Moalims

How is it so easy for the clerics to brainwash even the educated ones?

There is a whole lot of things wrong with this country; none more so than the menace of terrorism and extremism. Now I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is that our very own Batman (read Raheel Shareef) is hell-bent on disrupting and destroying the Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan. Following suit is the Pakistan Rangers which has effectively put an end to a decade of violence, extortion and murder carried out by the militia wings of certain political parties. So here it goes #ThankYouRaheelShareef #ThankYouPakistanRangers.

The bad news is that there is still a large section of the Pakistani community which supports certain radical Islamic organizations. Lack of meaningful education and poor economic conditions of these people due to years and years of misplaced priorities by successive governments have rendered them extremely vulnerable to these organizations which receive heavy funding from local as well as international donors. By giving them monetary benefits, these extremist outlets recruit the weak and the liable to carry out their wretched schemes. This is understandable to some extent as there is nothing more dangerous than a desperate man looking to feed his family.

What is not understandable however is how someone who has studied at a top university of the country ends up joining a terrorist organization? This was my reaction when I read the news of Owais Raheel, an IBA and NED university graduate who was arrested in Karachi for distributing pamphlets of a banned organization named Hizbut Tahrir amongst the educated youngsters. The same question was raised when another IBA graduate, Saad Aziz, turned out to be the mastermind behind the killing of Sabeen Mahmud, a famous human rights activist.

One thing however is common in both cases: both were influenced by radical Mullahs. But this, then begs the question: is it so easy for the clerics to brainwash even the educated ones?

A couple of things need to be done in this regard and they have to be done ASAP! First off, there is something definitely wrong with our education system. Cramming stuff is not important. Developing critical thinking surely is. A quality education that encourages critical thinking and promotes tolerance and peace, imparted from a young age goes a long way in ensuring that these young children do not grow up to become stone-hearted intolerant bigots. Lack of these important lessons is leading our students; “the nation builders of tomorrow” in the words of our Quaid, to do just the opposite. It does not bode well for us in any way.

Secondly, the people inciting this hatred must be taken to task. Certain Mullahs have been arrested under the National Action Plan, but the big guns are still out there due to their political clout. Apprehend these kingpins and we will start to see a different, more tolerant Pakistani society. It seems like a distant reality to be honest therefore until that day comes, let’s pray that we’re not one of the next victims.

Najam Sattar

Najam is a freelance writer with an eye for Pakistan's social issues.