Blood-thirsty face of militancy

The Taliban attack on an army public school in Peshwar, Pakistan has in it all the elements of deranged mentality that works as an obsession for militancy in the name of religion. According to the organisation's version, though, the attack has been carried out in response to recent army operations on Pakistan-Afghan border in which hundreds of militants had died. Clearly, revenge is the number one motive here. But what savagery! Innocent and angelic school children, who are yet to know much about the harshness of life let alone such killings in cold blood, were targeted for reparation.
How deviously devilish the didactic faculty and the consequent act are! Militant organisations like the Taliban, al Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS) trade in fear. The more they can strike fear in people, they perhaps reason, the greater their chance to undermine normal society in pursuit of peace and stability. Modern education is unacceptable to them because it leads students, girls in particular, astray. The Taliban wanted to kill Malala, recipient of this year's Nobel Peace prize for her undaunted campaign for girls' education.
Clearly, intolerance coupled with backwardness and religious bigotry is what has led them to choose a desperate and fearsome course. They consider themselves the vanguard of religion and interpret scriptures in their own devious way. It is because of this, the ISIS has proclaimed that they are well justified to keep non-Muslim girls and women as sex slaves. The ISIS edict, thus, sanctions purchase and sale of women belonging to religions other than their own. And all this is in the new millennium?
Another such extremist organisation called Boko Haram based in northeast Nigeria abducted more than 200 school girls from their dormitories and most of them are still missing. Officially called Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'Awati Wal-Jihad meaning people committed to the Prophet's teachings for propagation and Jihad, the Boko Haram has once again swooped on a village not only to kill about 30 people but also to take away more than 100 women and girls on Sunday last. Clearly sex perversion is nothing deplorable to them. That they are devastating lives of hundreds of girls who dreamt of a better life by receiving education is none of their concern. How tragic that the Nigerian government cannot even rescue the girls from such abominable sexual abuse!
The so-called Boko Haram Jihadis in Nigeria, al Qaeda, Taliban and ISIS in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan have many things in common. That they are not only involved in terrorist acts but are secure in the distorted believe that all they are doing is in the service of religion. In fact, they are giving religion a bad name. After the massacre of school students in Peshawar, only widespread condemnation will not be enough. The people in Pakistan are mourning the death of students in the prime of their lives. Nothing can console the bereaved parents and relatives of those killed and wounded.             
Hopefully, this tragic incident will forge unity among the Pakistanis against militancy and such needless violence. Most likely it will open the eyes of those who lent a tacit support to the militant groups. If the militant organisations have no support at home, they are likely to flee to places where at least they are not as dangerous as they could be in the case of school attack. That would be a first step towards doing away with militancy. Officials of Afghanistan and Pakistan have happily agreed to embark on such an offensive against militants.