<p>Hafiz Saeed walks free; he vows to fight &#39;Kashmir cause&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>India had her fair share of revolutionaries too who gave up their lives, fighting the oppressive colonial rule.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But Hafiz Saeed is no revolutionary. Even if you empathise with the cause of the Kashmiri people, one cannot condone the brutality of Hafiz&#39;s actions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While nationalist revolutionaries, through the first half of the twentieth century, targetted notorious police officers and oppressive District Magistrates who served as the pillars of British rule in India, the types of Hafiz Saeed had been indiscriminate in their killings.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He had been declared a &#39;global terrorist&#39; by the US following his role in the 2008 Mumbai attack. Sayeed has so far, however, denied his involvement. &nbsp;</p>

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<h5>The Kashmir crisis needs a constructive solution, and it will be wrong and foolhardy to give the control of the movement to someone who is not even part of the everyday struggle of a common Kashmiri.</h5>
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<p>Yesterday, the Pakistan government has released Saeed from house arrest after he announced a month of solidarity for Kashmiris in January. Saeed&#39;s release has provoked a strong reaction from India, who had been demanding his extradition for years now.&nbsp;</p>

<p>I am not here to pass judgement as to whether supporting the Kashmiri cause is right or not. What I am trying to point out here is that people like Hafeez Sayeed if they want to fight for the &#39;Kashmir cause&#39;, they can&#39;t inhabit the safe haven of Pakistan and instigate the Kashmiri youths to violence.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Kashmir crisis needs a constructive solution, and it will be wrong and foolhardy to give the control of the movement to someone who is not even part of the everyday struggle of a common Kashmiri. Hafeez coopting the movement would only increase senseless violence which is not going to give us a solution at the end of the day.</p>

<p>The Global Terrorism index states that over the past 15 years, South Asia experienced the most terrorist activity. Globally, attacks against civilians increased by 17 per cent from 2015 to 2016. India has not escaped this deadly trend. The primary targets of terrorists are private citizens and property.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>With 25, 673 deaths in 2016, the number of people dying from terrorism have now fallen by 22 per cent since the peak in 2014.</h5>
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<p>Before it is too late, we have to take steps whereby we can control the damaging effects of terrorism engulfing major parts of the world. Though deaths from terrorism have risen in tandem with battle-related deaths, deaths caused by terrorism decreased by 13 per cent from 2015 to 2016.&nbsp; With 25, 673 deaths in 2016, the number of people dying from terrorism have now fallen by 22 per cent since the peak in 2014. These figures hold some optimism for the future.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, while the intensity of terrorism in many countries has decreased, terrorism continues to spread to more countries. The average country score for the GTI, which measures the impact of terrorism, deteriorated by four per cent and reflects this spread of terrorism. There were 77 countries that experienced deaths from terrorism, which is an increase from 65 the previous year. Two-thirds of all countries experienced a terrorist attack in 2016.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hafiz Saeed and those similar to who does not seek a political solution to political crisis needs to be contained. Pakistan will do better understand this. In its bid to score a point against India, Pakistan will make a terrible mistake to let miscreants such as Hafiz Saeed go scot free.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Global Terrorism index states that over the past 15 years, South Asia experienced the most terrorist activity.

