DEBUNKING THE MYTH: ISLAMIC TERRORISM
The hottest topic being discoursed in all the medias in the world is “ISLAAMIC TERRORISM, ISLAAMIC EXTREMISIM, MUSLIM TERRORISTS AND MUSLIM EXTREMISTS!, ” the Dangers of Green Peril etc., Today, Muslims are in a fix, the label of Terrorism, extremism, fundamentalism are imposed upon Islaam. It’s been said that Myths are not refuted.
They simply disappear, as the way of life from which they sprang fade from the world. But, Many people have now been conditioned into believing that Islaam and terrorism are interrelated; that there is a violent dimension to the religion of Islaam; that Muslims must be kept in check, by interventionism if need be. Like when I say ‘Maggie’ what comes in your mind? ‘Noodles!’ when I say ‘cadbury’s, the thing immediately comes in our mind is chocolate, similarly today people’s mind are conditioned by all media that when we say ‘Islaam’ immediately comes in our mind is ‘Terrorism’ and when we say ‘Muslim’ immediately comes in our mind is ‘Terrorists!’ This narrative necessarily arouses hostility towards Muslims. The Islamization of terrorism -- i.e., giving terrorism an Islamic connotation -- has far-reaching detrimental backlashes.
The sad part is even some Muslims are using the term ‘Islamic Terrorism’! Many fail to realize that the term ‘Islamic Terrorism’ is an oxymoron.
Islaam is not against any nation, race, sex or individual. Islaam is for whole mankind, Islaam gives glad tidings of paradise to the whole mankind who submit to the Creator! Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon) has been sent as a mercy to the whole mankind.
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ
And We have sent you (O Muhammad) not but as a mercy for the Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists).
[Soorah al-Anbiya 21, Aayah 107]
Qur’an is revealed to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to bring mankind from darkness of ignorance to the light of Guidance! Islaam has decreed happiness and success for the one who abides by and applies it, in this life and next. Muslims are supposed be a balanced justly balanced people, i.e. moderate people. Showing moderation in worship and all other aspects of life.
وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَـكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِّتَكُونُواْ شُهَدَآءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا
{Thus We have made you [true Muslims - real believers of Islaamic Monotheism, true followers of Prophet Muhammad and his Sunnah (legal ways)], a Wasat (just and balanced) nation, that you be witnesses over mankind and the Messenger (Muhammad) be a witness over you}, [Soorah al-Baqarah,2 Aayah 143]
Hence, Islaam is a balanced and moderate way, and it does not enter into negligence on the one hand and nor exaggeration or extremism on the other. It is balanced in between and the Muslim nation is also balanced and upon a middle course.
Thus, Islaam is balanced in everything, in its creed, in its worship, and it is far removed from both shortcoming and exaggeration. In addition, Islaam encourages equity and justice amidst both Muslims and non-Muslims.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإْحْسَانِ وَإِيتَآءِ ذِى الْقُرْبَى وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ وَالْبَغْى يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
{Verily, Allaah enjoins al-Adl (i.e. justice) and al-Ihsaan (good conduct), and giving (help) to kith and kin: and forbids al-Fahshaa. (i.e all evil deeds, e.g. illegal sexual acts, disobedience of parents, polytheism, to tell lies, to give false witness, to kill a life without right, etc.), and al-Munkar (i.e all that is prohibited by Islaamic law), and al-Baghy (i.e. all kinds of oppression), He admonishes you, that you may take heed}, [Soorah an-Nahl, Aayah 90]
Further, Allaah has also prohibited oppression for Himself, and has likewise prohibited His servants from oppression, [saying, as quoted by the Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) in the Hadeeth Qudsee]:
«O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another», [Reported in Saheeh Muslim, Book 32, Hadeeth no. 6246, from Abu Dharr al-Ghifaaree]
Jabir b. Abdullah reported that Allaahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Be on your guard against committing oppression, for oppression is a darkness on the Day of Resurrection, and be on your guard against pettimindedness for pettimindedness destroyed those who were before you, as it incited them to shed blood and make lawful what was unlawful for them.[Saheeh Muslim, Book32, Hadeeth no. 6248]
He has also forbidden transgression and aggression and enmity and harm against others, whatever form this may take.
