I always took lukewarm interest in matters related with terrorism – Islamic or otherwise. The sudden spike in my curiosity is the outcome of reading news about massacre perpetrated on the innocent Ahmedis and Sufi Muslims in the Islamic state of Pakistan. Muslims killing Muslims why? – was my immediate reaction. That too, inside their own mosques? On scratching the surface I had to swallow -- to my horror -- Ahmedis and Sufis are not Muslim, in the eyes of some ‘genuine’ Muslims. Ahmedis are officially declared a minority community in Pakistan.  My naiveté may drag me to the trap of ‘a little learning is a dangerous thing’. I may be forgiven, if I am deep inside the pitfall.  Misrepresentation, if any, is not intended.
 

I scraped further to find 73 different sects of Muslims in the subcontinent. Each one believes the others are straying from the true path. Looking from the puritanical view point there is hardly any scope for moderation, or innovation. Every slight deviation towards liberalism or modernism may be interpreted as heretical. Sharp conflicts exist among Barelvis, Deobandis and others. I found comments of some Muslims branding Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, founder of Aligarh Muslim University, not a ‘real’ Muslim. In the same light, axe may fall upon many other eminent, enlightened, and modern Muslims.  Allah has given the words – suras and verses – interpretation and implementation of those words rest with the individual group – covering a wide spectrum of differing opinions. So long tolerance between the sects is maintained, there is no problem. But there is radical instinct in many sects. Mullahs of these sects – if not all -- are not exposed to any modern or moderate views. Basically, they are impervious to any such ‘corrupting’ ideas. They believe, it is the latest and the last religion sent by Allah for all mankind. Islam is the only religion destined to be the ‘world religion’, and it must occupy its legitimate place. It is they who instigate the young minds to fight with evil forces impeding Islam.  It is the sacred duty of a true Muslim to strive – that is ‘jihad’ – for promoting real version of Islam throughout the world.  Herein, lies the crux of the problem. We fail to find the true spirit of ‘jihad’ from their point of view. 
 

Pakistan cultivated terrorists for fighting in Kashmir and Afghanistan.  They have sown the wind and now reaping the whirlwind. It is a thorny issue and cannot be dispensed with too briefly.
 

I quote the following lines of a Pakistani journalist to buttress my view point. Quote” There is no doubt that Pakistan is the main manufactory of jihadists of all kinds. From the very beginning the people here have been subjected to one idiom, Islam. They have heard no other idiom or idea from anyone else. Islam’s egalitarian creed is over-hyped; in a true Islamic state no one will go sleep hungry or remain ill without medication. Therefore, fight for an Islamic dispensation is a must and jihad is a duty. If you return you are a Ghazi; will have your family’s needs looked after; and you will have received some money. But if you die, you will be a shaheed; you will go straight to heaven where many houris will be waiting for you; you will remain young for ever while ambience will be truly permissive; you will eat what you wish and there will be plenty of everything; you have merely to wish and the thing will be there. Poor semi starved young lads, with nothing to do, become attracted to jihad for such benefits. It is not only that some mullahs preach this. This is believed about Heaven in all sects and sub-sects everywhere. Since there are no other preachers of other ideologies, Islamic militancy-preaching mullahs become leaders of jihad movement virtually by default.” Unquote. (Pakistan at Knife’s Edge By M.B. Naqvi, Roly Books, New Delhi 2010. pp 220-221).
 

Here, I beg to differ with Mr. Naqvi. Why only ‘semi starved lads, with nothing to do, should become attracted to jihad for such benefits’? The lure of the Heaven is so great every young man, if convinced, should opt for becoming a shaheed at the next possible opportunity. It relieves him from the grueling hard work for cut-throat competition for attaining a life of fabulous luxury and comfort. He will remain forever young surrounded by beautiful ‘houris’ in a permissive ambience. And he will eat and get whatever he wishes. Is it not enough for any young man to die for? The minimum requirement is to overcome the fear of death. It is the duty of the mullah to indoctrinate the pliant minds and at the same time ensure his own place in that heaven. The depth of conditioning displays in the determination of Kasabs and Shazads, who never show any remorse for whatever they have done and always ready to repeat the same if they get another chance. This explains why educated and well-offs also get equally attracted to the notion – not, only the semi starved lads as Naqvi wrote. They need only to come in contact with right mullah at right time.
 

In my opinion the most potent factor, is the strong urge to establish the rule of Allah and the reward of fulfillment of ultimate luxury of life. And there will always be some mullahs in some sects to preach this to the youths or other aspirants. None is ready to pay attention to this point; it is always glossed over for unknown reason. There is no need to demonize Prof. Huntington and get distracted by his theory of ‘Clash of Civilizations’. The primal germ of clash exists within the civilization – the starkest fact we can only miss at our peril.

The biggest question now is: can we avoid or avert it? It seems to be an absolute infallibility. How can we eliminate the idea of Islam as the latest and final religion and the associated concept of fabulous heaven? These are the concepts the mullahs will be exploiting from time to time. So, brace up to face scourges of terrorism periodically – within Islamic states or without – till the Day of Final Judgement.