Rational

What is Terrorism

Umm-e-Abdullah Fakher

Terrorism reflects the state of terror and horror, rather it presents dreadful picture of humanity, which ultimately produces annihilation.

I would like to take the word Terrorism in its historical perspective. Terrorism has been traced back to the French Revolution, when terrorism was used as a political weapon. Despite all diversities of terrorism, most researches agree that they all have violence or the threat of violence to advance some political end as the common element and it aims at the destruction of innocent people.

The contemporary view of terrorism reveals that the western countries and under their pressure, other developing countries have promoted this nuisance and disturbed the mases. Impact of the two world wars and prolonged wars of America against Afghanistan and Iraq bears a clear testimony to this.

It is a mockery of the situation that terrorists are stitching the label of terrorism against Islam and the innocent people. Islam does not support terrorism or violence. Almighty Allah says in Quran,

''Say! O people of Scripture. Stress not in your religion other than the truth and follow not the vain desires of folk who erred of old and led astray and erred from a plain path.''

The image of Islam has been tarnished due to conspiracy by Jews and Christians. Islam is often the victim of aggression. The World has witnessed over the past many years the genocide of Muslims of Bosnia, Kosovo, Kashmir, Afghanistan and Iraq. It is the wave of oppression and coercion against Muslims. Even though the persecutors are Christians, Jews and Hindus no one speaks of their terrorism. It is strange that the oppressors are blaming the oppressed of terrorism simply because they have risen up to safeguard their rights to gain freedom and to uphold the cause of Islam by performing Jihad.

Brutalities of Indian forces in Kashmir can't be concealed. What torture being inflicted on Indian Muslims is an open secret.

Islam teaches us not to fight with those who don't take up arms against you. History bears a testimony to this. Mujahideen never attacked the innocent. Islam teaches us to avoid extremism because Almighty Allah does not love extremists and Muslim Ummah has been defined as Moderate.

The Mujahideen are not terrorist but they are performing Jihad which guarantees peace and stability for the Muslim Ummah.

The difference between Jihad and terrorism is as clear as light stands separated from darkness.

Islam is a religion of peace and Mujahideen are peace-loving people. All the non-Muslims are invited towards the pristine teachings of Islam to have salvation in this world and hereafter.

Jihad is not terrorism rather it is a way to eliminate terrorism and oppression.

May Allah, the Almighty bless us with true understanding of Islam.

A fallacious precept Being ameliorated
Nadeem ul Ghani

President of Islamic republic of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf on 26^th Feb asked the people to combat forces of extremism and stop Islamic extremists from misusing mosques and seminaries. General Musharraf said that eliminating radical Islam and Islamic extremism was vital to turn the country into a modern, prosperous and progressive state. He said "those who are using sacred places like mosques and religious schools (Madrissahs) to spread extremism should be stopped". He declared "Pakistan needs enlightened moderation to be spread among the people at this time and who so ever is trying to take us to extremism is in fact leading us to disaster".

The General emphasized that the nation had to demonstrate through its actions that Pakistan, as a peace loving and progressive country, was capable of moving forward in the world. Pakistan does not exist in a vacuum, it has to co-exist peacefully as an important country of the today world. He further said that by effectively tackling the menace of Islamic extremism the country would face no hurdle in the way of its fast paced development.

Mr. Pervez Musharraf said all this while addressing to a rally in Multan, last month.

Does this address appear to be, of a head of a true Islamic state? It appears to be as surely it is, Mr. Bush's tongue in Musharraf's mouth. He is speaking what his master wants him to utter.

What are those actions that General Pervez Musharraf wants Pakistanis to demonstrate? What is the agenda? Girls to take part in Marathon race dressed in shorts?  In the name of celebrating Basant Mela, People are being permitted to hold functions where they can use alcoholic drinks and enjoy vulgarity and nudity. And not only this, they are further licensed to play with the lives and money of innocent people by officially patronizing these kind of nonsense Basant Melas, and kite flying. The eve of Basant, which is a celebration day of Hindus, caused more than fifty deaths this year. In Ichra bazaar a busy business point of the Lahore city plaza and many shops were burnt and three persons died in this incident few days back, due to this rubbish basanti craze of kite flying. Millions of rupees merchandise was burnt and consequently lot of families were breft of their whole of the wealth. it may be noted here that Mushraff himself celebrated Basant in Lahore old city and enjoyed kite flying, attended an obscene party of vulgarity and nudity. It is a posture of a head of an Islamic state!

