What Does Islam Say About Terrorism? Research Paper Example

Introduction

In society, stereotypes and prejudices prevail over sound reasoning and thinking. People, groups of people, and whole populations live under the pressure of stereotypes, which they can neither deny, nor can combat. Very often, these commonly held stereotypes do not accurately reflect the reality about these groups of people. After the violent attacks of September 9/11 the whole world has grown hostile toward Islam. Terrorism turned out to be a critical measure of Islamic religion and faith, as well as the tool necessary to spread Islam across the world. As a result, individuals have come to believe that all Muslims are terrorists – the stereotype, which is far from reality, and which does not reflect the true order of things in the Islamic world.

The general belief that all Muslims are terrorists does not reflect the reality. Although Muslims are more likely to engage in terrorist acts than other nations, the vast majority of Muslims are peaceful, and moreover, do not support terrorism as the measure of their religious humiliation and faith. The Qur’an claims “take not life, which God hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law: thus doth He command you, that ye may learn wisdom” (Anonymous). That means that against commonly held stereotypes, the Muslim world does realize that the Islam is against terrorism and violence. Moreover, the Qur’an votes for wisdom and tolerance as the most important instruments of searching for the truth. In this context, the societal perception that not all Muslims are terrorists coincides with how Muslims see the world and other societies. Given that the Qur’an also promotes a special ethics of war, which guarantees that non-combatants are given life and security and cannot be killed, it becomes clear that the Islamic world is not as violent as Western society wants to see it. Unfortunately, the stereotyped belief that all Muslims are terrorists sometimes becomes almost truthful.

Although not all Muslims are terrorists, the majority of suicide bombers and terrorists are Muslims, which goes against the public perception that all Muslims cannot belong to terrorist groups. For many Islamic people, terrorism looks like the only means of protecting the Islamic world from Western intrusion. Islamic terrorists simply do not understand the meaning of their prophet’s actions, and instead of restraining themselves from violence, they view the spreading of Islam as the major goal of the Muslim community. Moreover, although not all Muslims are terrorists, they silently or actively support violent attacks of the Islamic world against Western communities. This general support of violence and the belief that the fight against disbelievers guarantees the Muslims a ticket to Paradise creates a distorted vision of the Islamic society. That a group of hijackers was able to destroy hundreds and thousands of people in 9/11 attack reinforces this tragic view. The Islamic world can be against terrorism, and probably, not all Muslims are terrorists, but that Islamic religion is associated with violence is beyond any doubts.

Conclusion

The society is pressured by the stereotype that all Muslims are terrorists – the belief that is far from reality and does not reflect the real order of things in the Islamic world. This vision was severely reinforced by the violent attack of 9/11 and subsequent terrorist attacks initiated by the Islamic community. In reality, there is a strong perception that all Muslims cannot be terrorists. The Qur’an does not support violence and guarantees life and security to non-combatants. Simultaneously, many Muslims silently support violent attacks against secular communities, and create an image of the Muslim religion as of the source of violence and hatred.

Works Cited

Anonymous. “What Does Islam Say About Terrorism?” 2005. Islam Online. 13 August 2009. http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?cid=1119503545862&pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar%2FFatwaE%2FFatwaEAskTheScholar