Thursday, July 7, 2005, will be remembered all over the world as
the date when a series of bomb attacks took place in the British
capital, London. These barbaric attacks left behind them dozens of dead
and hundreds of injured, and went down in history as causing terrible
material and psychological damage.
The events in London were referred to as "Islamic terror," in a
manner that deeply wounds the entire Islamic world. However, shedding
the blood of innocent people, including women and children, by the use
of such ruthless methods, cannot be accounted for in any religious
terms. Even the term "Islamic terror" creates severe distress in the
hearts of sincere believers, and lays blame on a community numbering
more than 1 billion.
The events have absolutely nothing to do with the true Islam
commanded by God in the Qur'an. There is no room for the concept of
terror in true Islam. Violence is not permitted in any of the divine
religions. When we look at the Qur'an, the sole source of Islam, and at
the practices of all Muslim rulers throughout the history of the world,
beginning with our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace), we
can see the truth of this in all clarity.
Terrorism is a terrible plague that has infected the world for
hundreds of years. Even though actions may differ from country to
country, all terrorist organizations aim at defenseless civilians and
send their messages by way of these people.
In the terrorist attack in Oklahoma in the USA 167 people were savagely slaughtered, 19 of them children.
A fanatical Jew who opened a hail of fire on Muslims praying in a mosque in Palestine caused the deaths of 29 people.
Thousands of people have lost their lives in attacks against Muslims in India over the years.
Thousands of people have lost their lives in attacks against Muslims in India over the years.
Terrorist attacks both great and small have for years been perpetrated in France, Spain, the Philippines, Japan and Ireland.
One could go on. However, the entire world came face to face with
terror in 2001. In the wake of the attacks against two major cities in
the USA which led to the deaths and injuries of thousands of people, the
concept of "terrorism" began to be debated once again. That was because
that attack had been carried out at an unexpected time, against a
country regarded as the world's only superpower, and in a totally
unforeseen manner. The attack created an air of fear and panic all over
the world, especially in America.
Following the attacks, the USA embarked on a major fight against
terror. Many countries have lined up alongside America in this struggle,
and lent their support to it. The series of bombings in Istanbul, just
when it was thought that the forces of terror had been brought under
control, again reminded people of terrorism's dark face: first
synagogues, then the British Consulate, then the HSBC General
Directorate building …
The Saturday prayer, which had been performed for centuries, was
interrupted by the bombs exploded on November 15th. Twenty-four people
were killed in the explosions at the Neva Shalom synagogue at Beyoglu
Kuledibi and the Beth Israel synagogue at Sisli, and 300 were injured.
Dozens of more people lost their lives in the explosions at the
British Consulate and the HSBC building, and hundreds were injured.
Images similar to those which followed the September 11 attacks began
appearing on our television screens. Ruined buildings, people fleeing in
panic, burned out busses, corpses lying in the streets …
Following the events in Istanbul, terror began to strike at Europe.
The first target was Spain, which played host to Muslims for hundreds
of years. The bombs that exploded in three large train stations in
Madrid caused the deaths of 199 people, and another 1,247 people to be
injured. What remained after this terrorist act was dead bodies, the
injured, and fear, anger and hatred that left all the Muslims of Europe
under an accusation...
And now the bombs that exploded in the London Underground and
busses, both means of public transport, a city full of the dead and
injured…The point we wish to emphasize in this article is that Islam
opposes terror attacks and the killing of the innocent. All forms of
terrorist attack are roundly condemned in Islam. According to the
Qur'an, it is a great sin to kill an innocent person, and anyone who
does so will suffer great torment in the Hereafter:
… 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. (Qur'an, 5:32)
This verse equals the killing of one innocent to slaughtering all
of humanity. Another verse expresses the importance of human life:
Those who do not appeal to any other deity besides God
[alone]; nor kill any soul whom God has forbidden [them to] except with
the right to do so; nor fornicate. Anyone who does so will incur a
penalty. (Qur'an, 25:68)
Any Muslim who believes in God with a sincere heart, who
scrupulously abides by His verses and fears suffering in the Hereafter,
will avoid harming even one other person. He knows that the Lord of
Infinite Justice will suitably reward him for all his deeds. In one of
the hadith, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) listed
the kinds of people who are not pleasing to God:
"Those who act cruelly and unjustly in the sacred lands, those
who yearn for the ways of the ignorant, and those who wrongly shed human
blood." (Sahih Bukhari Hadith)
Terror Will Disappear When People Come to Live by the Moral Values of Islam
In the Qur'an (32:9), God reveals that He has breathed His Spirit
into man, His creation, and that man is His representative on Earth
(Qur'an, 6:165). One of the most important differences between man and
the animals is that man was created with both earthly desires and with a
conscience. Every person possesses desires that incite him to evil,
along with a conscience that inspires him to avoid it. Alongside such
pleasing moral attributes inspired by that conscience-love, sacrifice,
compassion, humility, affection, honesty, loyalty and kindness-he also
possesses destructive and undesirable tendencies, stemming from his
earthly desires. Thanks to his conscience, however, the believer can
distinguish between right and wrong and opt for what is morally right.
