Jihad against injustice

Thirty-six years ago we were told that fighting the Soviet Union in Afghanistan was the greatest jihad. Many young Pakistani men and many from other Muslims countries came and fought the evil empire as Mujahideen. Once the Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989, so did the US support for Pakistan. As there was nowhere else to go, these men remained in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Today, Pakistan is in the unenviable position of having to fight the very people it had trained and motivated to fight the Soviets. The armed forces have to be commended for fighting the Taliban in Fata and other areas. But how do you counter those young men and women such as the son of a former air vice marshal who planted a bomb in Times Square in New York, or the young man who went to one of the top schools and universities in Karachi and was involved in the massacre of 46 Ismailis or the young couple who killed their co-workers and friends in California. It took 36 years to reach this stage. It will take at least 10 years to rid the scourge of terrorism, if we launch a serious effort today. We need to understand that jihad does not only mean fighting and killing, it also means fighting illiteracy, injustice and dishonesty. How serious are we?

Syed El-Edroos

Islamabad