The terrorist attacks that took place and what occurred of general (mass) killing, then it is not permissible and Islaam does not allow it in any form whatsoever. Islaam frees itself from this action, regardless of whether those responsible for it were Muslims or non-Muslims. And none of the scholars who are upon the correct form of Islaam, affirm the likes of these actions. The likes of these actions, in any place or time, which happen here and there, were never known in Islaam, ever. In fact, never since Allaah sent the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) till this time of ours. These actions were never known amongst Islaam and the Muslims – assassination of innocent people and bombings and widespread murder.
So Islaam does not allow them and nor do true Muslims perform them, and the true followers of Islaam – which is balanced and moderate – then they free themselves from these actions and from those who performed them, regardless of whether they were Muslims or non-Muslims. This is oppression and Islaam forbids it.
But today Many radio and T.V. reports and newspapers keep quoting the words extremism and extremists, fundamentalism and fundamentalists, terrorism and terrorists, bomb killings..etc., altogether and constantly along with words Islaam and Muslims.
This direct or indirect brainwashing process makes the viewer, the listener, or the reader believe gradually that there is some how a relation between Islaam and terrorism. Common man who goes through these views will definitely have a negative impact on teachings of Islaam and Muslims. It is the responsibility of the Muslims to expose the true teachings of Islaam to the common folks.
As Qur’an indicates to verify or investigate the news which evil people propagate, so to analyse Islaam, one has to investigate its sources i.e. Qur’an and authentic Sunnah.
Allaah states:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِن جَاءكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَأٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَن تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ
O you who believe! If a rebellious evil person comes to you with a news, verify it, lest you harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful to what you have done.
The Noble Qur’an 49:6
SOME TEACHINGS OF THE QUR’AN
وَاعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَلاَ تُشْرِكُواْ بِهِ شَيْئاً وَبِالْوَلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـناً وَبِذِى الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَـمَى وَالْمَسَـكِينِ وَالْجَارِ ذِى الْقُرْبَى وَالْجَارِ الْجُنُبِ وَالصَّـحِبِ بِالجَنْبِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـنُكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخْتَالاً فَخُوراً
Worship Allâh and join none with Him in worship, and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, Al-Masâkin (the poor), the neighbour who is near of kin, the neighbour who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (you meet), and those (slaves) whom your right hands possess. Verily, Allâh does not like such as are proud and boastful;
The Noble Qur’an 4:36
SOME TEACHINGS OF OUR BELOVED PROPHET MUHAMMAD (peace be upon him)
Narrated By Jarir bin Abdullah: Allaahs Apostle said, "Allah will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to mankind."
[Saheeh al-Bukharee vol.9, Book93, Hadeeth no.473]
Narrated By Aisha: A group of Jews asked permission to visit the Prophet (and when they were admitted) they said, "As-Samu Alaika (Death be upon you)." I said (to them), "But death and the curse of Allaah be upon you!" The Prophet said, "O Aisha! Allaah is kind and lenient and likes that one should be kind and lenient in all matters."
[Saheeh al-Bukharee vol.9, Book84, Hadeeth no.61]
Narrated By Abu Huraira: A man said to the Prophet , "Advise me! "The Prophet said, "Do not become angry and furious." The man asked (the same) again and again, and the Prophet said in each case, "Do not become angry and furious."
[Saheeh al-Bukharee vol.8, Book73, Hadeeth no.137]
Narrated By Abu Huraira: A bedouin urinated in the mosque, and the people rushed to beat him. Allahs Apostle ordered them to leave him and pour a bucket or a tumbler (full) of water over the place where he has passed urine. The Prophet then said, " You have been sent to make things easy (for the people) and you have not been sent to make things difficult for them.
[Saheeh al-Bukharee vol.8, Book 73, Hadeeth no. 149]
REWARD AND PUNISHMENT ACCORDING TO HOW ONE TREATS ANIMALS!
A woman entered hell because of torturing a cat!
Narrated By Ibn Umar: The Prophet said, "A woman entered the (Hell) Fire because of a Cat which she had tied, neither giving it food nor setting it free to eat from the vermin of the earth." [Saheeh al-Bukharee vol.4, Book 64, Hadeeth no.535]
A man entered paradise just because of providing water for a thirsty dog!
Narrated By Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "A man felt very thirsty while he was on the way, there he came across a well. He went down the well, quenched his thirst and came out. Meanwhile he saw a dog panting and licking mud because of excessive thirst. He said to himself, "This dog is suffering from thirst as I did." So, he went down the well again and filled his shoe with water and watered it. Allaah thanked him for that deed and forgave him. The people said, "O Allaahs Apostle! Is there a reward for us in serving the animals?" He replied: "Yes, there is a reward for serving any animate (living being)."
[Saheeh al-Bukharee vol.3, Book 43, Hadeeth no.646]
Can such Religion promote Terrorism?
WHAT IS TERRORISM?
David P. Barash and Charles P. Webel
"Terrorism" is a vexing term. According to Title 22 of the US Code Section 2656 (D): "The term terrorism" means premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated by subnational or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience." It is also as old as human history. "State-sponsorship" of "terrorism" is even more imprecise and debatable.
IS ISLAAM THE PIONEER OF TERRORISM?
Islaam is here from the day, first man laid his foot on this earth and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) concluded the message of Allaah for the whole mankind, from Qur’an Islaam is here in this world for the past 1427 years but terrorism is linked to Islaam from one or two decades ago!
TERRORISM IN HISTORY
Such tactics date back at least two thousand years, to the knife wielding "zealots," Jewish "terrorists" opposed to the Roman occupation of Palestine. "Terrorism" is also a contemporary variant of what has been described as guerrilla warfare, notably anti-colonialist and anti-imperialist struggles for national liberation conducted during the late 18th and early 20th centuries, especially against the British and French empires.
Suicide attack is an ancient practice with modern history, its use of Jewish sects of zealots (sicari)…[B.Lewis, The Assassins(Basic, New York 2002)]
The concept of ‘terror’ as systematic use of violence to attain political ends was first codified by Maximilien Robespierre during the French Revolution- [M.Robespierre Principes de morale politique, speech delivered to French National Convention, 5th February, 1794]
Similar justification for state sponsor terror was common to 20th century revolutions, as in Russia(Lenin), Cambodia (Pol Pot) etc.,
Whether subnational (e.g. Russian anarchists) or state supported (e.g. Japanese Kamikaze) suicide attack as a weapon terror usually chosen by weaker parties against materially stronger foes when fighting methods of lesser cost seem unlikely to succeed. [Genesis of Suicide Terrorism by Scot Atran]
DOES MUSLIMS COMMIT ALL OR MAJORITY OF THE TERRORIST ACTS?
Many have the misconception that perpetrators of terrorist activity in the world are Muslims and The all terrorist organizations in the world belong to Muslims!
According to a recent US State Department report, Patterns of Global Terrorism, issued earlier this year, 272 terrorist events occurred in Europe, 92 in Latin America and 45 in the Middle East. Sixty-two anti-US attacks occurred in Latin America last year, 21 in Europe and 6 in the Middle East. Whereby the majority of perpetrators are not linked to the Middle East or Islam. The Red Army Faction in Germany, the Basque Separatists in Spain, the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, the Shining Path in Peru and the National Liberation Army in Columbia are not viewed with the same horror as terrorist groups of Muslim background.
The countries with the worst terrorist records in the world are not in the Middle East either. They are not even Muslim countries outside the Middle East. They are Columbia and Germany, havens for drug lords and neo-Nazis.
Every time we see in the media “Islaamic Terrorists” or “Muslims Terrorists”, when ask them why? They say the perpetrators are all ‘MUSLIMS’ or ‘ARAB MUSLIMS’ – If we agree with this formula than violence reported anywhere in the world should be related with their ethnic or religious identities, is this happening in the media?
For e.g The IRA and RIRA of England are Catholic Christians fighting Protestants of England. In Spain, the Basque separatist group Eta are well known for their terrorism which they justify in the name of nationalism and religion. Also in Latin America there are a number of terrorist cells that operate under the banner of Christianity. Also in Europe the neo-Nazi groups who also perform a number of terrorist activities under the pretext of preserving Anglo-saxon Christianity and European heritage.
Even in Palestine, the struggle is for freedom from the Israeli occupiers! Its not a religious war. In fact, all the fighting organizations don’t belong to Muslims for e.g.
Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which was founded by the notorious George Habash, also nurtured the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), which was founded by another Palestinian Christian, Naif Hawatmeh.
Hezbollah suicide bombers in the period 1982-1986 were 71% Christian, 21% Communist/Socialist, 8% Islamist (204-07).[Dying to Win, Robert A. Pape pg.204-07]
Christian nationalist groups with terrorist cells
• Lords Resistance Army (1987-present) (Uganda)
• Nagaland Rebels (1948-present) (Nagaland), including:
o The National Liberation Front of Tripura
• Gods Army (a rebel faction of the Karen ethnic minority in Burma)
MISUSE OF THE TERM ‘TERRORISM’
Today many (mis)using this term ‘Terrorism’ for their vested political motives, same Johann Hari the Independent news paper columnist further rises a very important question in his article regarding the chechenyan conflict.
“A fortnight ago, Chechen jihadists murdered more than 300 children in Beslan. They are "terrorists". Since 1991, Russian troops have murdered more than 40,000 Chechen. They are not "terrorists"; they are "our allies". The term "terrorism" simply means "violence we dont support".
[The Independent, 22 September 2004 http://argument.independent.co.uk/regular_columnists/johann_hari/story.jsp ]
If the calculated targeting of civilians is terrorism, are not the
calculated military activities that kill and maim civilians also terrorism? In an
armed struggle, who decides what level of "collateral damage" is acceptable?
CAN A TERRORIST BECOME A NOBLE PEACE PRIZE WINNER?: WESTERN DOUBLE STANDARDS
In the 1930s and 1940s, the Jewish underground in Palestine was described as “TERRORIST,” then new things happened: By 1942, the Holocaust was occurring, and a certain liberal sympathy with the Jewish people had built up in the Western world. At that point, the terrorists of Palestine, who were Zionists, suddenly started to be described, by 1944-45, as “freedom fighters.”
Menachim Begin a Zionist who was member of Jewish Terrorist organization, Irgun Zavai leumi, a very relentless group of its time, involved in terrorist attacks on British government ruling Palestine and massacred thousands of innocent Palestinian men, women and children by cleansing Palestinian villages with cold blood, who is also infamous of “Hotel David” bombing in Jerusalem. The person subsequently became the prime minister of Israel in 1977 and on December 10,1978 he shared Noble Peace Prize with Sadat of Egypt for bringing peace between two countries, even after getting the Noble peace prize he bombarded Lebanon!!! In the following year, who is going to account for this?
THE APPLICATION OF THE WORD FUNDAMENTALISM TO ISLAAM
The term was first used about Islaam in the Middle East Journal in 1957. But it was not until 1981 that its application to Islaam gained currency.
JIHAAD IS NOT THE SYNONYM OF TERRORISM
The concept of Jihaad is often mistaken with the English term ‘Terrorism’. Jihaad means striving, which also includes warfare but military warfare is not done by individuals but done by the order from an Islaamic ruler to his people.
US PUBLISHED AND DISTRIBUTED FREE BOOKS PRAISING JIHAAD AND ENCOURAGING AFGHAN PEOPLE TO JOIN WAR AGAINST RUSSIN INVADERS!
America spent more than $50 million preparing special text books in Dari and Pushtu languages which were distributed to refugee children studying in these schools, exhorting them to join what the books blessed as jihad. The texts, commissioned by the US Agency for International Development, and developed by Centre for Afghanistan Studies at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, are said to be filled with violent images peppered with drawings of guns, bullets, soldiers and mines. [Joe Stephens and David Ottaway, ‘From U.S., the ABC’s of Jihad’, Washington Post, 23 March 2002, ]
EXPERT SAYS ISLAAM HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TERRORISM!
