Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I have a question which I seek forgiviness but my conscious forces me to ask;I am a Zorastrain married to a muslim, and now practice many muslim religious rites.  I am deeply wounded by the incidents of September 11th and I also see the whole world group itself in retribrution.  I live in India and I have seen the suffering of my Indian Brothers and Sisters in Kashmir who have faced a rentless battle by terrosits (each and every one of them have been practicing fanatic muslims).  If we speak of the unjust wiping out of Afghanitan to search for one man.  Anglo-Saxon Jurisprudence is one of the best developed systems in the world and if Mr laden is innocent he will be let off with all honours a innocent person will deserve. But only a guilty person will issue edicts and statements that his followers should assist in his fight to escape retribution.   The mind of Mr. laden which I have seen today clearly shows the extent of his guilt. My Allah show the right way to the Muslim World, and in the words of President Bush, there are people on their side or on the terroists side.  Let them not say that the muslims are on the side of the muslim side and all right thinking muslims the world over should unite against this scouge of fanatisim and blindness of perception and see that the real culprits are put to justice.I will like your learned comments on this message, and I will watch my e-mail eagerly for the responce.I once again pray that the muslim world wake up on the right side of the bed not on the terrorist side.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Islam & Terrorism

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and who-ever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Anyone who understands Islam and follows the clear guidance of the Holy Quran, will agree that what happened in New York on September 11 was wrong. Islam does not allow the killing of civilians, even when in a proper state of war. The Prophet of Allah (saws) prohibited the killing of women, the elderly, the children, and the civilians who did not take part in the war.

This incident has hurt the cause of Islam, because the western media has tainted the name of Islam and the muslims with one brush! The religion of Islam cannot be held accountable for the misdeeds of a few people, just like the religion of Christianity was not labeled with barbarism and genocide through the acts of Hitler, or of John McVeigh, or of Mussolini, Slobodan Milosovic, etc. When these evil people commited the crimes against humanity, we did not ask the Christian world to wake up on the right side of the bed and not on the side of terrorism! So why do ignorant people today want to make the acts of a few people a clash between the Western and Islamic civilization?

We are but pawns in the turn of events that take place in the world. We have half-information about almost everything that transpires, and the media (not the Truth) plays an absolute critical role in determining who is good and who is evil. The one who is able to shout and scream the loudest is the one who is heard! Make no mistake, we as muslims, condemn this and every act of terrorism that is enacted anywhere in the world.

Allah and the History of the Muslims is witness that Islam has always been very tolerant of the other religions of the world; but we see today that the secular world is not tolerant to Islam. We live by a Divine Code which is unchangeable, and Allah is our witness, we do not want to change it. All we ask is to live, and let us live in peace.

May Allah guide you and us all to the Straight Path of Islam.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan