Exposing TTP’s Misuse Of Islam – OpEd
Recently, Noor Wali Mehsud, leader of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)/FAK, said it is allowed to seek help from those who are not Muslim against the Pakistani state. His rationale? In his view, the state and its ministries have left Islamic principles, so they are eligible targets, even with assistance from foreigners. It is a wrong statement, does not reflect Islamic beliefs and promotes problems such as fighting, division and sectarianism among Muslims.
The ideology on which Noor Wali relies has its roots in the teachings of the Khawarij, a group from early Islamic history that similarly accused fellow Muslims of apostasy and began wars against them. Noor Wali uses this way of thinking to pervert scriptures and use them to support violence and division. This statement clearly tries to disguise his own political and militant aims as something religious, hoping to make innocent people think his cause is righteous.
If followed honestly, Islam is all about peace, mercy, justice and unity. The Holy Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) encouraged Muslims to value their lives and support each other like brothers. “All believers are connected, so try to settle things among your brothers. Remember to be afraid of Allah so that you may be treated kindly. From these words, it seems clear that Islam does not permit Muslims to be hostile toward each other. Urging non-Muslims to hurt other Muslims runs directly against the core beliefs of Islam.
Noor Wali’s decision to help non-Muslims fight against a Muslim-majority state is against Islamic beliefs and may let in exploitation by other nations. It is generally understood that hostile foreign agencies have given assistance to groups like TTP which seeks to destabilize Pakistan.
There is no evidence that any leading Islamic authority or organization backs these behaviors. Experts at Al-Azhar in Egypt as well as Darul Uloom in India and other institutions have always opposed terrorism, sectarianism and using Islam for acts of violence. Noor Wali made his own decision to issue religious verdicts which still need to be verified for legitimacy. His views are contrary to the mainstream ideas taught in Islamic studies both in ancient and modern times. Instead of relying on the Qur’an and Hadith in the right way, he uses them to justify his wrong actions, causing many deaths and problems for Muslim communities.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told people not to allow such divisions. He stressed that Muslims should stick together even when they do not see eye to eye. It is explicitly against this prophetic direction to allow others to use violence against Muslims. Once the unified spirit among Muslims is lost, we see lasting damages are made in both spiritual and social aspects of life. Enemies of Islam will always take advantage of splits within the Ummah to harm it further.
Part of Noor Wali’s strategy is to incite secretarian hate and this has already taken the lives of too many people in Pakistan and elsewhere. His actions communicate chaos rather than support Islam. It makes people think that Islam is violent which assists those who are hostile to Muslims. Muslims are expected to see combatting such beliefs as a required religious duty and not simply a political choice. When someone uses religion to insult our faith, we have to speak out and oppose them.
Peace, kindness and togetherness rank higher in Islam than conflict, revenge and separation. His conduct and beliefs are totally opposed to the principles mentioned here. The Islam he teaches destroys rather than constructs, keeps people apart rather than bringing them together and is more likely to lead to death than help people recover. Scholars, leaders and regular Muslims should all reject this misuse of religion and show their loyalty to the true teaching of Islam.
Extremism can be fought by challenging the radical message and also by supporting the voices of people calling for unity and peace. Libraries, mosques and neighborhood groups must help educate young Muslims on Islam so they are shielded from being recruited by extremists. It is important for us to resist these false teachings and keep supporting the values of justice, compassion and brotherhood to secure the future of the Muslim Ummah.
In short, what Noor Wali Mehsud did was to go against Islam, harming unity among Muslims and threatening the integrity of the Muslim world. Islam must be firmly defended against his philosophy with no compromise, genuine courage and full certainty of truth. Only after that can we ensure that our communities are protected and our faith is truly about mercy, peace and solidarity.
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