Through Agha Khan Board, Muslim boys and girls get sex education and people rise against Mullahs and Molvis because they talk of Allah and its prophet;  and they oppose general Mushrraf and its government's unIslamic activities and thoughts! Are these the actions he wants the Nation to perform, to show the world that the Pakistan is heading towards an enlightened and progressive state? No doubt he has been overcome with remissness and lost his wits. He has been distracted to the last.

Daily Nawa-i-Waqat in its February 26 issue has passed the fitting comments about the hankering of the President Musharraf to fight against the radical Islam and Islamic extremism by writing that "it does not suit a head of state to motivate the people of Pakistan to stand against Molvis, i.e religious leaders and personalities and quoting madaris (religious schools) to be the centre of terrorism and corruption.

If Mr. President will repeat the same thing as reality which America and Europe accuse us about our religious leaders (Ulema-i-ikram) and madaris, if Musharraf will hurl the threats to the religious elements and religious parties which are involved in the national politics by saying them extremists and vow to dash them on the ground and to stamp them, surely it will create nothing else but agitation, impatience, commotion and anguish at the national level. Exhibition and proclamation of such assertions can never be said sensible and of a high mind, rather improvidence and indiscretion, that is something what it is.

General Musharraf wants an enlightened and open minded leadership to come ahead. By adopting such ways, means and behavior open-minded leadership is bound to be lurking in the dark somewhere beneath and behind and it can never come at front, rather the society will be shattered and confused. It will wrangle within itself. One thing Mr. Pervez Musharraf should keep in mind that open-mindedness and enlightment is not at all the name of deviation and aversion from the religion. Instead of fleeing from the religion it and making or taking self meanings and self interpretations of the religion it leaves a person no where, either he be a noble or plebeian. To embraces a religion is a pledge to accept it as a whole. You have to keep your promise with it and if you keep your promises it is not something extremism, it is just that you are fulfilling and honoring your promise. And if you are not doing so, you are a fugitive and break the promise and hence leave the fold of the religion. So, either Pakistani rulers should not propagate their self proclaimed version of Islam of open mindedness and enlightment or they should clearly announce their fleeing from Islam.

Pakistan is passing through a very hard time at the moment. On one side America is loading India with the latest and new weapons which she denied to give to Pakistan in spite of the fact that Pakistan is America's non-Nato allied state. And on the other side which is really very volatile is the situation within Pakistan. In the NWFP, government felt the need to use its army against its own people to curb lawlessness and American desired and aided actions against so-called terrorists, who fought the Pakistan's war against Russia and shattered it to pieces, in the name of war against al-Qaida. No doubt this is the biggest example of treachery and unfaithfulness.

In Sindh, provincial government is entangled and surrounded by difficulties. Chief minister had ousted its party's secretary general and finance minister blaming him to be involved in the embezzlement of seven hundred crors of rupees whereas finance minister has accused chief minister of being a women trafficker and requested the Islamabad to take action against him on this pretext.

In Punjab the condition of law and order is deteriorated. Each day many people lose their lives and money at the hands of dacoits and they get no justice at all. And what to say of people, here President and Prime minister’s lives are not safe as attempts had been made to murder them. Poverty, unemployment and price hike are on rise day by day. State Bank of Pakistan has admitted it in its annual report as well.

So in all these circumstances it is not wise enough in any way for the rulers and government to open the political and the religious fronts at the same time just by getting  artificial  backup by the treacherous  American rulers and so creating a state of excitation, tumult, dispersion and chaos in the country.

Musharraf’s quest for promoting moderate Islam is just as according to the wish and agenda of his American bosses. This is the same which America is trying hard for.

A report by Jim lobe appeared in the daily Dawn dated Feb. 27 exposes all the same. It says that despite the apparent decision by George W. Bush against re-nominating him to the board of the United States institute of Peace (USIP) whose aims are to “promote moderate Islam in the US and globally” and to oppose the influence of radical Islam and in particular the Wahabi sect of Islam, among American Muslims, in the American media, in American education and with United States governmental bodies.