Robert A. Pape is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago specializing in international security affairs and US academic has written a Book titled:
Dying to Win: the strategic logic of suicide terrorism states that
"Prof Pape has counted 462 suicide terrorists worldwide - including 71 from al Qaeda -between 1980 and 2003. He studied their lives. He read documents put out by the groups they joined. He compiled lists. He plotted numbers on graphs. He says, “The prevailing wisdom is that suicide terrorism is largely a function of Islaamic fundamentalism. In fact, myself, right after 9/11, I went and grabbed the Qur’aan because I wanted to know what’s wrong with Islaam that this is driving people to suicide terrorism. Well, I was actually surprised” to discover that “what over 95 percent of all suicide attacks around the world since 1980 until today have in common is not religion, but a clear, strategic objective: to compel a modern democracy to withdraw military forces from the territory that the terrorists view as their homeland.”"
"The Washington Post report says, “When Pape looked at the beliefs of 384 of the 462 suicide attackers, he found that 43 percent were religious and 57 percent secular.
He rejects Frum-Perle view that the root of the problem is in Islam (241-44). “Rather, the taproot is American military policy” (244). The notion that Islamic fundamentalism is bent on world domination is “pure fantasy” (244-45). An attempt by the West to force Muslim societies to transform “is likely to dramatically increase the threat we face”
[http://www.1924.org/media_monitor/index.php?id=2012_0_30_10_M] and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dying_to_Win:_The_Strategic_Logic_of_Suicide_Terrorism
STOP STEREOTYPING ISLAAM WITH TERRORISM AND THE MUSLIMS AS “TERRORISTS”& “EXTREMISTS”!
Try to understand situation in the Muslim world from Muslims perspective. There is a hell of a difference between the information they have — from books, mainstream media and a handful of opportunist collaborators — and the reality on the ground.
Understanding feelings of Muslims is impossible without living among them with open mind and going through the same experience.
The kids who grow up in the Western society, do not accept rude looks even from their own parents. How naïve it is to expect them watching their helpless brethren in faith being mercilessly butchered by the Israeli and American helicopters on daily basis, and doing nothing.
Islaam doesn’t approve any kind of terror but why when a Muslims does something its Islaam which goes for trial? Why its always Muslims and Islaam are vilified in the Media? Why so much hatred against Islaam and Muslims?
Instead of creating chaos and killing innocent Muslims further in the name of “War against terror” Please, analyze and find out the root cause for the present day tensions and unrest prevailing today. Let there be real freedom, not the freedom according to the powerful and Mighty, finally let us be Muslims, we have chosen Islaam has our way of life because we are convinced the truth about it and no matter what inshaAllaah we will not deter from the teachings of Islaam, nor will we Muslims stop enjoining good and forbidding evil, because Muslims wants peace for everyone.
We Muslims, Worship none but Almighty Allaah the true Creator, We shun all superstitious and man made gods? We preach not to oppress the weak, Share your wealth by giving compulsory charity, Rejuvenate your soul by fasting for a whole month, Shun all immoralities, like drinking, smoking, dancing, dating, fornication, extra marital affairs, Treat you parents kindly, don’t send them to old age homes? Treat your womenfolk as your second half not as a sexual object, is advocating such practices is terrorism than We Muslims are indeed Biggest Terrorists!!
MESSAGE FOR OUR MUSLIM BROTHERS AND SISTERS
At personal level, Jihad for Muslims is to begin living by Islam. They have to become Model Muslims as described in the Qur’an and Sunnah. Leaders are a reflection of their nations. Muslims cannot have good leaders without being good Muslims at individual level.
وَقُلْ جَاء الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ إِنَّ الْبَاطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا
And say: "Truth (i.e. Islamic Monotheism or this Quran or Jihad against polytheists) has come and Batil (falsehood, i.e. Satan or polytheism, etc.) has vanished. Surely! Batil is ever bound to vanish." The Noble Qur’an 17:81
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Last update : 26-10-2006 01:02
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