Hafiz Saeed walks free; he vows to fight 'Kashmir cause'. India had her fair share of revolutionaries too who gave up their lives, fighting the oppressive colonial rule. But Hafiz Saeed is no revolutionary. Even if you empathise with the cause of the Kashmiri people, one cannot condone the brutality of Hafiz's actions. While nationalist revolutionaries, through the first half of the twentieth century, targetted notorious police officers and oppressive District Magistrates who served as the pillars of British rule in India, the types of Hafiz Saeed had been indiscriminate in their killings. He had been declared a 'global terrorist' by the US following his role in the 2008 Mumbai attack. Sayeed has so far, however, denied his involvement. The Kashmir crisis needs a constructive solution, and it will be wrong and foolhardy to give the control of the movement to someone who is not even part of the everyday struggle of a common Kashmiri. × Yesterday, the Pakistan government has released Saeed from house arrest after he announced a month of solidarity for Kashmiris in January. Saeed's release has provoked a strong reaction from India, who had been demanding his extradition for years now. I am not here to pass judgement as to whether supporting the Kashmiri cause is right or not. What I am trying to point out here is that people like Hafeez Sayeed if they want to fight for the 'Kashmir cause', they can't inhabit the safe haven of Pakistan and instigate the Kashmiri youths to violence. The Kashmir crisis needs a constructive solution, and it will be wrong and foolhardy to give the control of the movement to someone who is not even part of the everyday struggle of a common Kashmiri. Hafeez coopting the movement would only increase senseless violence which is not going to give us a solution at the end of the day. The Global Terrorism index states that over the past 15 years, South Asia experienced the most terrorist activity. Globally, attacks against civilians increased by 17 per cent from 2015 to 2016. India has not escaped this deadly trend. The primary targets of terrorists are private citizens and property. With 25, 673 deaths in 2016, the number of people dying from terrorism have now fallen by 22 per cent since the peak in 2014. × Before it is too late, we have to take steps whereby we can control the damaging effects of terrorism engulfing major parts of the world. Though deaths from terrorism have risen in tandem with battle-related deaths, deaths caused by terrorism decreased by 13 per cent from 2015 to 2016. With 25, 673 deaths in 2016, the number of people dying from terrorism have now fallen by 22 per cent since the peak in 2014. These figures hold some optimism for the future. However, while the intensity of terrorism in many countries has decreased, terrorism continues to spread to more countries. The average country score for the GTI, which measures the impact of terrorism, deteriorated by four per cent and reflects this spread of terrorism. There were 77 countries that experienced deaths from terrorism, which is an increase from 65 the previous year. Two-thirds of all countries experienced a terrorist attack in 2016. Hafiz Saeed and those similar to who does not seek a political solution to political crisis needs to be contained. Pakistan will do better understand this. In its bid to score a point against India, Pakistan will make a terrible mistake to let miscreants such as Hafiz Saeed go scot free.

Opinion: Pakistan fuels global terrorism in releasing Hafiz Saeed

It was early afternoon when we made a quiet exit from our hotel in Islamabad from the back door.<br />
<br />
We had an interview lined by with head of a Kashmiri terrorist group, Abdullah, whose real name is Ghulam Rasool. He had killed over a 100 people and was held in jail in Kashmir. But then he became unwell and was admitted in hospital from where he escaped.<br />
<br />
It was almost lunch time and we saw him finish his prayer. In the meanwhile, our equipment was checked and we were frisked into this small home in a poor neighbourhood. Lunch was served, a full chicken in each plate. I asked him what his ultimate goal was. When will he stop? He said that the day the whole world turned Islamic he would. I knew Ghulam Rasool was going to be doing what he is doing for the rest of his life, killing more people in what he believed was his work for his God.<br />
<br />
<strong>Impact of terrorism</strong><br />
<br />
The sharp rise in terrorism around the globe has put the countries on edge, and it seems the more the governments are doing to tackle the menace the more the terrorists are getting bolder. Terrorism continues to remain unbeatable, at least for now.<br />
<br />
Terror claimed more than 32,600 lives in 2014, according to the Global Terrorism Index 2015. The index compiled by the Institute for Economics and Peace, a global think tank, also showed a staggering 80 per cent increase in deaths caused by terrorism over the previous year. In the past one year, there have been 1,195 terrorist attacks across the globe, with Bangladesh cafe violence being the most recent one. From Pakistan to Nigeria, seven countries are locked in dangerous conflicts or full&shy;scale wars involving terrorism.<br />
<br />
<strong>What drives people to terror?</strong><br />
<br />
Terrorist organisations may receive massive fundings from vested interests but it is surprising how they are able to deploy human resources at such sustainable levels. A few reasons can be found in the social, economic and political factors. A country has been at war for so long that the people there know nothing but only war as a way of life.<br />
<br />
Some terrorists come from poor economic backgrounds or in certain cases the would&shy; be terrorists are subjected to class differences or social discrimination leading them to join extremist organisations. The poor and illiterate, it is said, are easy to radicalise.<br />
<br />
However, in the case of the Dhaka cafe attack, there were terrorists from affluent backgrounds with good education who had joined hands with terror organisations such as the ISIS. Closer home, Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Muzaffar Wani, who was killed by security forces in Kashmir on Friday, belonged to a relatively well&shy;-off family. His father is a retired school principal, and Wani himself was a good student who secured 90 per cent in his class X examination in 2010.<br />
<br />
<strong>Effects of radicalisation</strong><br />
<br />
The impact of radicalisation is so deep that it sometimes blurs blood ties. Twin brothers in Saudi Arabia recently killed their mother after she tried to stop them from joining Islamic State in Syria. The twins were arrested trying to flee across the border to Yemen.<br />
<br />
<strong>Is education a factor?</strong><br />
<br />
Many people around the world have been surprised by the trend of educated people getting into terrorism. The question is what drives such educated individuals to extremist organisations? Is their religion playing a role in all this? Education, per se, has nothing to do with it. There is nothing to get surprised by the fact that most of the attackers in Bangladesh massacre were educated men. In the Nazi Germany, the perpetrators of holocaust were decently educated. In India also, there is the Godmen culture, especially among the Hindus. A large chunk of the so &shy;called godmen&rsquo;s followers often comes from the upper middle class and educated families. They have complete faith in the godmen they follow. So much so that the followers of one of the godmen have preserved his body with the belief that one day he would come alive.<br />
<br />
<strong>A psychologist&rsquo;s perspective</strong><br />
<br />
Psychologist Dr Harish Shetty says: &ldquo;Man&rsquo;s search for meaning has been a perennial quest since mankind evolved. Many found meaning in harakiri, martyrdom and other culturally sanctioned &lsquo;suicide homicide&rsquo; complex during the last few centuries. The terminologies change depending from which side one views the act. Freedom fighters or terrorists are the descriptive denominators.<br />
<br />
In an era where peace and technology have overwhelmed religious doctrines, certain sections feel threatened and are rebelling against this sweeping change in the garb of religion.&rdquo; Globalisation, Dr Shetty says, is viewed as a religious doctrine or an ideology that undermines the control of powerful religious heads. &ldquo;A small section of people falls prey to this indoctrination and finds a new meaning in life. Freedom fighters kill the oppressor and the so&shy;called terrorists today suffer from the same core belief &mdash; kill the perceived enemy or those who are the extensions.<br />
<br />
So hit out at those who are enemies and die for the cause. Martyrdom is not new and death in war is the new intoxication, going down fighting is a new high by the dominant ideologies.&rdquo; &ldquo;Dying for such a cause may be viewed with disgust in the dominant ideologies. Meaning in life is a psychosocial pursuit and an altruistic desire...as Freud described...such killings may suffer from similar intrinsic psychosocial needs,&rdquo; Dr Shetty adds.<br />
<br />
<strong>Government&rsquo;s role</strong><br />
<br />
Maybe the governments should spend more in researching and understanding the factors that attract the common citizens towards terrorism. They should take steps to reduce the number of people being influenced by extremist thoughts. Use of force or fighting a war, for that matter, may be required to ensure a nation&rsquo;s security but it is also important to find ways to stop people from going astray.<br />
<br />
<strong>Terrorists are just terrorists</strong><br />
<br />
Religion may not be the reason but could merely be an effective tool to turn individuals into terrorists. On another trip to Lahore, I met Syed Salahuddin, the head of Hizbul Mujahideen, a Kashmiri&shy; led terrorism outfit. He said he had become a terrorist after his family was killed after he challenged a political party in elections and the police did not protect him and his family.<br />
<br />
Religion seems to be a common thread in many of the global wars today but we need to go past the usual paradigm and see how some individuals may be using Islam to kill people. For us, terrorists are just terrorists. And they have to be stopped.<br />
&nbsp;

Combating terror : Countries need to identify factors behind terrorism to take on the scourge effectively

