Rejecting TTP’s distortion of jihad

Do the Afghan Taliban obey their Amir? 

At the recent parade for graduating police, the senior Taliban commander Saeedullah Saeed confirmed a major rule by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: Haibatullah Akhundzada makes it clear that no group or person can independently declare jihad or do anything that goes against Pakistan. Because the region faces many examples of religion being used to justify militant groups, this announcement is greatly needed.

Such remarks which also target the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), address a serious and troubling issue. Even though TTP declares it is fighting for Islam and Shariah, it does the exact opposite and makes the region less peaceful. The Afghan Taliban has stated that these outlawed actions violate the orders of the Amir which helps us to reject and challenge the TTP’s claim to be a religious crusade.

Still, words by themselves are not sufficient. Pakistan which is consistently targete,d by TTP, requires these announcements to lead to decisive changes. The Interim Afghan Government should show its commitment to the leader’s order by catching and penalizing people who allow, support or ignore TTP activities on Afghan soil. Taking less action would show a split in the Afghan Taliban and could harm their influence across the globe.

If the commanders truly think that taking action against Pakistan is against the Supreme Leader’s guidance, rogue actors who act differently should be held liable, regardless of their motivations. A person cannot only obey the Amir when it is helpful. Ensuring the ban is carried out checks the Taliban’s inner order, marks their legitimacy and indicates whether they want friendly relations with Pakistan.

Religious reasoning cannot be claimed by intimidation or fake judgments. Justice, restraint and truth are the basic foundations of law. Based on all the evidence, the TTP has struggled to meet these expectations. It is time to challenge their false information, get them responsible and join efforts for a world where peace wins over fanaticism and religion supports us, but does not hurt us.

Sadly, what is happening on the ground keeps revealing discrepancies. Being outlawed by Pakistan and several international organizations, the TTP is granted safety and freedom to act from Afghanistan. In spite of past links between the Afghan Taliban and the TTP, it is important to separate them now. If those groups are allowed to remain in Afghanistan, the government will be helping to sabotage its own authority.

It is also obvious that TTP leaders contradict themselves in their arguments. Their claimed support for Shariah goes together with their cooperation with hostile intelligence agencies like India’s Research and Analysis Wing, which openly opposes Pakistan. While Islam strongly advises Muslims against such alliances, Mufti Noor Wali, at the head of the TTP, turns a blind eye to this main point. Rather than supporting Islam, the organization helps those who have unfriendly feelings toward Muslims to destabilize Pakistan.

This deliberate rewriting of Islamic beliefs can not only be misleading; it also becomes spiritually risky. Twisting quotes from the Quran and Sunnah, the TTP leaders confuse young people and use religion to start a feud that has no place in Islamic text. The real jihad they claim is actually fitna, meaning a misguided uprising leading to death, dangers and discouragement in Muslim societies.

Proper devotion to Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) is shown by supporting justice, mercy and peace, not by attacking people who follow Islam. Those who carry out killings in the name of Islam but break the core values of Islam were strongly opposed by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

We must now admit that Mufti Noor Wali and the TTP leadership are responsible for chaos and they are abusing religion to hide their political purposes. What they do goes against the nation and its Islamic roots, not only the government. It is important for scholars, imams and community leaders to publicly expose the rhetoric of those who abuse Islam and help reclaim its true message.

All in all, the optimistic statement from Commander Saeedullah Saeed is important, but the Interim Afghan Government now must take real actions. TTP’s attacks have greatly affected Pakistan— costing the nation soldiers, many civilians and a sense of security. The Afghan Taliban’s strong commitment to following Hibatullah Akhundzada’s instructions and living peacefully must include ending TTP support and closing the sanctuaries the TTP uses.

Religious reasoning cannot be claimed by intimidation or fake judgments. Justice, restraint and truth are the basic foundations of law. Based on all the evidence, the TTP has struggled to meet these expectations. It is time to challenge their false information, get them responsible and join efforts for a world where peace wins over fanaticism and religion supports us, but does not hurt us.

Asad Ali
Asad Ali
The writer is a freelance columnist

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