Speaking Against Terrorism


In terrorists attacks innocent lives are lost without any gain for those who perpetrate these unforgiving crimes against humanity and above all against God. Laws of God dictate that every human life deserves a dignified existence and protection from all acts of violence, yet the attackers invoking the name of God seem to be determined to take innocent lives at will and show their sickening happiness at every drop of blood they shed in the name of their so called ideology.

As a Muslim who believes in the absolute power and wisdom of the divine for giving His guidance to humanity, I am horrified when I read that people who confess to be Muslim by name are involved in terrorist attacks. Surly such people do not understand what it means to submit to God to attain peace.

I feel outraged when I read that the killers used the name of Allah, the sustainer of the universe, the most gracious and the most merciful for their nefarious acts. I feel enraged at their audacity to justify the killing for the injustices caused by others to their folks.

I would have felt the same rage and shame if the perpetrators were members of other religious communities. After all, sufferings of human beings cannot be divided on the basis of their religious identities and tears cannot be selectively shed only for those who belong to my faith or my ethnicity. I cannot fulfill my covenant with God if I cry only for those who are like me and turn my face the other way when the victims are Jewish, Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, atheists or any other faith.

I often wonder what I as an individual must do to stop these insane criminals from committing these acts. I have no way to communicate with them. Even if I get an opportunity to speak with them, I know they would not listen to me because they have not listened to even God, who demands that life must be protected from all harm. They do not realize the basics of their professed faith that says, God is the creator of all life, He is the sustainer of each and every human, He does not discriminate among people in His mercy on the basis of their faith, He does not deny nourishment even to those who reject him and He describes the taking the life one person as a crime against all humanity.

I speak against terrorism in the places of worship when I am invited to give the Friday sermons. I write extensively against terrorists and I constantly remind my fellow Muslims that we must be in the forefront of our jihad against violence and terror and stand up for peace and justice. This is commanded by God when he says in the Quran,

O You who have attained to faith! Be ever steadfast in upholding equity, bearing witness to the truth for the sake of God, even though it be against your own selves or your parents and kinsfolk. Whether the person concerned be rich or poor, God's claim takes precedence over [the claims of] either of them. Do not, then, follow your own desires, lest you swerve from justice: for if you distort [the truth], behold, God is indeed aware of all that you do! (Quran 4:135)

I know that the people I speak with are absolutely against all forms of terrorism. I have not come across a single Muslim in my adult life who justifies violence because of the injustices perpetrated against Muslims anywhere in the world.

But, I also realize that governments and political parties and leaders use acts of terrorism to serve their political interests. They too have an agenda that is often determined by their religion, ethnicity or political goals. They may claim that they care for human life, but when it is time to act decisively they often show their blindness to the reality and demands of justice.

If we all had cared for human life and dignity, we would have not allowed millions of Jews to suffer during the second world war, millions of Muslims in Central Asia to die as a result of brutal communist policies, thousands of Bosnian men and women to be killed and raped, millions of Rwandans to be slaughter mercilessly, thousands of Darfurians to be brutalized, millions of Palestinians to live in refugees camps, and millions of people in Iraq, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other places to live in miserable conditions.

We would have come together to show our determination to protect human life and human dignity. We would not have allowed hundreds of wars that have been waged during the last century in the name of ethnicity, nationalism and cultural and economic superiority. We would not have extolled the virtues of our nation to put down others. We would not have adopted a policy of economic and cultural imperialism to subjugate people.

Don't forget the fact that the rulers of Muslim counties are not absolved from this prevailing insensitivity to human dignity. In fact, their brutality can match anyone else in the world. They have killed at will anyone who appears to challenge them. They have destroyed their own people because they were afraid of losing power. They have pitched one against another to serve their own corrupt agenda.

I realize all this and often wonder what can be done to stop this menace and insanity. Speak, I will, write, I must, confront those who advocate violence, I shall and use every opportunity to challenge terrorists, I do. But in a world where leaders and parties often use their self serving agenda to define terrorism and the nature of fight against violence and terror and injustice, I am left bewildered.

