Rising Violence Among Youth: A Tragedy

By Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi, New Age Islam 15 July 2025 Youth are vital for society’s progress, but rising violence due to political manipulation, unemployment, and misinterpreted religion threatens peace. Education, balance, and ideological clarity are essential for harmony۔ Main Points: 1. Youth must be guided constructively with education and values to ensure social peace and national progress. 2. Rising violence among youth is rooted in ideological imbalance, unemployment, and political exploitation. 3. Religion must not be misused to justify hatred; all faiths promote peace and coexistence. 4. Islam teaches balance, respect, and peaceful coexistence with all communities and forbids violence. 5. Providing a transparent, unbiased environment is key to saving youth from extremism and destructive behaviour. —---- History bears witness to the fact that youth play a foundational role in the development and prosperity of any society. However, this potential can only be realized when young individuals use their abilities constructively and positively—when their temperament is balanced, their thoughts mature and conscious, and they possess the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. In other words, when youth are politically, socially, and religiously aware and ready to use their intellectual and ideological capacities responsibly, they become torchbearers of peace, harmony, and national progress. Such youth not only serve their country with sincerity but also become role models for others. On the other hand, if the upbringing and intellectual training of youth are not conducted on sound and balanced ideological lines, the same talents that could have built the nation may turn destructive. Such youth become a threat to their own society. Lacking ideological balance, they begin to exhibit prejudice, intolerance, and extremism in their behaviour. Harshness and severity take root in their thoughts and actions. Today, we are witnessing a disturbing rise in violence among the youth. Groups of young people are targeting members of specific communities, especially Muslims. Such acts of violence serve neither the youth themselves nor the society they live in. One must ask: which religion teaches its followers to spread hatred and hostility? All religious teachings advocate peace, coexistence, and mutual respect. Therefore, associating this violent behaviour with religion is misleading and unjust. Importantly, there is no historical basis to suggest that today’s violent youth are reacting to some long-standing oppression or cultural injustice. India’s diverse and inclusive society has preserved its pluralistic character across centuries. If certain political groups today are misrepresenting history to provoke youth against specific communities for political gain, this is a separate issue—and a dangerous one. The youth must understand that such forces are manipulating their energy and talents for selfish purposes. Many young people, knowingly or unknowingly, are being used as tools by opportunistic politicians. Youth must realize that violence solves nothing—it only worsens the situation. Tragically, today’s wave of violence is often carried out in the name of religion. Yet, no religion permits hatred, cruelty, or brutality. Every community that embraces such attitudes ends up facing social decay and disunity. One must reflect: how did those young people—who were meant to bring pride to their families and their country through education and positive contributions—become pawns in the hands of those who seek only political power? These manipulators aim to keep youth ignorant and violent so that they remain under control. They fear educated, well-informed youth because such individuals challenge hatred and question violence. That is why these forces resist providing youth with proper education and moral guidance. Islam, in its true spirit and constitutional vision, promotes a society where people of all communities live with mutual respect, freedom of conscience, and peaceful coexistence. Islam does not permit violence against members of any faith or community. Its core teachings emphasize peace, compassion, tolerance, and respect for other religions, their scriptures, and their revered figures. Islamic teachings are rooted in moderation and balance. It firmly condemns all ideas and movements that promote chaos, extremism, and conflict in society. Today, there is an urgent need for society to adopt these principles and make them practical models to ensure social harmony and progress. The intellectual, emotional, and ideological crisis among today’s youth is a serious concern, especially for a pluralistic society like India. Therefore, protecting the youth from falling into violence is not just desirable—it is essential. One major cause of frustration among youth is unemployment. When young people are jobless, they are more vulnerable to extremist influences. Another key factor is the continuous misinterpretation of religion by individuals or groups with specific ideological agendas. As a result, youth are being dragged toward violence and hatred. To safeguard the future of our youth, we must ensure they are given access to quality education and proper training. Religious teachings should be presented to them in an honest, balanced, and rational manner—free from prejudice and bias. They should be exposed to literature that promotes truth, trust, tolerance, and justice. Such material must not be curated by those with narrow or sectarian mindsets. When our youth grow up in an environment of transparency and balance, their intellectual and moral development will naturally incline toward peace and responsibility. They will lead lives of harmony, discipline, and contribution—exactly what every civilized society desires. Right now, our collective effort must be to provide a clean and unbiased environment to our youth—regardless of their religious, ideological, or cultural background. Only then can we ensure peace, order, and mutual respect in our society. URl: https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/rising-violence-youth-tragedy/d/136180 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism