Taliban encouraging sect violence

Taliban encouraging sect violence
Tanveer Jafri
June 27, 2009
Taliban´s terror in Pakistan is on extreme nowadays. Though since its inception, Taliban is related with fear, terror, torture and inhuman activities. But since the last few days, particularly after its short lived agreement with Pakistan government to implement Shariah law in Swat, Taliban made Islamabad its next target. This wish of spreading Taliban rule in Pakistan got checked by Pakistan, America and the world. After that what happened, should have happened much earlier. The Pakistan army, instead of wasting time on the Indian border, had to fight the Taliban in Swat and other affected regions. This operation of Pakistan army is still on and there is news of Taliban suffering huge losses.Enraged by the operation of Pakistan army, Taliban is now targeting, by a pre-planned strategy, several military and security centres in Pakistan, and continuously targeting the security personnel by suicide operations. Last days, the suicide attack near the ISI office, and prior to that, an attack on the police training centre in Lahore, have come as a challenge by the Taliban to the security apparatus of Pakistan. But more unfortunate thing is that this inhuman Taliban has now started targeting the religious buildings like mosques & madrassas. They target the mosques and madrassas of that group or sect, who are not supportive of Taliban´s extremist and inhuman ideology. Clearly stating, a Taliban ideologue so called ´Muslim´ fighter is the enemy of every sect of Muslims.On 12 June, there were two different suicide attacks in Lahore and Naushera cities in Pakistan. Naushera blast destroyed the whole mosque. The blast in Lahore was in a Madrassa named Jamia Naimia. It killed 11 people including the chief of the Madrassa & famous liberal cleric Mufti Naim. Mufti Naim was related to the Barelvi sect of the Muslim community, the second largest sect of Muslims. Maulana Naim used to publicly curse the Taliban for its anti-Islamic activities. He would say that neither of activities of the Taliban is as a result of Islamic teachings. He condemned the suicide attacks by the Taliban. Like a common man, Mufti Naim was also hurt by the violent and cruel actions of the Taliban. He fully supported the Pakistan army´s operation against the Taliban in Swat. Furious Taliban finally found a way to make him silent. Would this incident suppress the voice raised by Mufti Naim?This is not the first incidence of sect violence by the Taliban. Prior to this too, the Taliban have carried attacks on the mosques and religious places of the Ahmadi, Sufi, Shia and Barelvi sects, in which along with common people innumerable devotees have also been killed. In this situation, the common people of Pakistan are indecisive of doing anything. Either they bow down to the militant, cruel and inhuman Taliban or get ready to give them a befitting reply in their language? Or be ready to be killed in any of the suicide attacks carried out by the Taliban?

Last days the people affected by the Taliban, living in and near Peshawar, lost their patience. Some time back, a mosque was attacked by the Taliban during the prayer time in this area, which killed 49 devotees. This incident provoked the local people against the Taliban. Finally, people gathered against the Taliban. One day when the people got the information of the Taliban fighters hiding in a nearby area of Peshawar, they got together and captured the homes where the Taliban fighters were hiding. They killed six Taliban fighters along with their commander. Villagers set on fire their hideouts and also ransacked the homes where they were hiding. This incident has encouraged the peace loving anti-Taliban people and there is feeling that in the entire Pakistan, particularly the Pak-Afghan border, people have made their minds to counter together their cruel actions.There is no doubt that the Taliban and related ideologies present a threat to the whole mankind. In its history of 1400 years, the Islam was once degraded during the incident of Karbala, by the ideology of Yazeed. And now it is being insulted since the last two decades by the ideologues of the Taliban, Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations, and the suicide attacks carried out by them. Asif Ali Zardari the President of Pakistan, the nation, formed in the name of Islamic Republic, had to say recently that Pakistan is fighting for its survival and they´ll fight the Taliban till ´finish´. Zardari has announced to double the salaries of the army to get them fight against the Taliban till the end.Not only in Pakistan, a common Muslim anywhere in the world, is strict opponent of the Taliban and its ideology. But now time has come that this feeling of dissent should not be kept in hearts and minds rather, to protect Islam and its peaceful ideals, this is essential that to get together against the anti-Islam and anti-humane actions of the Taliban. And wherever this ideology seems to be raising its head, it should be crushed there, otherwise today a cleric of the Barelvi sect is killed by them, tomorrow would be turn of the cleric of another sect.