I know I am not alone. Almost everyone within the Muslim community think the same way as I do, except those faceless and nameless, secret groups and individuals who have refused to listen to the divine call for respecting all human life. Yet, we all find ourselves incapable of stopping this insanity. There are forces that are out there that we do not know and there are groups and individuals who are constantly plotting to hurt fellow humans. There are people who are waiting to pour more fuel to add to the fire and there are countries that are keen to see wars and destruction.

The Muslim community needs partners in the fight against terror in defense of human dignity and human life. We need people who are willing to stand up for the protection of every human life regardless of its cultural, ethnic nationalistic and religious origin. There are many who say that they care for humanity as a whole. But where are they? Why do they speak only when someone like them is hurt? Where are their voices when human beings other than their own lose their dignity and life?

God describes himself as the guarantor of world peace to His creation. His guidance speaks to this clearly. But people acting on his behalf have done everything possible to destroy it. Can we Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, atheists and everyone else come together to stand for each of us and fight the menace jointly rather than using religious or nationalistic labels to vent our anger and serve the political agenda of the power elite?

The Muslim community is waiting to hear a call of unity in action in defense of all human life and dignity in any part of the world.


  Category: Featured, Life & Society
  Topics: Counter Terrorism, Crime And Justice, Crimes Against Humanity  Values: Justice
Views: 10495

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Older Comments:
YUNUS EDWIN FROM PHILIPPINES said:
Who are the real terrorist? Now the world will know that (not all) that some Muslim are easily get hurt when the man (Prophet of Islam) who taught us the way of life (Islam)cannot be redicule or a laughing matter through any means like cartoons. Salman Rusdie still on the loose with million dollars for his head. The two jihadist as they called should only surrender for some innocent journalist were involved and suffered leaving their family, That is equal to equal or the Law of Equality. Muslim Ummah will not apologize to the crime but become more vigilant to the same. Islam is a religion of Peace, and now the enemy of Islam were now again wash out again. Our Faith differ from others for the World of Allah was conveyed to us through the Prophet of Islam. The most beloved to him (pbuh) are those people who follow his teaching and not present during his time or prophethood. They were really hurt too much for the love to the prophet of Islam. The only way is to give JUSTICE to innocent victims but I am very proud of them as a Muslim Sunnih. Let peace and harmony prevail between different faith by Tolerance, Respect to each other religious belief, opinion, culure and tradition if we want to live in this earth peacefully..ALLAHU AKBAR
2015-01-15

MR. GORDON H. DASWANEY FROM HONG KONG said:
THE ARTICLE IS WONDERFUL AND WELL SAID.
PEACE AND HARMONY SHOULD BE ON THIS EARTH,
BY ALL HUMAN BEINGS, OF THIS PLANET.
OM SHANTI & HARI OM
2015-01-12

DR F.M.QURESHI FROM INDIA said:
I perfectly agree with the view points expressed by brother Aslam
Abdullah. All problems facing the world community today is due to
politics only. These killing of innocent people is not due to
religion it is due to politics only. If politicians stop
instigating people for their ulterior motives this bloodshed will
surely stop.
2015-01-11

SAM FROM SOUTH AFRICA said:
Muslims are right to be Angry

Killing in response to insult, no matter how gross, must be
unequivocally condemned. That is why what happened in Paris cannot
be tolerated. But neither should we tolerate the kind of intolerance
that provoked this violent reaction.

Those who work at this newspaper have a long and disgusting record
of going way beyond the mere lampooning of public figures, and this
is especially true of their depictions of religious figures. For
example, they have shown nuns masturbating and popes wearing
condoms. They have also shown Muhammad in pornographic poses.
While some Muslims today object to any depiction of the Prophet,
others do not. Moreover, visual representations of him are not
proscribed by the Koran. What unites Muslims in their anger against
Charlie Hebdo is the vulgar manner in which Muhammad has been
portrayed. What they object to is being intentionally insulted over
the course of many years. On this aspect, I am in total agreement
with them.

Stephane Charbonnier, the paper's publisher, was killed today in the
slaughter. It is too bad that he didn't understand the role he
played in his tragic death. In 2012, when asked why he insults
Muslims, he said, "Muhammad isn't sacred to me." Had he not been so
narcissistic, he may still be alive. Muhammad isn't sacred to me,
either, but it would never occur to me to deliberately insult
Muslims by trashing him.

