Ehsanullah Ehsan
Have we ever witnessed a media campaign glorifying Mullah Muhammad Omar or Osama bin Laden during their lifetimes?
The answer is no and therein lies a telling truth. In stark contrast to the genuine figures of the past, we are now seeing orchestrated efforts to create false legacies for certain individuals who have lost credibility both among the public and within jihadist circles. These campaigns are not driven by reverence but by desperation the desperation to salvage lost honour through artificial image-building.
True leaders of any ideological struggle do not seek self-glorification, nor do they permit their followers to fabricate their greatness. Their actions are for the sake of God alone, and it is God who grants them recognition, respect, and dignity. Their humility is their power; their silence, their statement.
So why now, one must ask, are such image campaigns being waged? If someone were truly devoted to the sacred cause of jihad, there would be no need for public relations gimmicks. The path of truth requires no advertisement. But when a so-called leader begins to steer his caravan off the righteous path and when that misdirection is met with growing disillusionment he inevitably turns to theatrical displays in a bid to reclaim lost stature. It is not leadership but insecurity that drives this need for propaganda.
These campaigns resemble the hollow electioneering of political parties laced with empty slogans and false promises, aimed not at enlightening minds but at manipulating emotions. They do not emerge from conviction but from the collapse of it. Much like politicians scrambling for votes, these individuals now scramble for relevance.
The very need for such campaigns exposes the truth: the jihad they claim to lead has become a facade, a performance devoid of sincerity. And when jihad turns into a brand, its leaders become marketers not mujahideen.
In exposing this culture of counterfeit valor, we are reminded of the difference between those who sacrifice for a cause and those who use a cause to build their names. The former leave behind legacies written in history; the latter leave behind hashtags and edited videos.
It is time we saw through the spectacle. The truth does not need to shout. It simply stands.
