Need for action not a new narrative

EDITORIAL: The government is preparing to launch an old-new initiative to counter violent religious extremism.

A national campaign to consult religious scholars to develop an effective narrative against terrorism will be started soon, so said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi during a meeting the other day with Chairman of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad.

Religious scholars have always guided the nation in the fight against terrorism, he added, it still is direly needed. While warmly welcoming the minister the Maulana mentioned the ‘Paigham-e- Pakistan’, saying it is a great narrative that had declared terrorism, extremism, and sectarianism as ‘haram’ (forbidden). He rightly averred that everyone needs to play their role in promoting inter-sect and interfaith harmony and national unity.

It may be recalled that back in 2018 the then government had launched ‘Paigham-e-Pakistan’.

In a related development, more than 1800 religious scholars belonging to different schools of thought had signed a fatwa (religious edict) declaring that suicide attacks, armed insurgency against the state and the use of force in the name of enforcing Shariah was ‘haram’ in Islam.

The fatwa also called for protection of the life and property of non-Muslims. Notably, that initiative was endorsed by the Imam-e-Kaaba as well as Egypt’s Al-Azhar University, widely respected as an institution of Islamic learning.

Yet violent extremists continued to endanger peace and security of this state and society.

A major factor contributing to the trouble has been unregulated spread of seminaries, some of which not only serve as breeding grounds of extremists of different hues but also of suicide bombers.

Hence, the 20-point consensus National Action Plan (NAP) devised in the wake of the December 2014 appalling massacre at the Peshawar Army Public School, among other things, had called for registration and regulation of religious seminaries; choking finances for terrorists and terrorist organisations; dealing firmly with sectarian terrorists; and taking effective steps against religious persecution.

Ten years on, the government has little to show by way of progress on any of these points. A large number of seminaries have successfully resisted registration and audit of their accounts. Meanwhile, sectarian outfits banned for their involvement in terrorism reinvented their identities to continue pursuing their violent agendas, including persecution of religious minorities.

Instead of harking back on something tried and failed the seemingly all-powerful Interior Minister needs to take his courage in both hands and address the conditions that engender violent extremism and terrorism, as aptly identified by NAP.

There must not be a selective approach towards any extremist entity. A meaningful effort in that direction, of course, will take time as a lot of patience and persistence is required to achieve the desired results.

Let the government and certain quarters show they have the will to eliminate violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024