Islam is a philosophy of life. It gives reasons and a set purpose for living.Furthermore, it defines the best ways to secure progress and happiness.This is done by elevating the spiritual side and satisfying the material needs of people.

Islam considers man as a viceroy of God on earth. This status is geat, but itis  critical that its requirements must be satisfied. Thus, man is inan envied position, and consequently his acts and behavior are expected to conform to the elevated position he is occupying.  

The Islamic concepts and laws are inseparable parts of the Islamic
ideology. They are the practical expression of Islam in society and life in general. These concepts and laws are essentially concerned with harmonizing people's relationships among themselves, with other beings, and above all with the Creator. It also makes obligatory upon its followers to spread peace, love, fraternity and cooperation and they should endeavour to counter violence, extremism and violation of basic human rights along with all forms of terror.  

The recent US drone attack has given fresh impetus to the anti-Pakistan sentiments among tribal people. They have already been simmering with hatred of Pakistan as they view Islamabad as an abettor in all US war crimes in the tribal regions, including drone attacks, bombardment by the Pakistani army and air force planes, house raids, arrests, etc. It is misconception and false assumption that the drones have been the biggest source of terrorism in Pakistan as drone survivors have no access to Washington but they try to avenge the deaths of their kith and kin within Pakistan in order to give vent to their malice, brutality and terrorist philosophy  & ideology and its practice which is entirely against the teachings of Islam in the light of Quran and Sunnah.

Shockingly enough, they try to forge a link between their armed
combats and the Islamic concept of ‘Jihad’. It is in this vein that many heads of religious parties, in particular, and average Muslims, in general, shower sympathies over terrorists and extremists.

Religious fanatics, extremists and terrorists have been misrepresenting Islam  with their anti-Islamic and anti-human activities and thus misguiding the  world about real Islam. Times have arrived that the world must differentiate  and distinguish, as Imam Hussain (AS) did in Karbala, the real Islamic  ideology from the one being propagated and popularized by the religious extremists. We must discriminate peace from violence, goodness from evil and righteousness from wrong. One need not get confused between vested interests for power and divine guidance for welfare of mankind.  

Though it is imperative to use military might to eliminate personalities of al-Qaeda, Taliban and other religious terrorist groups, such a use can weaken Taliban and its many an offshoot in Pakistan only in physical terms; however such military operations cannot completely wipe out the terrorists’ ideology from the local minds. Until and unless we defeat this ideology, we cannot  completely get rid of this potential evil. The future generations of mankind must remain safe and secure from this menacing evil of terrorism and extremism by adopting Hussain’s mission and ideology.

Very crucial point to bear in mind is that the doctrine believed in and  practiced by the terrorists has no rational link or connection with any divine  religion or belief system. Their philosophy of violence and terrorism cannot  be traced back to the teachings and preaching of any divine prophet. Quite  ironic, these terrorists try to forge a link between their doctrinal terrorism  with Islamic teachings as the instrumental forces of Yazid did in the past. This is altogether unacceptable to a sane mind. How on earth can we believe  
that Islam allows innocent killings, terrorizing others or spreading the  philosophy of violence in the world? This is a sheer misrepresentation of  Islam. The present terrorists believe in the extremist philosophy of killing  mankind for their vested interests without any qualms of conscience. Ironically, they commit worst crimes against humanity in the name of God  and his Last Prophet (PBUH).

We believe that the believers of such a doctrine are brutes, inhuman and the worst stigma of shame upon the forehead of mankind. If they rise to power, they will surely act according to their anti-humanity and anti-civilization philosophy that is inculcated in their blood in the form of violence and terrorism, (as we have witnessed this sheer brutality during the Taliban regime in Afghanistan).

It is imperative to counterfeit the extremist ideology of the Taliban. However, in order to eliminate this threat we must focus on how to eliminate their doctrine of terrorism and extremism, because the use of military operations is like trimming the bushes and hedges so that they flourish extravagantly later on. The world must focus on how to counter this ideology with another ideology that is much more powerful, logical and all-inclusive to bring this evil to its final end.

When we turn over the pages of history we find Karbala as a perfect remedy to insidious disease such as terrorism and violence. No doubt, it is an ideology that has been countering the extremists’ ideology for fourteen hundred years ago, that is, the ideology of Imam Hussain (A.S), who is the grandson of the Last Holy Prophet (PBUH). As a matter of fact, the ideology of Imam Hussain has been challenging radicalism, religious extremism, despotism, violence and terrorism since fourteen hundred years ago.

His martyrdom put a forever check on the subjective practices of the rulers of Islamic state as to become part of the religious doctrine for general practice.  Imam Hussain (A.S) was the son of Imam Ali (A.S), the fourth righteous caliph of the Muslims. Imam Hussain’s mother was Hazrat Fatima A.S), the beloved daughter of the Prophet of Islam (May God’s blessings be upon him & his progeny). During the 61 A.D, when Yazid (an atrocious and terrorist ruler), who was not fit to be the caliph of the Muslims due to his immoral, inhuman, extremist, despotic and anti-Islamic activities, succeeded his father 
to be the next ruler of the Muslims. It sent a shockwave to the entire Muslim world that had spread far and wide, from Arabia to Iraq and Syria at that time.

As for his rule, Yazid had evolved such a power mechanism that resembled Fascists in its theory and practice. He succeeded in curbing every voice that rose against his despotic regime. Therefore, an era of tyranny and terrorism started with the regime of Yazid who under the garb of Islam started misrepresenting Islam and Islamic values.

