Evil of Terrorism

Ishtiaq Ahmed

London: Suicide is deemed Haram in Islam and there are no two opinions about it. Murder is equally haram. Islam considers murder to be the most heinous crime against a person.

Therefore, let’s have no remorse for the misguided suicide bomber responsible for the murdering of 101 and injuring 59, mainly police personnel in the latest terrorist attack in Peshawar.

The suicide attack was on a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines, a highly security zone. About 300 to 400 mainly police personnel are reported to be present in the mosque.

Initially, the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) claimed the responsibility for this heinous crime but later distanced itself. It was suggested that some other outlawed groups maybe responsible.

Police have claimed making some ‘major arrests’. This suggests that attack more than one person was involved. It was premeditated and sophistically planned with perhaps inside assistance. Being aided and abetted from inside may also explain how the highly secured area was entered by the attacker.

This latest incident is of a greater significant for the two particular reasons: The attack was on the mosque, a place of worship, normally regarded as a safe sanctuary. Obviously, those responsible had no regard for the sanctity of this most sacred of Islamic institutions.

This is not the first time the house of worship and learning has been desecrated in country that claims a high moral ground on being a nation of faithfuls.

This culture of violence is the direct result of years of ‘sectarian’ hatred that has been allowed to fester and take hold. From time to time, this pent up hatred is exploited to further ill designed motives by powers to further their evil designs totally unconcerned and oblivious of the damage to country.

This attack was deliberately conceived and planned to target the police, an institution which despite its gross inadequacies and failings represents the law & order. For it to be attacked demonstrates the growing deficit of respect for the country’s primary law and order institution which otherwise should be the very foundation of peace and security. It highlights the gradual decline in our collective moral compass and direction.

The incident points out that no one and nothing is safe in our land of faithfuls. We need a radical review of where we are as a nation and the direction that we are heading towards. Beside the growing economic and financial crisis facing the country, the situation of law and order is extremely dire requiring urgent and robust attention.

This is topped up by the ever present threat of terrorist violence from both within and without. The government and the law and order authorities have some major challenges to mitigate and overcome in order to reassure the safety and security of people and public institutions.

The author is a British citizen of Pakistani origin with a keen interest in Pakistani and international affairs.