Intellectual Terrosim: When Ideas Are Used as Weapons

In today’s world, terrorism is no longer limited to guns, bombs, and physical violence. It has evolved. Just like warfare has shifted from battlegrounds to digital spaces, terrorism, too, has taken a more ideological form, one that doesn’t destroy buildings but minds. This softer, more insidious form is known as intellectual terrorism.

Instead of using bullets, it uses words. Instead of fear through physical harm, it spreads fear through belief systems, emotional manipulation, and religious justification. And perhaps one of its most dangerous targets is women’s freedom.

What is Intellectual Terrorism?

Intellectual terrorism refers to the use of ideological tools, such as religion, nationalism, or culture, to control thought, suppress freedom, and manipulate emotions. It often comes from people in positions of power, religious leaders, political figures, or public influencers, who use their authority not to enlighten, but to enforce obedience under the guise of morality or faith.

This form of terrorism does not need violence to control. Instead, it works by creating guilt, fear, shame, and obedience, especially when it comes to women’s roles in society.

A Case Study: “A Woman Belongs to the Home or the Grave”

Recently, a disturbing statement made headlines in Pakistan. The speaker? Not just any individual, but a respected religious scholar, former senator, and deputy Amir of Jamat-e-Islami, Professor Muhammad Ibrahim. A man who holds significant political and religious influence, especially in areas like Bannu (NA-26), where he has repeatedly contested for a National Assembly seat.

His words?

“عورت دو جگہ کے لیے ہے
یا گھر کے لیے ہے
یا قبر کے لیے ہے۔
عورت کے لیے بازار نہیں ہے
پارک نہیں ہے
سیر و تفریح نہیں ہے
عورت کے لیے شریعت نے جو دائرہ مقرر کیا ہے، وہ گھر ہے۔
عورت جب اس دائرے سے نکلتی ہے تو فتنہ پیدا ہوتا ہے، فساد پیدا ہوتا ہے۔
اور یہ جو پارک بنایا گیا ہے، یہ فتنہ ہے، یہ فساد ہے
ہم اس فساد کو کسی صورت میں برداشت نہیں کریں گے۔
ہم نے علماء کی مجلس میں فیصلہ کیا ہے کہ یہ پارک بند ہونا چاہیے
یہ فحاشی کا اڈہ بن چکا ہے
یہ بے حیائی کا مرکز ہے
ہم اپنی سرزمین پر ایسا نہیں ہونے دیں گے۔

Translation:

“A woman belongs to only two places: the home or the grave.
There is no place for women in markets, parks, or recreational spaces.
The limits set by Shariah for women are confined to the home.
When women leave these limits, chaos and disruption occur.
This newly built park is a source of moral corruption and disorder.
We’ve decided in our council of scholars that this park must be closed.
It has become a hub of indecency and shamelessness.
We will not allow this on our land.”

And what provoked this reaction?

Nothing more than the approval of a small family park in Bannu’s cantonment area, a simple public space where children could play, families could walk, and people could enjoy fresh air. Something entirely normal and welcome in any functioning society.

Weaponizing Faith to Restrict Freedom

The issue here isn’t just one controversial opinion. The real danger lies in who is saying it and how many will internalize it. When a religious or political leader makes such statements, they are not just sharing a personal view. They are issuing a verdict that many will accept without question. Read the blog to know more about the harmful impacts of influential figures promoting misogyny.

Through such narratives, parks become haram, the public presence of women becomes immoral, and women’s happiness becomes a sin. People have reduced the interpretation of Islam, a religion that speaks of dignity, knowledge, and balance, into a set of restrictions aimed solely at controlling women.

This is not religion; this is ideological control.

The Ripple Effect: How Beliefs Become Oppression

Let’s consider the impact. When a man hears such a speech, especially in a society where literacy and critical thinking are not always widespread, what message does he internalize?

He will believe:

• That his wife should not go outside.
• That his sister has no right to joy or dreams.
• That his daughter’s future lies only in the kitchen or the grave.

And this belief won’t feel extreme to him. He will think it is his religious duty.

This is exactly how intellectual terrorism functions: it radicalizes ordinary minds and normalizes oppression under the banner of faith.

Not a Bomb, but Still a Destruction: Intellectual Terrorism

Let’s imagine this park had been destroyed by a bomb. We would call it terrorism. They did not bomb the park; instead, they attacked it morally and ideologically, declaring its existence unacceptable.

The tool was not explosives; it was a microphone.

This is not just about a park. It is about freedom, public space, and women’s right to exist outside the home. Professor Ibrahim and others like him do not just express opinions; they shape realities for thousands who trust them blindly.

And in doing so, they turn religion, meant to be a source of peace and justice, into a tool of fear, guilt, and limitation.

A Final Thought: Faith or Fear?

When people use religion to suppress rather than liberate, to silence rather than uplift, and to control rather than guide, we must ask:

Is this truly faith, or fear packaged as faith?

Intellectual terrorism may not leave rubble behind, but it leaves minds chained and dreams buried. And that, too, is a kind of violence, just quieter, more accepted, and far more dangerous.

Related Literature

Digital Rights Monitor – “Moral policing on the internet is rooted in patriarchal ideas…” (2024)

This article explores how women’s bodies and visibility are constantly monitored and restricted online through religious and cultural policing.
🔗 Relevance: Shows how moral control is not limited to physical spaces like parks but extends to digital platforms as well.
📎 Read it here

Capire – A History of Women Challenging Religious Fundamentalism in Pakistan (2021)

Based on interviews and grassroots activism, this piece outlines the historical resistance by Pakistani women against moral policing and theocratic controls.
🔗 Relevance: Provides context for how women have pushed back against state-backed ideological restrictions similar to those highlighted in this blog.
📎 Read it here

Why This Literature Matters in Intellectual Terrorism

These works reveal how intellectual terrorism operates by using beliefs as weapons to justify control, suppress dissent, and silence women’s autonomy. They demonstrate that the issue lies not in religion itself, but in how people politicize, interpret, and weaponize it for power.