Need for Rational Voices in a Polarised World

In a world increasingly shaped by division, rage and ideological rigidity the greatest casualty is not just human life it is our collective sanity.As societies around the globe drift into deeper polarisation, the rise of global terror networks — particularly those driven by radical Islamist ideologies — remains one of the most grave and urgent threats to peace, coexistence and humanity at large.

It is imperative to begin this discussion with a clear distinction: this is not the blame on a faith, but a critique of how a religion Islam has been hijacked and weaponised by violent extremists. Islamic fundamentalism, as expressed through jihadist terrorism, has, over the last few decades, become the dominant face of global terror. From New York to Paris, from Mumbai to Nairobi, from Kabul to Pehalgam  the bloody signature of this ideology is undeniable.

One of the most heartbreaking recent examples occurred in Pehalgam, Kashmir where 28 innocent  civilians were brutally massacred by jihadi terrorists.This horrific event largely underreported in the global press, underscores a disturbing pattern that human suffering caused by Islamist extremism often fails to evoke the universal outrage it deserves. Instead, the world responds with a temporary murmur before falling back into silence, until the next bomb rips through a marketplace, a school or a place of worship.

The truth is difficult but it must be confronted: Pakistan continues to serve as the nerve centre of state-sponsored terrorism, exporting death and destruction under the garb of “strategic depth” and religious nationalism. Despite international pressure, successive Pakistani regimes both civilian and military have allowed their soil to be used as a breeding ground for radicalisation, indoctrination and cross-border terrorism.Their uncurbed promotion of terror has not only destabilised South Asia but has also served as a launchpad for global networks of violence.

The ramifications of this are global. Refugee crises, cultural backlash, Islamophobia, geopolitical instability and billions spent on counter-terrorism efforts,these are not confined to one region or community.The cancer of radicalism, once planted, knows no borders. It devours everything morality, modernity and meaning.

And yet, in this age of volatility, rational voices the voices that seek peace, understanding and pluralism are increasingly being drowned out.There exists today a silent majority across the Islamic world who despise extremism, who reject violence and who yearn for progress and dignity. But they are trapped between two brutal forces: the radicals who claim to speak in their name and a global society that often views them with suspicion and fear.

This is the greatest tragedy that besides non Muslims for example Kashmiri pandits,the real Muslim victims of terrorism are not only those killed, but also those silenced. The moderate Muslim voices, the reformers, the educators, the activists, the Sufi scholars — all those who offer an alternative narrative rooted in compassion  receive little support, little attention and often, little safety.

Extremism thrives when rationality retreats. And nowhere is this more evident than in how youth are manipulated and exploited. The radical preachers who deliver fiery sermons in madrasas,learning centres and online videos do not send their own children to jihad. Their children study in elite foreign universities, enjoy lives of comfort and inherit fortunes. It is always the poor, the alienated, the uneducated who are fed dreams of martyrdom used as cannon fodder in wars they neither started nor benefit from.

The global Muslim youth must wake up to this exploitation.You were not born to kill or die for another man’s ideology. You were born to create, to explore, to uplift and to lead. True Islam like all great religions, promotes peace, learning and service not violence. The Quran itself says: “Whoever kills a person it is as though he has killed all mankind. (Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:32). What then has happened to this fundamental message?

The answer lies in a toxic ecosystem of power politics, poverty, foreign interference and decades of injustice. But responsibility is now global.The world must not merely condemn terrorism with words it must act with wisdom.

This means investing in education,not just arms. It means giving platforms to reformist Islamic thinkers and discouraging hate preachers(Moulvis).It means supporting the integration of marginalised Muslim communities, rather than isolating them further. And it means calling out state actors like Pakistan  who continue to play a duplicitous game, appeasing extremists at home while playing the victim on global stages.

Media, educational institutions, governments and civil society all have a role to play. We must build bridges where others build walls. We must be precise with our criticism targeting the ideology, not the identity. Terrorism is not a religious problem,it is a human problem. But it becomes insurmountable when we let political correctness or fear deter us from truth.

This is not a war between Islam and the rest of the world. It is a war between barbarism and civilisation, fear and hope, supremacy and pluralism. It is a war between those who want to dominate through terror and those who believe in the quiet strength of peaceful coexistence.

If we fail to support rational voices in every community, every country, every religion — we will only push more youth into the hands of extremists & countries like Pakistan.Silence, apathy and inaction will be our gravest sins.

The need of the hour is global solidarity. Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Jewish, Buddhist every faith must unite behind the shared values of dignity, compassion and justice. We must together reclaim religion from political opportunists. We must celebrate diversity, not fear it. We must invest in the future, not destroy it in the name of jihad.

Because if we don’t act now, tomorrow may not belong to anyone not even the radicals.

Let us raise our voices not to shout, but to reason.

Let us open our hearts not to hate, but to heal.

Let us choose peace not as an option, but as our only chance.

The time for rational voices is not “TOMORROW”It is “NOW”

May peace prevail around the globe

(KULDEEP KASHMIRI)

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