During
the last two decades in particular, the concept of "Islamic terror" has
been often discussed. In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks
on targets in New York and Washington which caused the death of
thousands of innocent civilians, this concept has once again returned
to the top of the international agenda.
As Muslims, we completely condemn these attacks and offer our condolences to the American people.
In this article, we will explain that Islam is by no means the source of this violence and that violence has no place in Islam.
Even though the hijackers have Muslim identities, the terror they
perpetrated cannot be labelled "Islamic terror", just as it would not
be called "Jewish terror" if the perpetrators were Jews or "Christian
terror" if they were Christians.
That is because, as we will examine in the following pages, murdering innocent people in the name of religion is unacceptable.
We need to keep in mind that, among those who were killed in Washington
or New York, there were people who loved Jesus (Christians), Prophet
Moses (Jews) and Muslims. According to Islam, murdering innocent people
is a great sin that, unless forgiven by God, brings torment in Hell.
Thus, a religious person who has fear of God can never commit such an act.
In fact, the aggressors can commit such violence only with the intention of attacking religion itself.
It may well be that they carried out this violence to present religion
as evil in the eyes of people, to divorce people from religion and to
generate hatred and reaction against pious people. Consequently, every
attack having a "religious" facade on American citizens or other
innocent people is actually an attack made against religion.
All the three Theistic religions command love, mercy and peace. Terror,
on the other hand, is the opposite of religion; it is cruel, merciless
and it demands bloodshed and misery. This being the case, while looking
for the perpetrators of a terrorist act, its origins should be sought
in disbelief rather than in religion. People with a fascist, communist,
racist or materialist outlook on life should be suspected as potential
perpetrators. The name or the identity of the triggerman is not
important. If he can kill innocent people without blinking an eye,
whatever his label is, then he is a disbeliever, not a believer. He is
a murderer with no fear of God, whose main ambition is to shed blood
and to give harm.
For this reason, "Islamic terror" is quite a erroneous concept which
contradicts Islam’s message. That is because, the religion of Islam can
by no means concur with terror. On the contrary, Muslims are
responsible for preventing terrorist acts and bringing peace and
justice to the world.
The Values of the Qur’an demands Goodness, Justice and Peace
Terror, in its broadest sense, is violence committed against
non-military targets for political purposes. To put it in another way,
the targets of terror are entirely innocent civilians whose only crime
is, in the eyes of terrorists, to represent "the other".
This is an act bereft of any moral justification. This, as in the case
of murders committed by Hitler or Stalin, is a crime committed against
"mankind".
The Qur’an is a Book revealed to people as a guide to the true path and
in this Book, God commands man to adopt good morals. This morality is
based upon concepts such as love, compassion, tolerance and mercy. God
calls all people to Islamic morals through which compassion, mercy,
peace and tolerance can be experienced all over the world:
You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace (Islam). Do not follow in the footsteps of Satan. He is an outright enemy to you.
The values of the Qur’an hold a Muslim responsible for treating all
people, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, kindly and justly, protecting the
needy and the innocent and preventing the "dissemination of mischief".
Mischief comprises all forms of anarchy and terror that remove
security, comfort and peace. As God says in a verse, "God does not love mischief makers". (Surat al-Qasas: 77)
Murdering a person for no reason is one of the most obvious examples of
mischief. God repeats in the Qur’an a command He formerly revealed to
Jews in the Old Testament thus:
So We decreed for the tribe of Israel that if someone kills
another person - unless it is in retaliation for someone else or for
causing corruption in the earth - it is as if he had murdered all
mankind. And if anyone gives life to another person, it is as if he had
given life to all mankind. Our Messengers came to them with Clear Signs
but even after that many of them committed outrages in the earth.
(Surat al-Ma’ida: 32)
As the verse suggests, a person who kills even a single man, "unless it is in retaliation for someone else or for causing corruption in the earth", commits a crime as if he had murdered all mankind on earth.
