear. Islam, however, categorically forbids the killing of innocents and condemns any form of terrorism. FAK’s campaign of violence, intimidation and coercion is a direct violation of Islamic injunctions, which protect life, property and human dignity. The region most affected by FAK’s terrorism has been Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), where these militants have brutally disrupted the centuries-old Pashtun culture of hospitality, respect and unity. The Pashtun code of conduct, deeply rooted in traditions of jirga (consensus-based justice) and collective harmony, rejects fear and violence. By attacking civilians and destroying supply convoys, FAK has not achieved victory; it has assaulted the livelihood of ordinary people and eroded the moral fabric of the region. According to United Nations (UN) reports, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), referred to as Fitna-Al-Khawarij, has been receiving support from the Afghan Taliban government since 2022. These reports reveal that FAK and its affiliated terrorist networks have established safe havens in Afghanistan, from where they launch cross-border attacks into Pakistan. Evidence provided by Pakistan to the UN confirms that FAK operates in coordination with Al-Qaeda and maintains strong linkages with elements within the Afghan Taliban. The UN report explicitly notes that FAK conducts its terrorist operations from Afghan territory, “often utilizing Afghan nationals.” Renowned researcher Bill Roggio, Senior Fellow and Editor of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Long War Journal, in his article “Afghan Taliban and Al Qaeda aiding Pakistani Taliban’s insurgency,” underscores that FAK’s insurgency in Pakistan is being facilitated by the Afghan Taliban regime and Al-Qaeda. He notes: “The Taliban, with the help of Al-Qaeda, is directly sheltering, supporting and training FAK in Pakistan despite claims to the contrary.”
The surge in FAK’s terrorist activities after 2021 can be directly linked to the re-establishment of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, following the U.S.–Taliban Agreement of February 29, 2020. Once the Taliban regained full control of Afghanistan, FAK envisioned replicating a similar system of militant governance in Pakistan’s border regions. Their main focus has been the former FATA areas, historically exploited under the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) and previously used as safe havens for extremist activity. FAK’s ultimate goal is not the establishment of an Islamic order but the creation of chaos to gain power through fear. Its so-called “Islamic rule” is nothing more than brutality masquerading as faith. There is no place in Islam for the ideology or actions of FAK. The Quran and the Prophet (PBUH) have made it abundantly clear that killing even a single innocent person is akin to killing all of humanity. The Afghan Taliban government provides intimate support to FAK. The TTA government of Afghanistan has sided with FAK during the Istanbul peace negotiations on November 6–7, 2025.
The violence of FAK is indeed a continuation of the Khawarij ideology—the first extremist movement in Islamic history—that falsely claimed piety while rebelling against legitimate Islamic authority. Today’s FAK mirrors that historical Fitna by distorting religious concepts and shedding innocent blood under false pretenses. In reality, Islam stands for peace, justice and mercy, not terror and coercion. FAK’s ideology is an antithesis of Islam—a rebellion against its spirit and values. Their bombs and bullets cannot represent the message of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), whose mission was to bring peace and compassion to mankind. Since the TTA government of Afghanistan is fully backing the terrorism of FAK against Pakistan, the international community and the Muslim world should put pressure on them to end this violation of international norms. Both TTP and FAK are, indeed, terrorist groups that violate both the divine and human moral codes. While the true face of Islam is peace and justice, TTA and Fitna-Al-Khawarij stand against both.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