It was early afternoon when we made a quiet exit from our hotel in Islamabad from the back door. We had an interview lined by with head of a Kashmiri terrorist group, Abdullah, whose real name is Ghulam Rasool. He had killed over a 100 people and was held in jail in Kashmir. But then he became unwell and was admitted in hospital from where he escaped. It was almost lunch time and we saw him finish his prayer. In the meanwhile, our equipment was checked and we were frisked into this small home in a poor neighbourhood. Lunch was served, a full chicken in each plate. I asked him what his ultimate goal was. When will he stop? He said that the day the whole world turned Islamic he would. I knew Ghulam Rasool was going to be doing what he is doing for the rest of his life, killing more people in what he believed was his work for his God. Impact of terrorism The sharp rise in terrorism around the globe has put the countries on edge, and it seems the more the governments are doing to tackle the menace the more the terrorists are getting bolder. Terrorism continues to remain unbeatable, at least for now. Terror claimed more than 32,600 lives in 2014, according to the Global Terrorism Index 2015. The index compiled by the Institute for Economics and Peace, a global think tank, also showed a staggering 80 per cent increase in deaths caused by terrorism over the previous year. In the past one year, there have been 1,195 terrorist attacks across the globe, with Bangladesh cafe violence being the most recent one. From Pakistan to Nigeria, seven countries are locked in dangerous conflicts or fullscale wars involving terrorism. What drives people to terror? Terrorist organisations may receive massive fundings from vested interests but it is surprising how they are able to deploy human resources at such sustainable levels. A few reasons can be found in the social, economic and political factors. A country has been at war for so long that the people there know nothing but only war as a way of life. Some terrorists come from poor economic backgrounds or in certain cases the would be terrorists are subjected to class differences or social discrimination leading them to join extremist organisations. The poor and illiterate, it is said, are easy to radicalise. However, in the case of the Dhaka cafe attack, there were terrorists from affluent backgrounds with good education who had joined hands with terror organisations such as the ISIS. Closer home, Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Muzaffar Wani, who was killed by security forces in Kashmir on Friday, belonged to a relatively well-off family. His father is a retired school principal, and Wani himself was a good student who secured 90 per cent in his class X examination in 2010. Effects of radicalisation The impact of radicalisation is so deep that it sometimes blurs blood ties. Twin brothers in Saudi Arabia recently killed their mother after she tried to stop them from joining Islamic State in Syria. The twins were arrested trying to flee across the border to Yemen. Is education a factor? Many people around the world have been surprised by the trend of educated people getting into terrorism. The question is what drives such educated individuals to extremist organisations? Is their religion playing a role in all this? Education, per se, has nothing to do with it. There is nothing to get surprised by the fact that most of the attackers in Bangladesh massacre were educated men. In the Nazi Germany, the perpetrators of holocaust were decently educated. In India also, there is the Godmen culture, especially among the Hindus. A large chunk of the so called godmen’s followers often comes from the upper middle class and educated families. They have complete faith in the godmen they follow. So much so that the followers of one of the godmen have preserved his body with the belief that one day he would come alive. A psychologist’s perspective Psychologist Dr Harish Shetty says: “Man’s search for meaning has been a perennial quest since mankind evolved. Many found meaning in harakiri, martyrdom and other culturally sanctioned ‘suicide homicide’ complex during the last few centuries. The terminologies change depending from which side one views the act. Freedom fighters or terrorists are the descriptive denominators. In an era where peace and technology have overwhelmed religious doctrines, certain sections feel threatened and are rebelling against this sweeping change in the garb of religion.” Globalisation, Dr Shetty says, is viewed as a religious doctrine or an ideology that undermines the control of powerful religious heads. “A small section of people falls prey to this indoctrination and finds a new meaning in life. Freedom fighters kill the oppressor and the socalled terrorists today suffer from the same core belief — kill the perceived enemy or those who are the extensions. So hit out at those who are enemies and die for the cause. Martyrdom is not new and death in war is the new intoxication, going down fighting is a new high by the dominant ideologies.” “Dying for such a cause may be viewed with disgust in the dominant ideologies. Meaning in life is a psychosocial pursuit and an altruistic desire...as Freud described...such killings may suffer from similar intrinsic psychosocial needs,” Dr Shetty adds. Government’s role Maybe the governments should spend more in researching and understanding the factors that attract the common citizens towards terrorism. They should take steps to reduce the number of people being influenced by extremist thoughts. Use of force or fighting a war, for that matter, may be required to ensure a nation’s security but it is also important to find ways to stop people from going astray. Terrorists are just terrorists Religion may not be the reason but could merely be an effective tool to turn individuals into terrorists. On another trip to Lahore, I met Syed Salahuddin, the head of Hizbul Mujahideen, a Kashmiri led terrorism outfit. He said he had become a terrorist after his family was killed after he challenged a political party in elections and the police did not protect him and his family. Religion seems to be a common thread in many of the global wars today but we need to go past the usual paradigm and see how some individuals may be using Islam to kill people. For us, terrorists are just terrorists. And they have to be stopped.

Factors that drive people to take up arms

global-terrorism-index

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Opinion: Pakistan fuels global terrorism in releasing Hafiz Saeed

Factors that drive people to take up arms