This being the case, it is obvious what great sins are the murders,
massacres and, attacks, popularly known as "suicide attacks", committed
by terrorists are. God informs us how this cruel face of terrorism will
be punished in the hereafter in the following verse:
There are only grounds against those who wrong people and act
as tyrants in the earth without any right to do so. Such people will
have a painful punishment. (Surat ash-Shura: 42)
All these reveal that organising acts of terror against innocent people
is utterly against Islam and it is unlikely that any Muslim could ever
commit such crime. On the contrary, Muslims are responsible for
stopping these people, removing "mischief on earth" and bringing peace
and security to all people all over the world. Being a Muslim cannot be
reconciled with terror. Just the contrary, it is the solution and
prevention of terror.
This being the case, how did the popular term "Islamic terror" emerge?
What has been examined so far reveals that it is not possible to talk
about an "Islamic" terror. Indeed, a closer look at the characteristics
of the perpetrators explicitly reveals that this terror is not a
religious but a social phenomenon.
Crusaders: Barbarians Who Trampled Their Own Religion
The true message of a religion or another system of belief can be at
times exposed to distortion by its pseudo-adherents. The Crusaders, who
constitute a dark episode of Christian history, set a good example of
this.
Crusaders were European Christians who undertook the expeditions at the end of the 11th
century to recover the Holy Land (the area around Palestine) from the
Muslims. They set out with a so-called religious goal, yet they laid
waste each acre of land they entered with fear and violence. They
subjected civilians to mass executions and plundered many villages and
towns.
Their conquest of Jerusalem, where Muslims, Jews and Christians lived
under Islamic rule in peace, became the scene of immense bloodshed.
They violently killed all Muslims and Jews. The Crusaders’ barbarism
was so excessive that, during the Fourth Crusade, they plundered
Istanbul, also a Christian city, and stole the golden objects from the
churches.
No doubt, all this barbarism was utterly against Christian political
doctrine. That is because, Christianity, in the words of the Bible, is
a "gospel of love". In the Gospel according to Matthew, it is said that
Jesus said "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" to his followers (Matthew, 5/44) In the Gospel according to Luke, it is said that Jesus said "If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also."
(Luke, 6/29) No doubt, in no part of the New Testament, is there
reference to the legitimacy of violence; murdering innocent people, on
the other hand, is unimaginable. You can find the concept of "massacre
of the innocents" in the Bible; yet, only in the cruel Jewish King
Herod’s attempt to kill Jesus while he was a baby.
While Christianity is a religion based on love that accommodates no
violence, how did Christian Crusaders carry out the most violent acts
of history? The major reason for this is that, Crusaders were mainly
made up of ignorant people who could better be defined as "rabble".
These masses, who knew almost nothing about their religion, who had
never read or even seen the Bible once in their lifetime, and who were
therefore completely unaware of the moral values of the Bible, were led
into barbarism under the conditioning of Crusaders’ slogans as "God
wills it".
It is worth mentioning that in that period, Eastern Christians - the
people of Byzantium, for instance - who were culturally far ahead of
Western Christians, espoused more humane values. Both before and after
the Crusaders’ conquests, Orthodox Christians managed to live together
with Muslims. According to Terry Johns, the BBC commentator, with the
withdrawal of the Crusaders from Middle East, " civilized life started
again and members of the three monotheistic faith returned to peaceful
coexistence." The example of the Crusaders is indicative of a general
phenomenon: The more the adherents of an ideology are uncivilised,
intellectually underdeveloped and "ignorant", the more likely they are
to resort to violence. This also holds true for ideologies that have
nothing to do with religion. All communist movements around the world
are prone to violence. Yet the most savage and blood-thirsty of them
was the Khmer Rouge of Cambodia. That is because they were the most
ignorant.
Just as ignorant people may take a violence-ridden opinion to the point
of insanity, so they may confuse violence with an opinion against
violence (or to religion). The Islamic world also experienced such
cases.
The Bedouin Character in the Qur’an
In the period of our Prophet, there existed two basic social structures
in Arabia. City-dwellers and Bedouins (Desert Arabs). A sophisticated
culture prevailed in Arab towns. Commercial relations linked the towns
to the outer world, which contributed to the formation of "civilized
life" among Arabs dwelling in cities. They had refined aesthetic
values, enjoyed literature and, especially poetry. Desert Arabs, on the
other hand, were the nomad tribes living in the desert who had a very
crude culture. Utterly unaware of arts and literature, they developed
an unrefined, harsh character.
