Em Zee Rifat
Militants and terrorists for long are quite wrongly using and exploiting religion Islam to further their ulterior motives and intentions saying that they are promoting cause of Islam by killing innocent people including men, women and children ruthlessly and mercilessly. Religion of Islam or for that matter no other faith allows such killing without any reason and rhyme. They are in fact misguided and misled people and have nothing to do with religion Islam or with our beloved motherland Pakistan ,to say the least. Ulema, mashaikh and religious scholars had been and are promoting Islamic teachings through their religious education institutions, writings and frequent inter-action with the people and thus rendering a good service for centuries together. But ,somehow ,they have not taken due notice of what the misguided and misled terrorists and terrorist elements are continuously killing the people. With due respect to the ulema, mashaikh and religious scholars,one may ask as how many of them have made efforts to visit the troubled tribal area, which have since returned to normalcy as a result of massive Zarb-e-Azb operation quite successfully undertaken by the brave and courageous officers and jawans of the Armed Forces of Pakistan, and talk to the masked militants and terrorists and tell them through anti-terror narrative they are wrong using and interpreting Islam for their ulterior motives. Frankly speaking, not many ulema, mashaikh and religious scholars have visited the troubled tribal areas although the country had been suffering and continues to suffer for years together from the acts of those who are using Islam for furthering their ulterior designs and spreading hatred among the masses against Islam. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif while addressing a function in Lahore the other day has quite rightly asked the religious leaders and scholars to evolve anti-terror narrative portraying the real Islamic teachings and harmony among new generations. According to the reports in the media, the prime minister said that the deviated and extremist elements have sowed seeds of discord among the Muslims and continuously are committing inhuman acts of massacre. In all fairness,one cannot help supporting and endorsing the prime minister when he stresses that the platform of mosques is the most effective medium of communication among the Muslims and reminds religious leaders and scholars of their foremost responsibility to rise above the fatwas and promote and spread real narrative of Islam, of peace and love. Why no anti-terror narrative has so far been evolved by our religious leaders and scholars to rid the country of the misguided and misled extremists and terrorists ? This is a very pertinent question in the prevailing circumstances .
