In the bloodstained hills of Kurram, Pakistan continues to face an enemy that speaks the language of religion but acts in direct defiance of it. They claim piety, shout slogans of jihad, and present themselves as defenders of Islam. But their actions, their ideology, and their alliances betray them. These are not mujahideen. These are the new Khawarij and they have once again declared war not just on the Pakistani state, but on the very soul of Islam.
The recent attack on the check post in Hussain Mila, Upper Kurram, was more than just an act of cross-border terrorism. It was a statement. Militants armed by the Taliban crossed from Afghanistan into Pakistan, targeting soldiers who were defending not only land but the peace of millions. They came with heavy weapons, with intent to kill and they succeeded in martyring Lance Naik Saleem and another brave soldier whose name has yet to be publicly confirmed.
But this isn’t about one attack. This is about an old disease resurfacing in new clothes.
The Khawarij were the first extremists to tear the Muslim world from within declaring other Muslims as apostates, justifying murder in the name of “purity,” and hijacking the message of Islam for power and bloodshed. Today’s militants do the same. They distort scripture, ignore ethics, and serve foreign agendas all while hiding behind the banner of religion.
The capture of one of the attackers confirmed what many have long known: the Afghan Taliban are enabling this violence. Weapons are being funneled across the border. Safe havens remain untouched. While Pakistan speaks the language of diplomacy, the enemies of peace speak the language of deception.
And yet, the most dangerous weapon the new Khawarij wield is not the AK-47. It is the manipulation of belief. They twist verses to fit violence. They brand defenders of Pakistan as disbelievers. They target mosques, madrassas, schools, and soldiers not out of ignorance, but out of ideological hatred for any form of Islam that embraces mercy, law, and nationhood.
But there is hope. The people of Kurram did not cower. When mosque loudspeakers called them to action, they stood by the army not against it. They chased the infiltrators into the mountains. That is the difference between the fake piety of the Khawarij and the real faith of the people. One uses Islam to kill. The other lives by it to protect.
The ideological battle is as critical as the military one. Until we call these extremists what they are Khawarij we allow them the cover of religious legitimacy. There can be no compromise. There can be no dialogue with those who murder in the Prophet’s name while violating every principle he stood for.
Faith cannot be allowed to become a weapon against the faithful.