Islam was born and developed among the inhabitants of Mecca, the most
important city of the peninsula. However, as Islam spread to the
peninsula, all tribes in Arabia embraced it. Among these tribes were
also Desert Arabs, who were somehow problematic: their poor
intellectual and cultural background prevented them from grasping the
profundity and noble spirit of Islam. Of this God states the following
in a verse:
The Desert Arabs are more obdurate in disbelief and hypocrisy
and more likely not to know the limits which God has sent down to His
Messenger. God is All-Knowing, All-Wise. (Surat at-Tawba: 97)
The Desert Arabs, that is, social groups who were "obdurate in disbelief and hypocrisy"
and prone to disobey God’s commands, became a part of the Islamic world
in the Prophet’s lifetime. In latter periods, they became a source of
trouble for the Islamic world. The sect called "Kharijis" that emerged
among Bedouins was an example. The most distinctive trait of this
perverse sect (which was called "Kharijis" the rebels because they
greatly deviated from Sunni practises), was their extremely vulgar,
wild and fanatical nature. The "Kharijis", who had no comprehension
whatsoever of the essence of Islam or of the virtues and the values of
the Qur’an, waged war against all other Muslims and based this war on a
few Qur’anic verses about which they made distorted interpretations.
Furthermore, they carried out "acts of terrorism". Caliph Ali, who was
one of the closest companions of the Prophet and was described by him
as the "gate of the city of knowledge", was assassinated by a
Kharijite.
In latter periods, "Hashashis" (Assassins), another brutal
organisation, emerged; this was a "terrorist organisation" made up of
ignorant and fanatical militants bereft of a profound understanding of
the essence of Islam and thus who could be readily influenced by simple
slogans and promises.
In other words, just as the Crusaders distorted and
misinterpreted Christianity as a teaching of brutality, some perverted
groups emerging in the Islamic world misinterpreted Islam and resorted
to brutality. What is common to these sects and the Crusaders
was their "Bedouin" nature. That is, they were ignorant, unrefined,
uncultivated, vulgar, and isolated people. The violence they resorted
resulted from this social structure, rather than the religion to which
they claimed to adhere.
The Actual Source of Terrorism: The Third World Fanaticism
These examples from history are enlightening for a better understanding
of the phenomenon, the so-called "Islamic terror", which is nowadays on
the top of the international agenda. That is because those who emerge
and carry out acts of terrorism in the name of Islam or those who back
such acts -these people, no doubt, represent a minority in the world of
Islam- stem from this "Bedouin character", not from Islam. Failing to
understand the essence of Islam, they try to make Islam, essentially a
religion of peace and justice, a tool of barbarism, which is simply an
outcome of their social and cultural structure. The origin of this
barbarism, which may well be called the "Third World Fanaticism", is
the benighted initiatives of people who are devoid of love for humans.
It is a fact that, for the last few centuries, Muslims in all corners
of the Islamic world, are being subjected to violence by Western forces
and their affiliates. The colonialist European states, local oppressive
regimes or colonialists backed by the West (Israel, for instance)
caused great suffering for Muslims at large. However, for Muslims, this
is a situation that has to be approached and responded to from a purely
Qur’anic stance.
In no part of the Qur’an does God command believers to "respond to
violence with violence". On the contrary, God commands Muslims to
"respond to evil with goodness":
A good action and a bad action are not the same. Repel the bad
with something better and, if there is enmity between you and someone
else, he will be like a bosom friend. (Surat al-Fussilat: 34)
It is no doubt a legitimate right of Muslims to react against cruelty.
However, these reactions should never turn into a blind hatred, an
unjust enmity. God warns about this in the following verse:
"… Do not let hatred for a people who debar you from the Masjid
al-Haram incite you into going beyond the limits. Help each other to
goodness and heedfulness. Do not help each other to wrongdoing and
enmity. Heed God Allah (alone)…" (Surat al-Ma’ida: 2)
Consequently, carrying out terrorist acts under the pretence of
"representing the oppressed nations of the world", against the innocent
people of other nations is by no means compatible with Islam.
