IF ISLAM DOES NOT PROMOTE TERRORISM THEN WHY ARE MANY OF THE TERRORISTS MUSLIMS?

It is hard for people to listen to and believe the majority of Muslims who openly say Islam does not promote terrorism. Almost every day, people see brutal and ruthless acts of terrorism being carried out by people who call themselves Muslims. The question undoubtedly arises: If Islam does not promote terrorism, then why are many of the terrorists coming from Muslim countries and killing in the name of Islam? An honest examination of this question will show that a huge part of the problem is the injustice, instability, poverty, humiliation and oppression that Muslims around the world are experiencing daily as a result of wars started or induced by war profiteers which have destroyed critical infrastructure in Muslim societies. Muslims themselves need to accept some responsibility, not only for their unfortunate circumstances, but for the terrorism wrongly committed in the name of Islam. Unfortunately there are Muslims who have taken it upon themselves to interpret Islam in a way that supports their objectives. This false interpretation is taught to ignorant Muslims, who often live in perpetually appalling and humiliating conditions, and out of hopelessness and ignorance, blindly follow and trust their teachers.

The core teachings of Islam are not open to individual interpretation. They are firmly established, and neither Muslims nor non-Muslims can take those teachings and decide for themselves what they mean. Anyone who wants to learn or teach Islam must use the proper sources and study the context of any given teaching to ensure that their understanding is correct.

One of the most misunderstood aspects of Islam is jihad. If we are to understand why so many acts of terrorism are being committed by so-called Muslims, then we need to be able to see that the concept of jihad has been widely misunderstood and misused by both Muslims and non-Muslims.

The word jihad literally means “to struggle or exert effort.” It applies to any colossal effort, not just warfare. Jihad may even be to refrain from fighting or to resist one’s own desires or evil inclinations. Even making peace could be jihad. There is no such thing as “holy war” in Islam or in the Qur’an. This is a mistranslation of the word. Holy war is carried out to forcibly subject others to one’s religious beliefs. This is expressly forbidden in Islam.

Fighting in war can be jihad, but under what conditions? Muslims fight in defense, but so do others. What makes such fighting a jihad? The answer is that fighting only becomes jihad if it is for the sake of being obedient to God and in accordance with His divine law. It is not jihad to fight for wealth, nationalism, territory, honor, race, and so on. Jihad has a strong element of self-restraint not seen in any other forms of warfare. Even fighting against people who attacked first would not be jihad if the Muslims were to strike back in revenge.

The Qur’an makes it clear that it is permissible for people to fight back against those who attack them. God says, “Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for God loves not transgressors.” (Qur’an 2:190)

God says, “And why should you not fight in the cause of God and of those who, being weak, are ill-treated (and oppressed)? Men, women, and children, whose cry is: ‘Our Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors, and raise for us from You one who will protect; and raise for us from You one who will help.’” (Qur’an 4:75)

The Qur’an also makes it clear that when the other party refrains from aggression, it is not permissible to attack them. God says, “But if they (cease and desist), God is oft-forgiving, most merciful. And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression and there prevail justice and faith in God. But if they cease, let there be no hostility except to those who practice oppression.” (Qur’an 2:192 – 193)

It is permissible to fight against oppression and persecution. This does not apply only to Islam and Muslims, because everyone has the right to worship God. God says, “To those against whom war is made, permission is given (to fight) because they are wronged and verily God is most powerful for their aid. (They are) those who have been expelled from their homes in defiance of right (for no cause) except that they say, ‘Our Lord is God.’ If God did not check one set of people by means of another, there would surely have been pulled down monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of God is commemorated in abundant measure” (Qur’an 22:39 – 40) This clearly means Muslims must fight to protect and defend people of other faiths if they are in areas where Muslims have effective power. The life, honor, and property of all people are considered sacred whether they are Muslim or not. All people must be free to worship God. They must be free to make their own choices. God explicitly says, “There is no compulsion in religion.” (Qur’an 2:256)

From all of this it is easy to see the position of Islam on terrorism. Terrorism is against Islamic principles. Terrorism is a form of warfare in which innocent people are specifically targeted in order to instill fear in a society. Even during war, when the Muslims are defending against an aggressive enemy, they are never allowed to target any civilians, or to destroy crops, trees, or livestock. This is strictly prohibited by Islamic law and the clear examples of the Prophet Muhammad. The killing of innocents is murder and a crime against God and humanity, even during times of war and even when the other side does not similarly respect civilian life. One who intentionally kills innocent people is a murderer who deserves the punishment for murder. Terrorism is categorically prohibited in Islam and Islamic law rejects the premise that a non-legitimate tactic can ever lead to a positive result. Those who go against this established principle of Islamic law are fighting in contradiction to Islamic principles. It is ludicrous for anyone to call this fighting a jihad, a word that means striving for the cause of Islam. They are murderers in the light of Islamic law and should be treated as such.