This Saturday evening I ran into the audio clip which was being widely shared on social media. There was this empathetic conversation between a father and his militant son. Father not asking his son to relinquish the fight but hold onto his belief and die fighting the Indian forces. It reminded me of my journey how I led myself away from the extremism.
Very inspiring and ebullient was one of my neighbours while indoctrinating me about his version of Islam. What happened afterwards was beyond my little comprehension. I did later go through all the sects in Islam with in depth knowledge, which most probably prevails within oneself. In one of the sects and at inception, I came across some of the videos which were being passionately liked and shared by most of the people. What were those videos all about(?) Why was I being realising, Muslims to be a bunch of extremists only. What stuck and attracted me in these videos were some Muslim extremists claiming to endeavour for the establishment of Islamic caliphate in Iraq.
Despite the fact that it was for sure that I would be brought to book by the so called civilizations, I would be ironclad in striving for the establishment of Islamic caliphate. Gradually, with profound observation and research I came to the realisation not to radicalise myself anymore, for it to be bluff.
What engendered my thinking process to alter from Islamic extremism, was by getting education. By going through science and history of the world left no means through which I would be radicalised further. It taught me how, when life begins why is it pivotal to live with contentment. Chronicles of history made me aware of all religions and their genesis. So by defining it, its quite obvious that, prudent education is the way through which we can modify ourselves and come out of a narrow and suicidal trap.
Creating hullabaloo and clamouring slogans vis-a-vis freedom, freedom in Kashmir, in fact most of the people are oblivious of what they are shouting? There again education plays an important role which must be acquired first before jumping onto the popular bandwagon. It wouldnt be bullying those Kashmiri people as I mentioned who are oblivious, to tell them that they must go through the history again and again. Perhaps by making ourselves aware of the unaware realm of unknown the dawn of our freedom may hasten on the Kashmir horizon.
I am going to mention two main beliefs which all the extremists keeps:DEMOCRACY IS SHIRK, AND SO CALLED SECULAR WORLD A FASAD OR CORRUPTION OR ANTI-CHRIST. If we draw back to the earlier times, we had made progress in governance with time, as time passes we came to discover new things, owing to rise in the number of religions, it gave away secular world and democracy in the same way. What triggered some Muslims (extremists) to say the progression is the time of corruption, is by taking the radical side which is deleterious to ones life and need to be moderated by us, so that progression will be ours.
Tears filled my eyes when I heard the aforementioned audio clip. What can I do beyond conveying a message. It would be fateful if they relinquish the path they have chosen for themselves. Dont let anyone befool and radicalise you at stretch. Melancholia is clearly visible on the faces of your family. Please come back!
Faizan Bashir
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