Another point that deserves a special mention here is that all the
Western world cannot be held responsible for the aforementioned
colonialist (or "neo-colonialist) violence and oppression against
Muslims. Actually, the materialist, irreligious philosophies and
ideologies that prevailed in the 19th
century are responsible for these dismal acts. European colonialism did
not originate from Christianity. On the contrary, anti-religious
movements opposing the values of Christianity led the way to
colonialism. At the roots of the greatest brutalities of the 19th century lies the Social Darwinist ideology.
In the Western world today, there are still cruel, mischievous and
opposing elements as well as a culture dominated by peaceful and just
elements that have its roots in Judeo-Christian faith. As a matter of
fact, the main disagreement is not between the West and Islam. Contrary
to the general opinion, it is between the religios people of the West
and of the Muslim world on the one hand, and the people opposing
religion (like materialists and atheists.) on the other.
Another indication that Third World Fanaticism has nothing to do with
Islam is that, until recently, this fanaticism has been identified with
communist ideology. As is known, similar anti-Western acts of terror
were carried out in 1960s and 70s by Soviet-backed communist
organisations. As the impact of the communist ideology faded, some of
the social structures which gave birth to communist organisations have
turned their attention to Islam. This "brutality presented under the
guise of religion", which is formulated by the incorporation of some
Islamic concepts and symbols into the former communist rhetoric are
entirely against the moral values constituting the essence of Islam.
A last remark about this issue is that Islam is not peculiar to a
particular nation or geography. Contrary to the dominant Western
perception, Islam is not an "Eastern culture".
Islam is the last religion revealed to mankind as a guide to the true
path that recommends itself to all humanity. Muslims are responsible
for communicating the true religion they believe in to all people of
all nations and cultures and making them feel closer to Islam.
Consequently, there is a unique solution for people and groups who, in
the name of Islam, resort to terror or establish oppressive regimes and
turn this world into a dreadful place instead of beautifying it:
revealing the true Islam and communicating it so that the masses can
understand and live by it.
Conclusion: Recommendations to the Western World
Today, the Western world is concerned about the organisations that use
terror under the guise of Islam and this concern is not misplaced. It
is obvious that those carrying out terror and their supporters should
be punished according to international judicial criteria. However, a
more important point to consider is the long-term strategies that have
to be pursued for viable solutions to these problems.
The assessments above reveal that terror has no place in Islam. They
further show the inherently contradictory nature of the concept of
"Islamic terror". This provides us with an important vantage point:
1) The Western world, especially the United States,
will surely take the most dissuasive measures to cope with terror and
it has the right to do that. However, it has to state
explicitly that this is not a war waged against Islam and Muslims but,
on the contrary, a measure serving the best interests of Islam. The "Clash of civilisations", the dangerous scenario envisioned in the 90’s should be at all costs prevented.
2) Support should be provided for the spread
of "True Islam", which is a religion of love, friendship, peace and
brotherhood, and for its true understanding by Islamic societies. The
solution for radical factions in Islamic countries should not be
"forced secularisation". On the contrary, such a policy will incite
more reaction from the masses and feed radicalism. The solution is the
dissemination of true Islam and the appearance of a Muslim role-model
who embraces Qur’anic values such as human rights, democracy, freedom,
good morals, science and aesthetics, and who offers happiness and bliss
to humanity.
3) The source of terrorism is ignorance and bigotry
and the solution is education. To the circles who feel sympathy with
terror, it should be said that terror is utterly against Islam, that
terror only does harm to Islam, Muslims and to humanity at large.
Besides, these people have to be provided with education in order to be
purified of this barbarism. The United States’ support to such an
education policy will yield very positive results.
Our hope is that these measures will help to the world get rid of
terrorism and all other bigoted, brutal, barbarous structures. With its
Christian-dominated culture and population, the United States, that
defines itself as "a nation under God", is in fact a real friend of the
Muslims. In the Qur’an, God draws attention to this fact and informs us
that Christians are those who are "most affectionate to those who believe". (Surat al-Ma’ida: 82)
In history, some ignorant people (for instance, Crusaders) failed to
understand this fact and caused conflicts between these two great
religions. To prevent the repetition of this scenario, true Christians
and Muslims need to come together and co-operate.
By: Br. HARUN YAHYA
copied from ; http://www.muslimbridges.org/content/view/414/
