OF late there have been growing cases of highly-educated people being picked up by law-enforcement agencies for their alleged involvement in terrorism-related cases.

This is cause for concern because, contrary to general belief, that it is the marginalised people who are more vulnerable to be radicalised, even mainstream society is showing growing signs of such tendencies. One of the main sources polluting tender minds is the pulpit. No matter how handful these may be, they are still enough to spread hatred and promote divisiveness.

The remedy is simple. If the state puts control of each and every mosque under a regulatory body like Auqaf, the sermons, speeches and other words coming from the pulpit can be monitored and regulated.

Prior approval of the contents of Juma sermons should be mandatory and so on. No mosque should be allowed to exist outside the ambit of regulatory authority. Such measures can pay off in our quest for finding a tolerant and pluralistic society once again.

Syed Ahmed Yahya

Rawalpindi

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2016