We are the ones

After the shooting incident of Dec 03 wherein a madrassah teacher was killed in Karachi, once again this unfortunate city saw a lot of hooliganism mostly by religious schools’ students and their supporters (named by media as ‘unknown’ elements for some obvious reasons). madrassah teacher’s body was later sent to Quetta, from there it was to be transported to Kandahar, Afghanistan. Though everyone shall denounce unnecessary bloodletting in the name of sectarian conflicts; however, this shooting incident raises a valid question: what was this Afghan madrassah teacher doing in Karachi?
There has been a mushroomed growth of madrassas in Karachi since the Soviet-American Afghan war of ’80s wherein most of the students from KP got admitted. To align with students’ native language most of the teachers were brought from KP or Afghanistan. It’s everyone’s right to decide the best type of education for himself/herself but why these madrassas were established in Karachi at the first place while most of the students, teachers and other working staff have no roots in the city.
For how long will we continue to behave in an apologetic manner when it comes to issues related with people attached with religious institutes? In the past, we have repeatedly seen violent acts by these students. Who knows how many of them end up in terrorists’ training centres in Pakistan’s tribal areas and how many of them spread all over the country to wage a wave of terror? Recently found bomb making factory in Karachi shows how self-sufficient some of these institutes have become.
We should stop presuming that someone else will solve the sectarian related terrorism. No sir, we are the ones who raised, promoted, supported and financed groups in the name of jihad who are now killing each other in the name of their sects. We are the ones who have to terminate this approach.
MASOOD KHAN
Jubail, Saudi Arab