The terrorist should be deprived of his name and face so that there is hope for a way to become a hero in the society apart from killing.
Our story is not so difficult. The story gets problematic when we have something good. But since nothing is good, nothing is promising, the story has become much easier. Therefore, it is not at all tough to predict our future. Nobody has to think deep, everything is written on the wall. The story has become this simple.
The real side of the story is that there is nothing in my house except siblings and a few old people. A room or a comfortable bed or toys for me at home is a long way off. There is nothing to eat, drink or wear. And even if I get all these things, my father is jobless and my mother does not get the wages. The elders have nothing but the right and power to beat me at the time and place of their choosing. Not only that, my elders have the birth right and power to beat my mother too. And from time to time they use this right on me and my mother. There is nothing in the house but the fear of being beaten and dishonored. The same is endured by my mother.
The fear of being disrespected and beaten also exists in my school. Both school books and my teachers spread boredom and ignorance. Both doesn’t explain why my mother and I are backward, poor and scared. And why is it dark inside my home and my surroundings? But they project how prosperous I was many centuries ago. And also that all the light in the world is because of me. The whole world has developed because of me, except me. And also that the world is afraid that I can get back on track. The world is against me because of this fear. They conspire against me and only heroes can fight their conspiracies. In the same way, the stories of such heroes are told through my school books and my teachers. They feed me not to desire or strive for happiness in this world. Just think of the next world. The next world is yours and yours alone. That world belongs to the heroes of Ertugrul and Naseem Hijazi and that is you. These are not myths or dramas, they are your reality, and they tell me this all day long.
However, there is no way or any medium to learn anything productive. Asking questions is disobedience, rudeness and a sin. If my ignorant teacher beats me with a stick, I shall certainly go to heaven. After graduation, there is no job, no means to earn my livelihood. There is an absolute zero possibility of living an average life. The real problems are, why I am poor, why my mother and I are scared, why there is nothing in the house except siblings, why my father and teachers are always angry, and why “dirty” thoughts come across my mind or why I fall prey to the dirty thoughts of my elders in the neighborhood. But, no one has ever talked about these issues.
Why am I useless, helpless and zero? How do I become a hero? I am a hero and I want to be a hero. I will embarrass those who think I am zero. I will convince myself. But how? No business, no job, no land or any other property. My mother and father never had any, neither do I possess one. An average life includes (two people who love each other, a job, one or two children born through proper planning, monthly stable income, a sense or emotional connect with happiness and sorrows of your loved ones, your peers and to get back home happy after work) but these elements does not exist in my life.
Hence, now there is only one way to become a hero or to convince myself that I am one. “My religion is in danger”. Everyone is jealous, hostile and afraid of its truth and greatness. I will become very famous if I show a little courage in protecting my religion. My name and photos will appear on TV and in newspapers. In one leap, I will climb all the stairs and become a hero. Those who consider me zero will be stunned to see my photo on their TV screen. What else to do? Just a few shots or an explosion. Every screen will have my face and my name. The story ends.
It is now up to the media and the ruling government to keep open or eradicate this shortcut to becoming a hero for our depressed, dejected and crestfallen youth. If the name and face of the killer is glorified and sensationalized after any sectarian killing, then incidents like the murder in a Peshawar court will continue. And if our government and our media, like the New Zealand government and the media, keep these terrorists anonymous and faceless, it can help stop this atrocity.
