After killing and abducting Muslims and plundering their villages, miscreants of Boko Haram attacked churches and killed over 50 people. I don’t consider these people misguided. Their un-Islamic acts show their true intentions. They are miscreants and are struggling for power in the guise of Islam. Similar groups are active all across the world particularly in the Muslim world. Groups like Al-Qaeda, the self-ascribed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Tehreek-e-Taleban Pakistan (TTP) appear to be on the same wavelength and are pursuing same goals. They are not at all serving Islam or Muslims. Their acts are only bringing a bad name to Islam and creating a negative image of Muslims in the world.

Many people call them misguided. I don’t agree to the use of this term. Using this term gives them a benefit of doubt. A true Muslim who knows even little about Islam would think twice before killing any innocent person. These people slaughter others without any remorse. These groups have only created confusion about Islam and Muslims.

I fail to understand from where these groups are receiving funds and arms. Since national armies found themselves helpless against such groups, this shows that these groups are well armed and properly trained. I don’t wish to blame the West and particularly the United States. For God’s sake, we should stop blaming others for our problems. We should start realizing our own mistakes. This blame game should end. It is the responsibility of our religious scholars and intelligentsia to play their due role by highlighting our strengths and weaknesses. The mentality of blaming others will lead us to nowhere. In fact, such an approach will only create further chaos in the Muslim world and consequently in the entire world. We all agree that these fanatics don’t represent the Muslim world, which means that they are a minority. We should not let a handful of gun-toting fanatics make us hostage — the majority — hostage to their whims and wishes.

These miscreants should be handled tactfully and on an urgent basis before they push the entire Muslim world into a state of unending anarchy. We need concerted efforts to take these elements down. It’s now or never.