At such a critical juncture of Islamic History, Imam Hussain (A.S) stood up to challenge such a tyrannical, despotic and anti-Islamic regime of Yazid. In response, Yazid mobilized an army of hundred thousand soldiers against Imam Hussain (A.S) and his handful companions, who coerced Imam Hussain (R.A) to acknowledge Yazid’s regime, and, on failure, assassinated the grandson of the Prophet of Islam on 10th of Muharram 61 A.D at Karbala in Iraq.

Imam Hussain (R.A) was assassinated ruthlessly because he had challenged tyranny in the form of religious terrorism. Clearly, the stance Imam Hussain (A.S) took was a stance against state terrorism and extremism of that time. The Taliban clearly followed Yazid’s example of state terrorism when they got power in Afghanistan during the 90s. One is shocked to know that the Taliban glorify Yazid as their hero. This clearly shows the outline of the terrorists’ ideology of the Taliban and provides a harbor of Muslim World’s 
terrorists and extremists.

Coming back to our former discussion, the post-assassination scenario was even the worst: the granddaughters of the Prophet of Islam and children were chained and put into prison. The heart-piercing scene of this insult and violence committed against the women and children of the Prophet’s house amounted to sheer brutality when they were made to walk bareheaded and barefooted, chained and fettered, through the streets and market places in 
every city of Iraq and Syria. This was the worst-ever humiliation, 
degradation, desecration and insult to women and small children. No Muslim can ever equate such a malicious treatment to women and children to any other precedent in history, let alone the history of Islam. Muslim scholars and historians call it anti-Islamic and anti-human treatment and condemn such a barbaric act at every platform.

The 10th of Moharram every year is the day commemorating Imam Hussain’s martyrdom and the sufferings of the women and children of the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) house. Moreover, sacrifices of Imam Hussain (R.A) raise him to the pedestal of the greatest martyr who lost his life for the sake of truth, basic human rights, upholding the banner of righteousness against tyranny, oppression, despotism and unethical, immoral practices that were sheer transgressions from the teachings of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him & his progeny).

In the present context, the concept of martyrdom has been twisted and exploited to extent in order to glorify a brute who ruthlessly murdered innocent masses, who desecrated places of worship, and, who trampled down all moral and human values. Such an attempt to confer martyrdom on Hakeemullah Mehsud is nothing but to corrupt and soil a noble title that mankind has ever cherished in high eulogizing words. It seems to be a tragedy of voluminous magnitude that Pak army that is fighting against terrorists and laying down their lives for their motherland have not been understood as martyrs by some extremist religious parties and sects inside Pakistan.

The point is that the doctrine of terror and tyranny did not die with the death of Yazid. It is rather traversing through ages till we reach the late 20th century where we come across the Taliban regime in Afghanistan who believed in and practiced the self-same ideology of utmost cruelty, coercion, extremism and terrorism. These enemies of mankind also believe in and practice exterminating those who challenge their philosophy of terror, oppressive designs and evil practices.

We see that these so-called Muslims, that is, the Taliban, are following Yazid and Khuwarij in letter and spirit; they are coercing people to believe in their ideology; they kill those who refuse to follow them; they are worst enemies of basic human rights, women freedom, women education and women empowerment. They even murder women going out for shopping are targeted and killed. For them, women are source of potential evil that must be chained and fettered within the four walls of their house. We can easily  understand the violence committed against women today is simply a  continuation of violence against the women of the Prophet Muhammad’s house 1400 years ago.

Again, these Taliban don’t spare the children; they attack school buses and vans and innocent children become victims of their barbaric thinking and inhuman practices. In a nutshell, Taliban are the succession of an anti-human, anti-Islamic and cruelest ideology started by Yazid, which helps them only for rising to power and impose barbaric rule over the masses as Yazid established in his time.

If one analyzes at close quarters the philosophy of the Taliban, one can easily find certain parallels between Yazid and the Taliban. Both believe in the philosophy of extremism, coercion, violation of basic human rights, women humiliation, victimizing children and exterminating those who oppose their inhuman philosophy. If the cherished heroes of al-Qaeda and Taliban can brutally kill the descendants (both men and women) of the Prophet of Islam 
and humiliate women and children, it is quite easy for them to kill common Muslims, not to speak of the non-Muslims. For these brutes, killing their opponents wins them tickets straight to paradise. They dream of going to paradise through killing and terrorizing mankind. How ironic! In reality their doctrine paves their way straight to hell.

Surely, martyrdom cannot be conferred on those who perpetuate evil, who initiate violence in human society, who destroy general peace and pose potential danger to all moral, ethical and religious values. Moreover, terror has never been cherished and idealized by civilized nations. How on earth can these terrorists rise up to the pedestal of glory, grandeur, greatness and gratification? A civilized society cannot shower words of praise upon destructor of peace, violator of basic human rights or perpetuator of terror in societies of mankind. A wise approach should be to severely condemn such instruments of evil rather than to pay homage to them.

Imam Hussain’s sacrifices won him the greatest martyrdom ever due to his high moral and ethical stance. That’s why he is said to be the greatest among all the martyrs in human history. It is due to this reason that Karbala acts as a symbol of truth, goodness and righteousness that foils terrorism, oppression, tyranny and state coercion. Generations of mankind look up to Karbala as a 
guiding principle to instruct, teach and preach virtue, peace, tolerance and forbearance.

Karbala categorically condemns such attempts to equalize terrorists’ death with the sacred concept of martyrdom. As a matter of fact, Karbala moves a step forward to counter the ideology of terrorism and extremism. We can say that we need to look askance to Karbala and Imam Hussain (A.S) to guide and inspire us to stand firmly against terrorists and extremists. Surely, the personality of Imam Hussain (R.A) is still viable to act as a deciding and decisive line between good and evil, right and wrong, truth and falsehood, 
adorable and condemnable, illustrious and dark, and, glorious and gloomy. One need not nourish doubts over the posthumous status of the most  baneful personality of recent times.