The report continues as such, giving us information that how the Americans are trying to curb the true Islamic teachings and to promote a so-called moderate Islam of its own design, and how few so-called Muslims are being used for the purpose as well.

In this whole scenario, we feel the need to tell the masses that Islam is a religion of peace. It has to spread all over the world and dominate other religions.

A religion believing in terrorism cannot be able to become a universal religion to impress the whole mankind and play its role in this respect for centuries. Terrorists as well as their ideologies live short. Thus, Islam is not a religion of terrorism neither Jihad is terrorism. Oneness of Allah and decency are the foundations of Islam, which has a close relation with nature, it is above the restrictions of time and space, an immortal fact, Islam has thousands years of history, it has its own civilization, own rules for political and economic spheres of life. Islam, unlike other political and economic philosophies, does not only promote an ideology, rather it’s practical, and can be implemented in any human society. History stands witness to the fact that Islam established a political system of caliphate. Islam set glorious precedents of economic and social justice. Islam introduced laws based on justice and moral principals.

Jihad during all phases of history has always been waged against oppression. The main objective of Islam is to eliminate tyranny and oppression from the world. Oppression, whether it is of the religion of Allah or His servants, must not be tolerated. That is what Islam teaches. This is what for Allah has sent His Messengers with Shariah codes.

Teachings of Islam have its considerable roots in Pakistan. Other Muslim countries as well have a large majority of Muslims who understand Islamic teachings in its true perceptive.

The anti-Islamic campaign has been restarted vigorously after the conspiracy of 9/11 by the Zionists and its agents. They present a defaced figure of Islam. In the world Muslims are being presented as if they are beasts, he who truly practices Islam is considered as extremist. Beard and Islamic dress code are being propagated as symbols of extremism. And those bearing these things are being held as suspects.

The same thing is being done in Pakistan by Gen. Pervez and his allies and being a head of state who could be the more appropriate person to do the job! The western media is trying hard to present the Islamic seminaries as dens of terrorism. The Holy Quran is being called as the book of terrorism and the prophet of Islam is being introduced as a terrorist. This kind of literature is being spread in the west and even in Muslim countries. There is no bar no restriction to it. Christian and Jews missionaries are active in Muslim countries. Minds of innocent people are being poisoned in the educational and health institutions being set up in the name of charity. And a lot of NGOs under the government protection are active for these goals. While an international campaign is in progress to make Islamic education as hard and difficult as possible and the circle is being narrowed down.

These campaigns are giving two kinds of results. Due to it, on one hand general public is developing hatred against Islam. Despite being called as Muslims, they are unfamiliar with Islam and are getting fond of un-Islamic ideologies. On the other hand some people not courageous and composed enough to adopt the path of calling towards Allah and Jihad set in the wrong path in their longing for a shortcut to their destination and desired results. Hastiness de track them from the correct path. Agents of infidels looking for such people entice them under some incentive, misguide them and exploit the severity of their sentiments. They are told that Jihad is not the right and appropriate. There had been these propaganda campaigns during the Afghan Jihad and continues for the other Jihadi movements in whole of the world, where Muslims are being suppressed and massacred. These people are convinced that oppressive infidels are not the real guilty rather the guilty were within the boundaries of Muslims countries. So Jihad first of all should be waged in these countries. Once derailed from the right path, a person could be led to anywhere just like the rulers of Pakistan at the moment. This is the class in Pakistan and likewise in other Muslim countries as well, which hit hard to Islam. The rulers of the Muslim countries have become obedient to non-Muslim powers. The flexibility shown on Kashmir, U-turn on Afghan policy and how nuclear scientists, our national heroes, were made scapegoat naturally upset the nation. Maulvies (religious people) had already been painted as terrorists and then science education had been “declared” as a sin. The rulers are now taking U turns on Kashmir and nuclear program, a U turn on the countries' solidarity and a U turn form their duty to protect the boarders of Pakistan and yet another U turn on their religion as well.

