Education is a basic human right which faces serious security threats Pakistan and some African countries. The terrorist’s ideological and conservative mindset has wants to impose Islamic Shariah; they want to forbid education, particularly for girls. The militants consider western education as Haram, unethical and immoral. Another tragic incident of Peshawar attacks in December last year was belligerent show of terrorist’s hatred for education. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) killed around 130 school children.
The high profile cases in last five years included Peshawar attacks, Boko Haram Kidnappings of Chibok schoolgirls; Taliban’s 2012 shooting of Malala Yousafzai, poisoning and acid attacks between 2012-2014 against schoolgirls in Afghanistan, and in 2013 abduction and abuse of girls at Christian school in India. All these events point out to security and human rights dimensions.
Islam is a religion of peace and attaches great importance to knowledge and learning. According to Holy Prophet (SAW), “Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every Muslim, (male and female).” In Islam there is no gender discrimination to seek education. An educated person has a conscious about right and wrong. Equality education is a socio-economic progress base for any society.
Education has been given top priority in Islam and its pursuance considered as a matter of great dignity and honour for every Muslim. Terrorism against education is a global threat. All Muslim nations, including Pakistan, must condemn this terrorism against education. The best weapon to fight terrorism and extremism is only through education. Education can transform fundamentalist and extremist’s mindsets into rational and tolerant ones.
AYMEN IJAZ,
Islamabad, March 26.