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Terrorism and extremism

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 am a Brahmin.There is my muslim friend who brought to my attention a book entitled "OH YOU HINDU AWAKE!" written by Hadwa Dom. What i read out of it is that the relegious discrimination perpetred by Brahmins or High caste Hindus on low caste Shudras with which i disagree.What is the philosophy about human values in your relegion regarding equality? My Muslim friend always tells me that the Islamic attitude is againts terrorism and that it denounces it.But as per what we see today seems totally opposite to what he say.

Waiting for your reply.Reply urgently.

 

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Answer:

 

Terrorism and extremism

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever 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.

 

What is the philosophy about human values in your relegion regarding equality?

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 49 Surah Hujuraat verse 13: O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).

 

Prophet Mohamed (saws) epitomized the status of equality amongst mankind when he declared these statements in his last sermon:

‘All of you are Children of Adam, and Adam was made from dust. No Arab has any preference over a non-arab, and no non-arab has any preference over an Arab, except in piety and righteousness.’

 

Islam guides that God created every human being from a single pair of parents, thus every human being is An equal brother in humanity to another. No person will be given priority over another because of his color, race, tribe, wealth, lineage, nationality, etc. Every human being is equal in the sight of the Law and in the sight of God; and the life, the property and the honor of each and every human being is sacred. Every human being is the son of Adam, and thus they are all equal brothers in humanity.

 

Islam guides that the only thing that differentiates one human being from another in the sight of God is one’s deeds; thus it has been made absolutely clear that the most honorable in the sight of God is the one who is most Righteous or Pious amongst them.

 

Your Question: My Muslim friend always tells me that the Islamic attitude is againts terrorism and that it denounces it. But as per what we see today seems totally opposite to what he say.

The teachings of Islam command that the life, the property, and the honor of each and every human being is sacred, regardless of whether the person is a believer or not. The known history of mankind since the advent of Islam is proof of these noble principles, when almost 2/3rds of the known world lived under muslim rule from nations in the Far-East like Indonesia and Philippines to the heart of Europe like Spain and Yugoslavia. Tens, if not hundreds, of millions of non-muslims enjoyed full and equal rights as citizens in the Muslim nations.

 

The Muslims ruled India for almost 1000 years, and the fact that there are 85% non-muslims in India today is proof of the fact that their choice and freedom to follow whatever religion they wished was respected. Spain was ruled for almost 800 years, and the fact that the majority of Spain today is Christian is enough proof of the respect for the freedom of religion permitted by their muslim rulers. And the biggest proof of the respect for one’s freedom of religion is amongst the Arab nations, which has been under muslim rule since the very advent of Islam 1400+ years ago. Even today there are almost 40-50 million citizens of Arab nations who are Coptic Christians or Christians from the generations of the Copts which preceded the advent of Islam by at least 500 years!

 

The terrorism and extremism that is witnessed by the world today at the hands of some misguided minorities is a result of various combinations; and has absolutely nothing to do with the teachings of Islam. The vast and absolute majority of the muslim nations and peoples absolutely condemn their acts of terrorizing innocent civilians.

 

What is happening in the world of terrorism today is a direct result of the severe injustice, double standards, and the oppression caused by some powerful nations in the world in collaboration with some of the oppressive and puppet regimes of the muslim nations. The citizens of these nations have had their human rights stripped off them, their cultures and beliefs crushed, and their way of lives completely overturned by the oppressive regimes that rule them. What we see today in the form of terrorism is some impatient and misguided people who flag the banner of Islam as their last resort in retaliation for the injustice and oppression done on them and their people. Islam neither permits nor encourages such acts of terror on innocent civilians in the name of retaliation; and if one only studies the Quran and the life of the Prophet (saws) one would see how Islam guides their followers to seek the road of peace and re-conciliation with extreme patience and wisdom. Islam absolutely forbids the killing and terrorizing of innocent civilians and the ones who spread this terror in the name of Islam will definitely be held severely accountable in the Just and Supreme Court of Allah Subhanah on the Day of Judgment.

 

To get a better and fuller perspective of how the seeds of terror are sown; one need not look too far. The IRA conflict between the Protestants and the Catholics in the United Kingdom, or the conflict between the indigenous black population of South Africa against their White rulers, or the Tamil Tigers conflict in the Sri Lankan Islands, or the revolt of the Sikhs to create their own homeland in India, or even the famous retaliation of the Bandit Queen against the oppression done against her are enough proof of what happens when retaliation takes the form of replying force through force, resulting in nothing but terror and chaos amongst the innocent civilians of the land!

 

Today the majority of the 1.8 billion muslims live under oppressive regimes, backed by the superpowers of the world, where their freedoms are curtailed and they are oppressed and persecuted for their beliefs! Instead of bearing their trials with patience and wisdom, a few amongst them have taken a path of retaliating force through force, resulting in the terrorism and extremism that is highlighted sufficiently in the media today; but no one makes a mention of the injustice and oppression done against these people which is the root cause of the extreme actions taken by some mavericks in the name of religion!

 

Islam indeed gives its followers a right to defend themselves against undue oppression and injustice; but strictly limits them to fight only those who fight against them in a state of war. Some of the muslims who have taken up armed struggle against their unjust rulers like in Palestine, Kashmir, Bosnia, Chechnya, etc. are genuine freedom fighters who fight and target only the occupying armies; but any who kill or terrorize innocent civilians transgress the boundaries of Islam and will be held accountable for their deeds in the Just Court of Allah Subhanah on the Day of Judgment.

 

Thus my beloved brother in humanity, it is neither wise nor intelligent to take the example of a few misguided individuals and generalize the state of the general muslim nation and people as terrorists or extremists! Calling all the muslims terrorists and extremists for the acts of a few individuals would be as wise as calling all our 700 million Hindu brethren terrorists just because a small minority of them like the RSS or Shiv Sena cause acts of terror in the name of Hindu extremism!

 

The wisest and most intelligent way is to always look and study the teachings of the religion and judge its followers; rather than simply look at a few followers and judge the religion!

 

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 in Islam,

 

 

Burhan

 

 

 


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