LAHORE (Nauman Tasleem) – The so-called Islamic state, ISIS that now dominates a significant part of the middle east, has time and again appalled the world with its unparalleled barbaric and inhumane persecution and oppression of communities it deems as ‘infidel’.
Since the emergence of Daesh as one of the most dominant militant groups in war-torn Middle east, accounts of extreme brutality and barbarity have dominated the headlines and news stories around the world, causing terror and alarm.
But Muhammad Waseem, who was trapped in Libya shares an unconventional account of his experience during one of the world’s worst and protracted modern civil wars.
Speaking to Daily Pakistan, Waseem, who went to Libya in 2011, said the political crisis engulfed the North African country soon after he moved there and started working for a Turkish company based in the country’s coastal city, Sirte.
“Initial two years of my stay in the country went very well,” Waseem said adding he was shocked when one day he woke up to the news that the city has been captured by ISIS. “We were awfully terrorised as nobody had anticipated that.”
Waseem further revealed that most of ISIS’ practices contradicted true Islamic teachings and the group only used Islam as a pretext for their wrongdoings. If anyone dared to challenge or question their atrocities, the group would publicly execute him/her and hang the dead body flagrantly, Waseem added.
Recalling one of the shocking incidents, Waseem said that a cleric was also brutally killed for contesting the brand of Islam that ISIS fabricated and followed. “They shaved his head and facial hair, hung him publicly and shot him, leaving his dead body to remain there for two days,” Waseem said adding nobody argued or contested them.
But, according to Waseem, ISIS fighters did not ‘dare’ to harass or persecute Pakistanis living in the country. “At checkpoints, Pakistanis were respected and allowed to proceed forward without any security checking or harassment,” Waseem said. “They behaved differently with us.”
Waseem left Libya and finally made way to Pakistan in January 2016, after evacuating to Benghazi, the city known for holding first anti-Gaddafi protests in Libya during Arab spring. “Benghazi wasn’t under ISIS’ control and unlike other cities, airports in Benghazi were operational,” Waseem concluded adding Libya has been plunged into uncertain future and chaos after the “revolution.”
