Source: worldreligionnews.com

Huma Munir is a writer for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Women’s Association in Austin, Texas. She is also an English teacher.

MUSLIM LEADERS MUST UNITE TO MAKE A PACT TO PUT AN END TO SECTARIAN VIOLENCE WITHIN ISLAM.

From ISIS to Boko Haram to Al-Shabab, the Islamic world faces a multitude of challenges. And as more and more youth—primarily Muslim—flock to join ISIS, there is an unprecedented need for a collective action on part of all Muslim communities.

But before we can devise a concrete plan to fight growing insurgent groups, Muslim leaders all over the world must make a pact to unite and put an end to sectarian violence within Islam. These internal strifes have been dividing us for centuries, fueling regional conflicts and paving the way for terrorism. They have become a source of subtle and subconscious belief-system that fuels hatred towards the “others” in society— often providing fertile ground for extremist ideologies to take root in young minds.

There are more than 70 sects within Islam and majority of the Muslims adhere to the Sunni branch, while 10 to 15 percent follow the Shiite sect. Theological differences between the two main sects have repeatedly resulted in rancor and bloodshed. In countries like Pakistan, another sect called the Ahmadiyya Muslim Communityfaces government-sanctioned persecution resulting in target killings and suppression of religious freedom. Even in countries like the Great Britain, Ahmadi Muslims are sometimes boycotted for their beliefs.

Essentially, direct exposure to sectarian violence within Islam has not only resulted in homegrown terrorism in certain parts of the world, it has also… read more at worldreligionnews.com