| Escape from evil |
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| Sunday, January 10, 2010 The tale of the six boys in Swat who were kidnapped by the Taliban and consequently escaped from captivity highlights the extent to which young militants are themselves often victims rather than villains in the story of violence unfolding before us. The boys, most of them in their early teens, say they were abducted and attempts were made to brainwash them into a belief that the security forces were evil and needed to be targeted through ‘jihad’. Accounts of this nature give us an important insight into the mechanisms of militancy and the way it is carried forward. This should also act as a tool to help us combat it. There must also be other young boys held in Taliban-controlled places of detention elsewhere in the country. An effort must be made to rescue them. There can also be no certainty that these teenagers have not succumbed to the campaigns to persuade them of the need for violence. Perhaps the time has come to launch a full-fledged rehabilitation campaign in areas where the Taliban have held sway, so that people who fell in with their propaganda can be de-brainwashed and also offered training that enables them to earn a livelihood. This is a crucial strand in the effort against militancy. It must be pursued with vigour. |
Mohammed Abbasi 