Strong belief in and fear of God, faith in the Hereafter, powerful fear
of the endless torments of Hell and a yearning for Paradise all keep the
temptations of his earthly desires at bay. Therefore, he always behaves
well towards people, is forgiving, responds to wickedness with good,
assists those in need, and shows compassion, love, affection and
tolerance.
Terrorists, on the other hand, listen to their earthly desire for
violence instead of their consciences, and can easily turn to all forms
of wickedness. They become loveless, aggressive people who easily hurt
others without the slightest pang of conscience. Having no fear of God,
they do not practice the morality of religion. Nothing can stop them
from committing crimes.
In restraining its citizens, society's prevailing rules can go only
so far. Thanks to its law enforcement units, the state may be able to
partially protect streets and public spaces, and-thanks to a powerful
system of justice-may be able to take necessary means to ensure public
order and ensure that the crime rate drops. But since it's impossible to
keep watch on every individual, 24 hours a day, it's essential that
people act by their conscience. Someone who doesn't heed the voice of
his conscience can easily turn to crime when on his own, or surrounded
by people of like mind. That being the case, a model of society emerges
which is composed of individuals who lie when necessary, have no
hesitation about making unjust profits, and feel no unease about
oppressing the weak. It is clear that physical precautions and measures
will bear no fruit in a society which has no fear of God and which has
lost its spiritual values. Religious moral values, on the other hand,
command a person to refrain from evil, even if he is all alone, even if
nobody will punish him for his evil deeds. It is evident that a person
who knows that he will be called to account in the presence of God for
his every deed, his every decision and his every word, and that he will
be suitably rewarded for these in the eternal life of the Hereafter,
will scrupulously avoid committing evil.
Terrorist organizations can't possibly have any place in a society
whose people avoid evil of their own free will. Where religion's
morality prevails, problems that give rise to organizations supporting
the use of violence will disappear naturally. If the whole society
possesses superior virtues like honesty, sacrifice, love and justice,
there can be no place for such things as poverty, unequal distribution
of income, injustice, the oppression of the weak, or limitations on
freedoms. On the contrary, a social order will emerge that meets the
wants of the needy; where the wealthy protect the poor and the strong,
the weak; where everyone can enjoy the very best health care, education,
and transport systems. There, tolerance and understanding will dominate
the relationships between different ethnic groups, religions and
cultures.
For these reasons, proper morality is the key to solving so many
social problems. The source of that key, in turn, is the Qur'an, which
God has revealed as a guide for mankind.
It must not be forgotten that unless necessary measures are taken,
unless deep-rooted solutions are brought in, the 21st century will
continue to be a time of terror and violence, just as the 20th was
before it. The homes of innocent people will be bombed, and women and
children will be slaughtered. The intellectual fight against terrorism,
therefore, must be started with great urgency, to include very great
numbers of people.
This fight will be fought on the level of ideas-between people who
believe in God, who are loving, forgiving, compassionate and in full
possession of their conscience; and those terrorists who draw their
strength from ignorance and violence. In one verse, our Lord reveals,
"Why were there not people with good sense among the
generations of those who came before you, who forbade corruption in the
earth…" (Qur'an, 11:116). Believers should possess the good
sense that God describes in the verses. While terrorists hope to achieve
their aims by violence, believers know that true success can be
achieved only by clinging tightly to the religion of God, and acting
accordingly. Jews, Christians, and Muslims will join together in that
struggle, in a spirit of respect for all beliefs and ideas and, by the
will of God, enjoy definitive success. This is God's promise to all His
believing servants, which will definitely come true.
At this point, a great responsibility falls on all true believers,
no matter what their religion. Jews must not ignore Old Testament
statements calling mankind to peace and tolerance, and they must call on
all other Jews to oppose terrorism. So should Christians call on all
other Christians, taking as their guide the morality most pleasing to
God. One should not forget that terrorism stems from wrong ideas and the
basic struggle against terrorism should be on the level of ideas.
Believers must explain that these ideas are wrong, and that no idea can
prevail by means of violence, oppression and cruelty; and despotism can
never bring about beauty.
Terrorist ideology is built on sand. Its foundations can easily be
swept away by mobilizing a proper education campaign. Sincere believers
in all parts of the world can help end the ignorance that breeds
terrorism by searching for solutions, writing books and articles,
promoting educational activities and disseminating their own cultural
heritage. The prevalence of tolerance, peace and security on the Earth,
as commanded by God, will make terrorism disappear into the pages of
history forever. Adopting a defeatist, pessimistic attitude in the face
of terror is unacceptable. Our hope is that this suffering will not be
repeated, and that all measures will be adopted to that end.
May God have mercy on those who died in those hateful attacks, and
may He heal the injured. Our sincere condolences to all mankind.
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