Zalim Online

The month of September witnessed the brutal and senseless murder of three Pakistanis belonging to the Ahmedi sect. This gruesome tragedy came in the aftermath of a popular TV religious program called “Alim Online.� During this program the Ahmedis were blamed for everything under the sun and the learned maulana hosting the show was practically grinning from ear to ear and rubbing his hands in joyful glee to show his appreciation and joy. It appears as if many of our TV channels have been taken over by the dark and sinister forces of obscurantism. All non Muslims and those who dare to stand up to the forces of religious fanaticism are declared “Wajib-ul-Qatal� or ones who deserve to die. All such programs based on religious intolerance and fanaticism should be renamed “Zalim Online�

The carnage of the suicide bombing at the Marriot Hotel is too recent and too horrible to forget, the suicide bombings at the gates of the POF factory in Wah, the tragic murder of Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi, and numerous other gory and bloody happenings have a common denominator: Religious fanaticism. Many of the educated elite of the country still believe that “Muslims cannot do this� and our electronic and print media is also mimicking the same line. They just refuse to accept the ground reality or are scared of accepting the obvious. America bashing has become the order of the day. Every suicide bombing, every atrocity, every senseless killing is blamed on America, India, and the CIA. Another all time favorite or whipping boy of the religious elite is the Jewish lobby or the “Yahhood-o- Nasara� meaning the Jews and the Christians. We seem to blame every one including Charlie’s aunt except our own home grown obscurantist religious bigots. We are so blinded by our religious intolerance and hatred of Western nations that our vision is now limited to the tip of our nose. If we do not wake up from our deep slumber of ignorance the country is very likely to fall apart at the seams and end up on the dust heap of history.

Pakistan was created on the basis of the Two Nation Theory, which stated that the Muslims are a nation and they need a country of their own in the Indian Sub-continent. The Two-Nation Theory had no mention of any caste or sub-caste. All the Muslims of India were classified as a NATION demanding a homeland of their own. After the creation of Pakistan Islamic fervor and the pride in Muslim Nationhood dwindled very rapidly. Religion was politicized and most of the religious parties became political outfits that used the name of Islam and exploited religion for their own political objectives. Religious scholars, Clerics, Pirs, and Sajada Nashins of Pakistan became politicians or stooges of politicians and the phenomenon of Mullaism was born. Illiterate, narrow-minded Mullahs became willing tools in the hands of greedy and corrupt politicians. Mullaism in Pakistan and other parts of the world too is a direct cause of sectarianism and religious intolerance. Mullaism has created, nurtured and fanned the raging fires of sectarian conflict and the Mullahs have danced to the tune of their political masters. Mullaism has created Sectarian schisms and conflict in India, Pakistan, Sudan, Egypt, Nigeria, Jordan, Iraq, and all over the Muslim world.

The Taliban in Pakistan are a recent phenomenon who are hell bent on creating mayhem and chaos across the length and breathe of the country. They believe in their cause and are prepared to die for it. They are hell bent on taking us back to the dark ages by the imposition of their own brand of Islam. The Taliban and their fanatic followers are willing to kill and be killed. They have a total disregard of human life, human rights or even human values. About 160 girls’ schools have been torched or dynamited in Swat and FATA and girls denied their basic right to education, men are being forced to sprout beards and an attempt is being made to establish the Islamic Republic of Taliban in the areas controlled by these fanatics. Many schools in Islamabad have also received threats and warnings from these so called champions of Islam. Imagine the state of affairs in the country if these mindless religious fanatics take control of the state.

Many of our political leaders and intellectuals argue that terrorism in Pakistan is a direct result of Pakistan’s support to the USA in their war on terror after the happenings of 9/11. They fail to recognize the simple fact that the roots of terrorism lie deep in our own sacred soil. The terrorism we face today is a direct offshoot of sectarian violence and religious killings of the past. Who can forget the extremist organizations like the “Sipah-e-Sahaba� of Maulana Azam Tariq, or the “Jaish-e-Mohammed� of Maulana Azhar Masud. These extremist militant groups were founded way before 9/11 or even before the birth of the Taliban in Afghanistan. These religious organizations were founded, nurtured and led by Pakistani Muslims and not by the “Yahood-o-Nasara� The “Harakat-ul-Ansar� and “Harakat-ul-Mujahideen� are Pakistani extremist groups linked to Al- Qaeda and the “Jundulla� or the army of God is another terrorist group led by Muslim fanatics active in Karachi. Ahmed Hussein Faruqui planned and launched many suicide attacks and Omar Sheikh Mohammed kidnapped Daniel Pearl leading to his brutal murder. Are they not Muslims? Today we have the famous cleric of Swat Maulana Fazalullah spitting fire and brimstone from his electronic pulpit, his FM radio station and spreading hatred and venom across the beautiful valley of Swat. The firebrand leader of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Bait Ullah Mehsud accused of masterminding the murder of Benazir Bhutto, Mengal Bagh the glorified leader of Lashkar-e-Islam, All these gentlemen are Pakistani Muslims up in arms against the armed forces of Pakistan.

The founders and leaders of our home grown religious extremist groups did not spring up overnight. They were educated, nurtured, trained and finally launched by the numerous deeni madaris mushrooming all over the country. There is a clear co-relation between the rapid growth of Deeni Madaris or religious schools and the fast creeping menace of extremism. Religious schools established by the illiterate or semi literate Mullahs are now functioning as nurseries teaching intolerance extremism and producing suicide bombers. These Madrissas have played a crucial and pivotal role in creating the hard core terrorists of today. Many of these religious seminaries have inculcated rabid forms of hatred against all values different from their own myopic and narrow minded interpretation of Islam. They function without any supervisory body and their syllabus is based on a doctrine of intolerance and rigid obscurantism. In their world view women who do not wear a veil, men with out beards are all kafirs. Listening to music or watching TV or movies is “Haram� Society has to be reformed and the Sharia imposed, by force if necessary and all those who die as suicide bombers will be rewarded with a place of honor in Paradise. It is this teaching and preaching that has resulted in suicide bombings, attacks on non Muslims, and the murder of women leaders like Benazir Bhutto and Zile Huma in Gujranwala. The Lal Masjid fiasco is too recent to forget but let us not forget it were the pious and learned Maulanas of Lal Masjid who motivated their students to occupy govt. property illegally, destroy video shops and kidnap people.

Taliban have managed to fine-tune the ancient art of religious bigotry and prejudice. They have succeeded in creating an atmosphere of fear, horror and hate. Taliban and their followers have actively encouraged abuse and attacks on establishments and individuals belonging to different sects. The Taliban philosophy has destroyed the ideals and beliefs of a free society. According to the creed of the Taliban freedom of thought and expression is not needed. Anybody who dares to disagree with their doctrine is dubbed a KAFIR who deserves to be butchered. It appears as if they have succeeded in turning the clock back to the era of the Spanish Inquisition.

The daring and audacity of the Taliban and their supporters is growing day by day. Their attacks are becoming deadlier and more sophisticated. They have proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they can attack whenever and wherever they want to. These cowardly attacks are like a stab in the back of the country that has left the entire nation battered and bruised. Our economy is on the brink of a melt down. The image of the country has suffered an irreparable damage and the religion of Islam defamed universally. Menace of the Taliban is not confined to the tribal areas only, slowly but surely it is creeping towards the settled urban areas of the frontier, Punjab and Sindh. The choice before the nation is pretty simple: Face this deadly menace and defeat it or hand over the country to the obscurantist forces in the shape of the Taliban. Turn our country into a theocracy by allowing the Taliban to impose their brand of Islam through the barrel of a gun.