What is the real cause behind the Zionist propaganda against Islam? It is a fact that it is the war of civilization. In the recent past more and more people fed up of secular civilization in the US and Europe, were being attracted to the Islam. They started studying Islam as a religion. Watching this situation, Jewish and Christian scholars planned a deep rooted conspiracy against Islam. Finding an extremist leader like George Bush implementation of the conspiracy started. On one hand a propaganda campaign was launched to present Islam as a religion of terrorism and in the other hand force and all sort of resources are being utilized to check the way of Islam.

We should deliberate upon conspiracies to effectively encounter the same. Muslims especially youth must not offer their shoulders for such conspiracies. They should study Islam, devote their energies for its glory, Islam will be prosperous, so will they. Similarly they must get proper knowledge about Jihad, so that they can make a difference. Jihad is the peak of the religion, and one suffers as much injuries and loss from as much height he falls. More wisdom, reasoning and knowledge are needed than emotions for Jihad. If emotions would not be under the control of correct knowledge and reasoning, then a sheer loss is feared. The infidels take advantage of such emotion and propagate against Islam.

Study history and analyze the current situation in the light of the golden age of Islam, the Caliphate era. When Jews prepared a conspiracy against Islam and Jihad during the caliphate period they launched an intense propaganda campaign amongst Muslims. Extremist groups were formed, they included Khawaraj (the expelled) who caused chaos and dispersion among the Ummah Swords were drawn against one another. Islam and Jihad was worst hit.

Today too the same intrigues are being hatched and the people behind them are Jews and Christians. Today we are experiencing the same commotions and tumults. The effect of these is as dreadful as it had been then in the past.

We shall have to curb them by continuing our quest for calling Ummah towards Islam and keeping alive Jihad. It is a testing time for the Ummah. Religious scholars and people at the helm of affairs will have to play their respective roles. Today it is being said that extremism should be shunned. This is what Mr. Musharraf is pleading for.

It should be understood here that standing firm religion (Deen) is not extremism. Almighty Allah has been sending His Prophets for the guidance of  mankind and this guidance was completed with the arrival of Prophet Muhammad;   The religion (Deen) Islam is to remain intact and valid till the day of judgment without any change or alteration. Who so ever tries to alter this religion will be a traitor.

As the noble Prophet Muhammad; departed form this world after completing his mission, the continuation of this mission was left over with two groups, the Islamic government and the religious scholars (Ulema-e-ikram). There is consensus of the religious scholars of Islam that the foremost responsibility in this regard lies with the Muslim rulers. However if the rulers of the Muslim countries fail to discharge this obligation because of the pressure from the forces of infidels (kufr) or are indifferent, it becomes the duty of the religious scholars (Ulema-e-ikram) to step forward to accomplish this task.

The persons who assumed power after the noble Prophet Muhammad; were true believers of Islam. They were mindful of their duties on this subject. They do not establish their personal rule. Instead they made the people to obey the Islamic injunctions as spelt out in the Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad.

Thus it is the duty of the rulers to enforce the Islamic system as a whole and enjoy what is good and forbid what is wrong. This is the part of Jihad. And Islamic government is also under obligation to strive for the enforcement of Islamic system all over the world. A Muslim ruler must realize that Allah has blessed him with authority which must be exercised only in the manner of Allah and His Prophet Muhammad (S) desire.

Today our rulers face threats from America and they have opted to bow to each and every demand from Washington in the pursuit of their malicious policies.

To our misfortune our rulers due to their lake of faith, believe that they can remain in power only as long as they are in good books of the United States. That is why they strive hard to please Washington. Had they come to believe that Allah alone can bestow power on them or take it away, they would try to please Allah and refrain from His disobedience.

Islam and Jihad has been maligned by our rulers themselves by dubbing it as extremism and terrorism to please the Zionist powers. It would have been wise for our rulers to apprise the Americans of the clear cut injunctions of Islam, especially in regard to Jihad without harboring any fear of the United States and Zionists and endeavor to please Allah by acting in the manner Allah and His Prophet Muhammad;   have desired.

May Allah grant the Muslim rulers the wisdom and courage to take the right decision and action at the right moment.

Voice of Islam, March, 2005

An Interview with Former Pakistani General Hamid Gul about the difference between Terrorism and Jihad  

Jamatud Dawa Pakistan