Religious leaders call against militancy
We are heartened by the call of as many as 100,000 well known religious leaders and alems of the country against militancy. This has been long overdue, as it should have come earlier since the long running operations of the extremists have witnessed a marked rise in the last six months. We believe that since ours is a Muslim-majority country, such calls by Islamic scholars denouncing terrorism could be an effective tool to fight the extremists.
However, we feel the call should not be limited to a one-off announcement. The conviction behind the call can fully manifest once it is transmitted to the village level. This, we are certain, will help the government to reach out to a section of the gullible youth who can be easily swayed by extremist propaganda. We strongly believe that deradicalisation efforts will not be fully successful until this message of peace and harmony is taken to the grassroots, in every nook and corner of the country.
It is now incumbent upon the government and the Alems and Ulamas to take this to the masses through Friday sermons and other religious gatherings as deemed appropriate. There should be no illusion that we are up against a big challenge, that we are facing a difficult task and the religious scholars can be a bulwark against these forces that are perpetrating attacks in the name of religion. Fighting extremism is a continuous and dynamic process, and this should be an integral part of the government's strategy to combat it.
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