Omar Shahid
The ISIS project was orchestrated by entities opposed to Islam with the intention of tarnishing the reputation of Islam, dismantling jihadist unity, sowing discord among jihadist movements, attacking Muslims from within, and eroding the confidence of Muslims in their forefathers and leaders.
These anti-Islam forces have employed this project for these purposes in various regions such as Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan, and the African continent.
Presently, intelligence agencies affiliated with these anti-Islamic forces have assumed control of this malevolent project.
The ISIS Khorasan branch, established to impede the progress of holy jihad against invaders and their followers in Afghanistan, has not yielded the desired outcomes.
It has faced significant setbacks both prior to and subsequent to the establishment of the Islamic government in Afghanistan. Currently, its headquarters have been relocated to Balochistan, where it has been provided with sanctuaries.
Officials and operatives of anti-Islam forces overlook and disregard their actions. Indirectly, the surrogate intelligence agencies of the enemies of Islam seek to expand the reach of this project to all tribal regions and may utilize it against individuals supporting and safeguarding Islamic holy sites, traditions, religious institutions, and Islamic heritage in Pakistan.
Primary targets of the ISIS project include scholars and educational institutions associated with the Deobandi school of thought. Additionally, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, which garners the backing of a majority of scholars aligned with the Deobandi school of thought in Pakistan, is among the prime targets of ISIS.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam was the solitary political party that endorsed and assisted in the holy war against invaders over the past two decades.
Following the vicious and deadly assaults by ISIS on gatherings in Bajaur and Balochistan in recent months, with numerous religious scholars, students from seminaries, and ordinary devout Muslims falling victim, the group has now commenced targeted assassinations of religious scholars and prominent figures associated with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam.
The targeted killing of Maulvi Mirza Jan, a former leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam in South Waziristan and a local scholar, in Wana, South Waziristan marks the latest incident involving ISIS, resulting in his martyrdom.
This attack underscores the persistent elevation of ISIS’s influence in tribal regions, indicating that individuals linked to the Deobandi school of thought and profession who advocate for Sharia enforcement are under threat from the ISIS project.
Information received by Al-Mersaad from confidential sources suggests that the intensification of ISIS’s influence and the targeting of Deobandi religious scholars represent the latest scheme of the adversaries of Islam.
They aim to operationalize this agenda through their intermediaries, including the relocated Khorasan branch of ISIS, which has been granted autonomy and impunity in Balochistan. According to this plan, further attacks targeting scholars, seminaries, and groups affiliated with the Deobandi school of thought may ensue in the near future.
Hence, scholars, students, and followers of the Deobandi ideology and their educational institutions must remain vigilant of this new conspiracy. They should engage in intellectual and advocacy endeavors to dismantle the ISIS project and elevate public awareness on this matter.»