Kashmir, often dubbed as "heaven on earth," is soaked in blood as terrorists killed 26 innocent tourists in Pahalgam. Hearing this news, devastated me. I can innately relate to the families who were subjected to the horror of losing their loved ones in front of their eyes. Kabul, once referred to as the "Switzerland of Asia," also suffered a similar fate. My hands shake as I write about the terror incident in Pahalgam as it has resonance on a deeply personal level for me.

Having lived through war for most of my life, I have witnessed terror attacks, suicide bombings, rocket strikes, and much more. In Kabul during the civil war (1992-1996) when the seven mujaheddin groups fought for power, they killed and maimed thousands of innocent civilians by lobbing rockets in a bid to dislodge each other from their strongholds. One morning in April 1992, a rocket hit our building, and several little children playing in the playground lost their lives. I distinctly remember a mother sitting on the ground, holding the dead body of her daughter, crying and screaming. She refused to leave that exact spot for next several days. The scene in Pahalgam, where the wife of the young Indian Navy officer, stared at the lifeless body of her husband, brought back those haunting memories.

For days, the mother's voice echoed through the surroundings, haunting the hearts of those who listened. I am narrating just one of the incidents I have witnessed otherwise, my life and lives of my fellow countrymen are filled with countless such traumatic experiences. I was too young to comprehend why she was killed—she had no connection to the war. I was too naïve then to understand the fact that we are fighting the wars of Western powers who played a major role in promoting and funding religious radicalization. The girl in Kabul and the young men in Pahalgam belonged to different religions, yet they shared one definite reality—they were humans, innocent souls who deserved to live in peace.

Reading the news, personal commentaries, and social media discussions about Pahalgam filled me with even more sorrow and fear. Unfortunately, we have failed to learn from the countless wars unfolding in different parts of the world. Religious sentiments have surged, with Muslims and Hindus clashing online, failing to comprehend that fuelling the religious divide is helping further the agenda of the terrorists and their handlers who carried out the dastardly attacks in Pahalgam. While public anger and hatred are, to some extent, understandable—why should someone be killed simply for being a Hindu? —it is equally heartbreaking to hear people around me label all Muslims as terrorists!

Undeniably civilians killed were targeted based on their religion and this has no place in civilized society, however we also need to amplify stories of the Kashmiri Muslim pony guide who lost his life trying to save tourists and of the unequivocal condemnation the attack has drawn from several quarters in Kashmir. Of course, in the long run as Muslims, I believe we also bear a responsibility to not only acknowledge our own shortcomings and actively seek develop counter narratives to radicalization enabled greatly by the liberal west if we wish to rescue our future generations from falling prey to radical ideologies.

It is pertinent to state in unequivocal terms that there exists no theological justification in Islam that justify perpetrating such wanton acts of terror. It is beyond comprehension to believe that the God of any religion would take joy in seeing his creations fight and kill one another. What kind of religious standing or salvation could ever be achieved through violence? It would do us well to remember the poignant words of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, often dubbed as the “Frontier Gandhi” who said “My religion is truth, love, and service to God and humanity. Every religion that has come into the world has brought the message of love and brotherhood. Those who are indifferent to the welfare of their fellowmen, whose hearts are empty of love, they do not know the meaning of religion.”

Khan’s words become pertinent in the context of India which has beautifully woven into its socio–cultural tapestry the ways of life of people belonging to diverse religions, languages, tribes, ethnicities and cultural backgrounds. Thus, it is crucial to emphasize that the core values of this nation must not be compromised or undermined. It would do India well to take cue from the mistakes of neighbouring countries that have suffered due to radical ideologies. Once a country takes that path, it is much easier to proceed further, but almost impossible to come back.

Take Afghanistan, for instance—a land once celebrated for its ideas, liberty, intellectualism, and multiculturalism, now shrouded in darkness. It stands as the only country in the world where women are confined to their homes. Religious minorities, once well integrated, today are a diminishing tribe owing to targeted killings and societal discrimination which forced most of them to leave. Today, I feel as I have no country, as the situation in Afghanistan feels so distant and disconnected from the values and upbringing we once cherished in Kabul. Due to the war, I was forced to leave my country, live as a refugee. I lost my childhood and youth to war consequently, with my life being reduced to the daily struggle for survival.

As humans, we have failed to honour one another. We are quick to highlight the differences but rarely focus on the similarities that bind us as one. We owe it to our children to promote peace and tolerance instead of hatred and prejudice. I wish we recognize and remember that humanity transcends all forms of differences, whether they are linguistic, racial, cultural, gender-based, or religious.

(The paper is the author’s individual scholastic articulation. The author certifies that the article/paper is original in content, unpublished and it has not been submitted for publication/web upload elsewhere, and that the facts and figures quoted are duly referenced, as needed, and are believed to be correct). (The paper does not necessarily represent the organisational stance... More >>