Anti-Catholic artists in this country have provoked me to hold many
demonstrations, but never have I counseled violence. This, however,
does not empty the issue. Madison was right when he said, "Liberty
may be endangered by the abuses of liberty as well as the abuses of
power."

as appeared on a Catholic website
http://www.catholicleague.org/muslims-right-angry/
2015-01-10

M GLENN FROM SOMALIA said:
Common sense should dictate that not because a terrorist
perpetrator happens to be linked to a certain religious
ethnicity, said religion is to blame. All acts of killings,
violence and terrorism are plainly and logically condoned and
unacceptable by every God-fearing individual. We don't blame the
religion of the perpetrator because of its ideology, just like
blaming the tree because of its fruit.
In reality, we are what we become and how do we become. It's to
each own acts and deeds that we are known, looked at, and will
be judged. No religion can define an individual rather it's how
the individual understands the true meaning and purpose of life.
2015-01-09

BABANDI A.GUMEL FROM U.K said:
Many people unfortunately today use the name of Islam to spoil
the good name of Islam.Some doing it deliberately and knowingly
both Muslims and Non Muslims.Some unfortunately due to ignorance
and seeing the behavior of the some so called Muslims mainly
young uneducated normally carried away by youthful excitement
and unnecessary emotion leading them to commit some kind of evil
dastardly acts inimical with the teachings of Rasulullah who was
sent as Mercy to the entire humanity. If we are really sincere
we should strictly follow the teachings of the Prophet as he
was the most tolerant forbearing exemplary person.Anything which
a person does which he is hiding and does not want people to
know should automatically know that is an evil act as mentioned
in Hadith.So we must stop doing things contrary to the teachings
of the Prophet all in the name our lovely Deenil Haq the True
Religion which Satan and his Agents are trying to ensure is not
followed or practiced by the humanity.May Allah give us guidance
and we also become the means of guidance to the humanity.
2015-01-09

KABIRU FROM NIGERIA said:
jazallahu khairan
2010-12-21

MARK ANTONY FROM USA said:
How can Islam be the greatest force for good in the world, when it cannot cure its own terrorists? How can Jesus Christ not be a greater force for good than Islam when He has shown power to cure terrorists who come to Him for salvation
2010-12-21

SADIA FROM CANADA said:
Masha Allah We need people like you good Article.
may Allah reward you and protect to you any harms way Ameen
2010-12-17

TIM WYNN FROM USA said:
More terrorism = more Biblical Christianity. It's as simple as that, take it or leave it.
2010-12-17

HILAL SHAH FROM USA said:
Brother Aslam Abdullah, Assala-mu-alaikum:

I am surprise to read your article blaming Muslims who appears to be involved in terrorism as we the majority of Muslims have been taught to believe. As a Muslim, I do not believe for even one second what I read in the media or watch on TV regarding Muslim involment in so called terrorism, neither should you. A Muslim could never be involved in such activities that are detramental to Islam and humanity. Muslim is not by name or family affiliation, but by pure action. What we as naive Muslims must do is to investigate who are behind promoting terrorism and promulgating it with Muslims.
2010-12-16

TOM WILEY FROM U.S.A. said:
This is a really good commentary and should be sent to O Reilly , Beck , Limbum and all the other haters in the main stream media. I pray that more people will take this stand . May God bless all !
2010-12-16

AHMED FROM NIGERIA said:
Your articles reflect the opinon of Muslim majority. Muslims are fed up with the way Islam is being portrayed. We therefore needs to re orientate the few ones amongs us who are usind violent means to actualise thier goal. Islam stand for peace and it always encourage citizenry to live a peaceful life.
2010-12-15

ROMESH CHANDER FROM USA said:
Koran is against terrorism. Unfortunately, muslims do it any how. Now tell that to the victims of terrorism. It is hypocriticaql of Dr Abdullah to talk about Koran against Terrorism but say very little of substance against the terrorists and their actions and their effect on the victims.
2010-12-14