Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Terror in Pahalgam: A Wound on India’s Soul, Not Just Its Soil

By New Age Islam Staff Writer 30 April 2025 “They were tourists, not enemies. So who truly gains from this carnage?” Recently, the peaceful beauty of Pahalgam in Kashmir (India) was shattered by a ruthless terror attack that claimed innocent lives. The land that echoes with the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb—India’s shared heritage of coexistence—has once again been scarred by violence. But this time, the wound runs deeper. This was not just an attack on people. It was an attack on the very spirit of India—a spirit rooted in unity, brotherhood, and harmony. When The Soul Of A Nation Is Targeted This was not an ordinary act of terror. Those who reportedly asked names before pulling the trigger knew exactly what they were doing. It was a calculated attempt to inject poison into the national bloodstream—by inflaming Hindu-Muslim divides, by making citizens question their neighbours, and by turning the pain of a tragedy into a tool of discord. If religion becomes the lens through which we view every act of violence, then we walk right into the trap laid by those who hate India’s pluralism. They hate India’s pluralism because it is the very wall—no, the fortress—that protects India from collapse. Pluralism is not just a cultural ideal here; it is the living reality of our nation. It is what makes India resilient, vibrant, and unbreakable. The enemies of India—whether they sponsor terrorism or ideology—know very well that as long as Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and others live together as neighbours, celebrate together, grieve together, and defend the nation together, India will remain invincible. That is why they aim at our unity. They know they cannot defeat India militarily or economically unless they first corrode it from within—by creating suspicion, by breeding hatred, by turning brother against brother. They understand that to weaken India, they must first break the trust that holds its diverse citizens together. And that trust is rooted in our pluralism—in our shared streets, shared markets, shared histories, and shared dreams. So every time they try to divide us along religious, caste, or linguistic lines, they are in fact attacking the strongest foundation of India’s existence. They know that India’s strength lies not in a single identity, but in the symphony of many. And they cannot destroy India without first destroying the harmony of that symphony. That is why our response must be clear and united: we will not let you touch that wall. We will defend our pluralism—not as a political idea, but as our national essence. Because to protect India is to protect its unity in diversity. Let us be clear: the intention behind this attack was not just to kill. It was to fracture—to pit communities against one another and weaken the foundation of India’s long-standing unity. The Real Question: Who Benefits From Division? When terror strikes, some voices are quick to communalize the tragedy. They shout louder than the voices of grief. But ask yourself: who benefits when Hindus and Muslims start seeing each other with suspicion? Who profits when fake narratives are seeded on social media? Certainly not the common Indian—not the Hindu shopkeeper in Banaras, not the Muslim teacher in Aligarh, not the Christian nurse in Kerala, not the Sikh soldier in Punjab. The only beneficiaries are the enemies of India—external and internal—who dream of seeing us divided. For them, every WhatsApp forward that spreads hate, every biased headline, and every communal tweet is a small victory. The Power of Narrative and the Danger of Misinformation In today’s India, every citizen has access to social media. That power, however, comes with responsibility. Unfortunately, some among us—often unknowingly—become carriers of narratives that hurt the country. They share communal videos, forward divisive posts, and fall for headlines designed to provoke rather than inform. They forget that hatred is never contained. It spreads. It consumes. And one day, it turns on the very people who nurtured it. As citizens, we must ask: • Are we helping the nation by circulating unverified, hateful content? • Are we being patriotic by casting doubt on entire communities? • Or are we helping the enemies of the nation fulfil their goal of “divide and weaken”? The Terrorist Has No Religion—Let’s Not Give Him One Terrorists thrive on division. They don't just use guns and bombs—they use our fears, our biases, and our silence. That is why, when we associate terrorism with any religion, we are doing exactly what the terrorist wants. We are handing them a false legitimacy. We are letting them hijack faith itself. Dharma does not preach violence. Islam does not sanctify terror. No scripture teaches hate. The terrorist is not a representative of any faith. He is an enemy of all faiths. A Lesson from Within: When Brothers Fight, the Family Bleeds Let us understand this simply. When two brothers fight within a house, it is not just the two who suffer—the entire family is shaken. But when brothers of a nation—Hindu and Muslim—are made to fight, then the very roof of the homeland begins to crack. Those who attempt to sow this hatred are not just attacking people—they are attacking Bharat itself. • It is time we recognize the larger design. • Be Alert. Stay United. Reject Hatred. • As Indians, we must now stand firmer than ever before: • Reject messages of hate, no matter how cleverly they are disguised. • Condemn terrorism as terrorism—don’t let it wear a religious face. • Speak out for unity, for peace, for the India where everyone is safe—be it a pilgrim, a tourist, or a local. • Remind our youth that falling into the trap of hate is not bravery—it is betrayal. Conclusion: The Nation Is Watching—What Will We Choose? This is not the time to be silent. This is the time to rise together, not as Hindus or Muslims, but as Indians. We must prove that the blood of innocents does not fuel hate—it deepens our resolve to protect peace. Let the terrorists and their sponsors know: • You may have wounded us, but you have not divided us. • You attacked our unity, but we will respond with solidarity. • You shed blood, but we will sow brotherhood. Let us remember Pahalgam not as a place of mourning, but as a place where India chose unity over hate. URl: https://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/terror-pahalgam-india-soul-soil/d/135373 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

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