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o single sane person in the world could understand or tolerate the barbaric acts of the Taliban in Pakistan who butchered at least 141 innocent people, mostly schoolchildren, on Tuesday. The group, which claims to represent true Islam, proudly took responsibility for the massacre at a military-run school in Peshawar.

Civilized residents of this planet could not just stand by or merely issue statements to condemn the attack. The Taliban have repeatedly used Islam as their pretext to become ruthless criminals and they are not alone. They insist that only their version and interpretation of Islamic teachings should be followed.

No religion grants their faithful the right to kill innocent people. Even the Afghan Taliban described the massacre as '€œun-Islamic'€.

News agencies quoted a victim as describing the gunmen shouting '€œAllahu akbar'€ (God is greatest) before they opened fire. '€œThere are so many children beneath the benches '€” go and get them,'€ one of the Taliban ordered his men.

 Indonesia'€™s government joined the world in denouncing the unimaginable cruelty. However, as the world'€™s third-largest democracy and largest Muslim-majority nation Indonesia has an obligation far beyond issuing a public statement in convincing the globe that Islam teaches peace and tolerance. Islam is often tarnished by its own followers, many using more than an iron fist to force others, including Muslims, to strictly follow their version of Islam, or suffer the consequences with their own lives.

We no longer take it for granted that Indonesian Muslims are as moderate and tolerant as many still perceive. There are groups of people here who will never hesitate to use violence to force others to follow them. Growing intolerance in Indonesia is a real fact and the trend will continue to worsen when the country'€™s stakeholders become indifferent to social problems.

As long as problems prevail, such as greater economic inequality, high unemployment and rampant corruption, extremism in any religion would find fertile ground for recruits. Reducing such '€œsocial diseases'€ would help minimize the appeal to kill in the name of faith.

Along with Kailash Satyarthi from India, Malala Yousafzai won this year'€™s Nobel Peace Prize for her tireless fight against the Taliban who banned young girls from getting an education. The Taliban shot her in the head in an attempt to silence her. Yet Malala only became stronger to continue her campaign for children'€™s rights everywhere.

Her reaction to the massacre was the voice of the global population: '€œI am heartbroken by this senseless and cold-blooded act of terror in Peshawar that is unfolding before us. Innocent children in their school have no place in horror such as this.'€

A Taliban spokesman said the army school was selected for the attack '€œbecause the government is targeting our families and females. We want them to feel the pain.'€

But as the victims are like all our children, the killers will be hard pressed to find an ounce of empathy, even from the nation with the largest Muslim population.