Are Muslims Terrorists?

It is very unfortunate that nowadays, Islam has become synonymous with ‘terrorism’. Far from promoting terrorism, Islam is a religion of peace whose fundamentals teach its followers to maintain and promote peace and justice throughout the world. Islam does not condone ‘terrorism’ as defined and understood nowadays: place hijackings, hostage takings and the torturing and killing of the innocent in order to achieve political or even religious goals. This in not how Islam teaches Muslims to solve their problems, achieve their goals, or to spread their religion.

The question that should be posted instead is: Do the teachings of Islam encourage terrorism? Certainly not, Islam totally prohibits all terrorist acts. It should be remembered that all religions have elements of misguided followers. To be impartial and just, one must consider the teachings of the religion, as they are the yardstick by which the actions of its adherents can be assessed as being right or wrong.

It is completely unfair to judge Islam by the wrongdoings of some misguided or ignorant Muslims, or by the deteriorating condition of Muslims and the blatant corruption that pervades the Muslim world. In fact, what Islam preaches in one thing and what some Muslims nowadays practice is something completely different.

The only way we can do justice to Islam is to find out about its noble teachings, which are clearly set out in the Glorious Quran and Blessed Prophetic traditions.

Islam is religion of peace, which is acquired by submitting ones will to the Will of the Supreme Creator, Almighty Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ. Islam promotes peace but at the same time, it exhorts its followers to fight oppression. The fight against oppression may, at times, require the use of force, and sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace. Certainly, Islamic Law allows war under particular circumstances. Any religion or civilization which does not do that, would never survive. But Islam never condones attacks against innocent people, women or children. Islam also clearly forbids ‘taking the law into one’s own hand’s, which means that individual Muslims cannot go around deciding that they want to do by killing or punishing. Trial and punishment must only be carried out by a lawful authority and a qualified judge.