Dr Syed Inayatullah Andrabi, self-exiled leader of Mahaz-e-Islamic and former chief of Jamiat-e-Talaba, which played pivotal role in pioneering militancy in Jammu and Kashmir in 1989 has asked his followers “committed to the cause of Islam” to wake up to the dangers of extremism.
In his research paper published in the in official organ of Mahaz-e-Islami, Inayatullah Andrabi says the phenomena (religions extremism) was hate-driven, claims monopoly over the truth regarding everything outside its fold as ignorance or heresy, has absolute lack of tolerance, regards violence as the only tool for problem-solving, and has a complete disdain for the rule of law.
“Innocent people are killed in mosques, Imambarahs, shrines, and other public places,” he writes.
Andrabi, who is brother of Kashmir’s fire-brand militant woman leader Aasiya Andrabi calls for a balance, moderation accommodation of viewpoints and resolution of differences to build a healthy and progressive society. “It is only in such societies that the doors of unfriendly interferences are effectively closed, because others come to interfere when you are unable to solve your problems by yourself,” he stressed.
Absolving foreign hand (India) behind acts of terrorism within Pakistan, the former lecturer at Kashmir University, who was also believed mentor of an ultra-right dreaded militant outfit Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen, said such a mindset exists locally inside
Pakistan which is the original source of all this death and destruction. “Pakistan is fully engulfed by the menace of religious extremism, and it has the potential to threaten its existence”.
On the recent killing of Pakistan Punjab governor Salman Taseer, former militant ideologue Andrabi said though penalty for blasphemy was not debatable, but how to penalize the real culprit and not victimize an innocent person was a matter of discussion and was not a crime.