In Muslim countries during medieval times, many sects arose who differed from the communities’ view of Islam and Islamic religious observations. These groups rarely remained in power in a small section of land for a short period. Slowly they simply liquidated themselves out and also merge into the larger Muslim community. We know that in Muslim countries there are two large groups which are not very amicable to each other. However largely and throughout the ages they have lives with each other in a sort of friendly manner. One large group is as it is called these days, the Sunnis; and the smaller group is the Shia. Except in Iran and also in Iraq, and to some extent in Bahrain the Shias have always been a small minority in the Muslim countries. Truly speaking the Shia community took its shape as a fundamentally theological community sometime after 1200 AD. Before that they were tiny groups and indulged in as a kind of mild terroristic activities. Shias became important and forceful only when in Iran most of the Muslims declared themselves Shias or as it is called belonging to Athnai-Ashrya community. They adopted strict rules and developed Jafria School of law. For them Hazrat Imam Hussein, the grandson of prophet Muhammad, who was unnecessarily martyred in Karbala, now in Iraq, is the true person to revere, along with his father Hazrat Ali. It would be not worth to go in detail about Shi-ism, but it is interesting to note that they turned much more strict and unbending in their dislike for companions of prophet and the first three caliphs. Such reluctance has created a kind of semi religious chasm between them and the large Muslim group, the Sunnis. We are not saying that Sunnis are an innocent lot. Some of the “extreme” Sunni groups declared Shias as heretics, which is absolutely incorrect. It is true that Shia regard that Prophet Muhammad’s youngest daughter Fatima’s progeny, especially the youngest son Hazrat Hussain is a true inheritor of Prophets political and spiritual inheritance. What did happen at Karbala was exceedingly unfortunate. Hazrat Hussain was prompted and invited by his well-wishers in Kufa to come to them and most likely start the new Caliphate. At that time Amir Muawia the undisputed ruler of the Muslim world was dead and his son Yazid took over as the new ruler. During Muawia’s reign Hazrat Hussain’s eldest brother Hazrat Hassan made a deal with Muawia and secluded himself from claiming the Caliphate. Perhaps Hazrat Hussain thought that he would be able to take over the Caliphate from Yazid. After performing Haj on 10th Jamad II he started with a large retinue including women and children for Kufa. The journey usually took a month to complete. He with his party reached Karbala perhaps a day or two before 10th Muharram 60 A.H. The Umariat forces stopped the party from proceeding further ahead. On 10th there was a clash between the army and Hazrat Hussain’s retinue. Most of the party members were killed including Hazrat Hussain. None of the people wanted this to happen. Hazrat Hussain was willing to go and meet the Caliph, however this unfortunate incident brought about a great calamity for the Muslim world. For a number of years this incident, though deeply lamented, had not assumed a socio-political overtone. Propagandists were always active. Soon his Hazrat Hussain’s assassination became a ritual, a sign of dissident in the Muslim world. Gradually when the division between adherent to such views and common Muslims became deeper this brought about a large difference both politically, spiritually and socially. Shii scholars developed their own legal framework, which was largely different from the four Sunni schools of law (Fiqh). One must say a kind of mythical tradition developed amongst those who believed that the caliphate really belonged to Hashmaits, in actual practice the descendants of the youngest son of Prophet’s daughter. The Shii theology built up a genealogy of Hazrat Hussain’s descendants which were called Imams (spiritual-cum-political leaders). The 12th Imam is believed to have disappeared. Subsequently Shii clerics assumed part of this Imamat. Those who were christened as Imams were highly pious, intelligent and learned folks. They were deeply religious and most likely they were not against the common Sunni traditions. We must remember that the Sunni world developed Shariah (legal courts), scholarly traditions, historical investigations, largely about 100 years after the demise of the prophet. Hence there always have been some sorts of conflict in various theological point of views.
With the transformation of Iran into a Shia state where almost the entire subject became Shii. This transformation brought about the conflict between Shias and Sunnis into open. However in general terms, because of the simple fact that outside Iran and Iraq the Shias were a tiny majority, the conflict remained rather subdued. In every part of the Muslim world Shias and Sunnis live together and followed their own traditions. Hence we could say that it is largely due to action of some of the absolute rulers in Muslim countries which intensified such conflict. There were many descent groups in Muslim world but they were largely confined to small areas and were not very effective as a political force.
It is evident that in the West the idea of the “Islamic” terrorist developed only when Talibans in Afghanistan captured the country and promulgated the strict orthodox Shariah laws in the land. Almost at the same time Osama Bin Laden established a party called Al-Qaeda which started evolving terroristic activities. His and his party’s evolution is most interesting. Bin Laden is the person who was raised as a leader of Muslim fighters (Mujahideens) to fight against the Soviet Invaders of Afghanistan by CIA and America. That conflict was largely part of a cold war tussle between Soviet Union and US. Americans took little notice of Bin Laden. However 9/11 attack in America where the twin trade towers of New York was destroyed turned Al Qaeda into a violent terroristic organization. It goes to the acumen of Bin laden and his Companions that they turned their group into an Anti-Christ. They recruited young Muslims, largely residents of western countries for their purpose. These youths were indoctrinated to establish the Islamic kingdom after indulging in Jihad, the holy war. The background could easily be understood. The youths were unemployed with meager education and little resources. Al Qaeda was able to induct them rather easily. What they have been doing in recent years all over the world is quite well known.
It needs to be remembered that Al-Qaeda and related organizations, like Somalia’s Al-Shabab and Algeria’s Maghreb Al-Qaeda have almost nothing to do with the basic teachings of Islam. They have developed their own theory of Jihad which is in deep conflict with the concepts present in Quran. Jihad largely is a defensive strategy to oppose the offensive warring forces. Hence it could be said that all those who call themselves Jihadis and the Western world calls them Islamic terrorists, are not in tune with the fundamental ideology propagated by Quran and later Islamic theologians and clerics. There is no disagreement that they should be termed as terrorists or such kind of groups indulging in indiscriminate violence against Muslims and non-Muslims are terrorists. Period.
However to call them Islamic terrorist is simply a misnomer. It is product of a wrong kind of propaganda indulged by various interested groups largely of the Western world. It is true that Al-Qaeda wants to destroy as much as it can, the socio political system of the Western countries. They have established themselves in various Muslim worlds like Yemen, Somalia, Algeria, to some extent in Indonesia and Philippines. In Pakistan they are in league with the Pakistan Talibans who are closely related to Talibans in Afghanistan, who wants to reestablish the previous Taliban kingdom there. In Pakistan terrorists of the various sorts have developed like Mushrooms. This is also related to the sociopolitical situation in that unfortunate country which has passed through phases of army dictatorship. It is almost certain that if the overwhelming force of Al-Qaeda is decreased in a substantial manner, all these terroristic organizations, working all around the world would go under. There are reasons to believe that the ideological influence of Al-Qaeda is gradually lessening amongst the Muslim youth. As a matter of fact, Al-Qaeda has no constructive program but to keep themselves in permanent conflict with the Western countries, especially US. The reaction against Al-Qaeda was largely indiscriminate. The idea was to crush it totally. There were no other program promulgated by the US and the cohorts. It was unfortunate because of the simple fact that Al-Qaeda, largely brought into being by CIA, has turned into such a violent group. There initial success was largely accidental. However they started involving themselves into a very well organized, highly motivated group of active workers. Al-Qaeda reminds us of the Assasins created by Hassan bin Sabah who created havoc in Medieval Southern European states. They had only one program: to extract money from the rulers and keep Hassan’s fidayeen in shape to indulge in terroristic activities. All the indications have been that Osama bin laden has not been keeping good health. Had he been left earlier to die this terroristic activity would not have assumed such a violent menace.
What we have been saying is simply that Al-Qaeda and all the related terrorist organizations, who called themselves Jihadis and go on killing innocent people are definitely terrorists. They can also be called Muslim terrorists or Muslim extremists. However it is totally incorrect to christen them as Islamic terrorists.
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