The act of terrorism that took place recently, in Orlando, and claimed the lives of nearly hundred civilians, between killed and wounded, has brought back the discourse about “Islamic terrorism” resoundingly, resulting the consequent increase of suffering amongst people of Islamic and Arab communities because of the growing phenomenon of “Islamophobia” in Western countries.
In one word, such terrorist act is supposedly condemned in all political and moral parlances, and it doesn’t represent me as a Muslim Arab, or what we stand for of religious and humanistic values and principles. And I believe, such incident is no more than an individual act of someone who’s in dire straits in his values and affiliation, even if he was or wasn’t committed to all Islamic rituals.
Since September 11 attacks, an increased discourse about terrorism has strictly produced the “War on Terror” concept, to later become the phenomena of our century and a predominant notion in the Western media.
Although the prevalence of the term “Islamic terrorism” has agitated enormous number of protests in the Arab and Muslim societies and also amongst Muslim communities in the West; proclaiming that “terrorism has no religion”. But still, some Western intellectuals as well as several politicians in the US and Europe are promoting the use of this term until today, by which requires unanimous Islamic condemnation; since the West refuses to use the term “Christian or Jewish terror” on other fundamental or extreme groups; apparently because such groups are not attacking Western countries and their victims are usually marginalized minorities, such as black people, Muslims and European Jews. In sum, it makes Muslims look to it as a matter of discrimination, and a hypocrisy of double-standards policies.
Presently, terrorism is hitting in all directions, far and wide. No religion or person is exceptionally spared; Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism… and even gentiles, are all in the same boat under the merciless danger of terrorism.
Given the behind-the-scene main causatives of terrorism, one could conclude that there is a mutual interest amongst some Western entities or Islamic bodies to stoke such situation of vehement extremism and have this phenomenon take further place in hunting all mankind.
Yes, we have in our region some extreme currents with a culture that prioritizes the parlance of hostility, hatred and vengeance over the calls for compassion and religious-tolerance. Mainly, because it sees in the West an insufferable evil that flies far and wide, and furthermore, it consider the West responsible for all that occur in Muslim and Arab lands of catastrophes, massacres and calamities. Where it’s believed that the West is alternating democracy and human rights by empowering oppressive and authoritarian regimes in Arab and Muslim countries, as its also seen that the West is occulting, and for some, condoning and justifying what Israel is severely committing of continuous occupation and aggression against the Palestinians, which has [Palestine] always been the Muslims’ central case and the first concern in the Ummah, by which the religious vision of Arabs and Muslims and their political outlook on the international community and the Western world were shaped.
Thereby, in order to reach a desirable state of international consensus that strives to fight and irrecoverably eliminate terrorism, the West should first and foremost be concerned with solving the predicament of the Israeli occupation, and to help the Palestinians to establish their own independent and free state. The second significant necessity is to share responsibility in genuinely supporting the process of democratic transformation in the region, and to promote an atmosphere of coexistence and religious-tolerance amongst peoples, an atmosphere that essentially respects all religions and dignifies the sanctity of holy places and most importantly prohibits any outrageous offenses against people’s beliefs and their religious symbols as prophets and messengers. Which requires the establishment of new traditions, new ways of thinking and new ways of governing with long term of public commitment from the people and sufficient assistance from the West.
Certainly, the misuse of the term terrorism, and the imputation of accusing well-known rational and moderate Islamic currents that renounce violence as the Muslims Brotherhood, is what costs the term its value, and prevents us as moderate political Islamists to believe in its usefulness.
Fighting the phenomenon of terrorism can never be progressively accomplished by pointing out fingers of accusation against Muslims. Eradicating the phenomenon requires empowering Muslims to be the head of the arrow in fighting it intellectually.
The right thing to begin with, is to empower moderate Islamic currents in order to correctly redirect the Muslim compass; by raising awareness amongst youth segments on the dangers of such extreme ideology upon the merciful religion of Islam that invites to call and dialog with others with wisdom, righteousness and beautiful preaching. It’s also necessarily required from us to be opened with the Jihadi Salafists and engage in intellectual dialogs with them to correct their vision that doesn’t match with the consensus of Muslim Scholars and Intellectuals.
This is our part as Muslims, but what is needed from the West and the international community is to not to line up with authoritarian regimes in the middle east. It’s needed to delegitimize anyone who violates or disrespects the democratic process and the peaceful transfer of power, and to put an end to the Israeli occupation in the West Bank, and support the Palestinians’ right to statehood, and to reach and implement a just resolution to the refugee issue as stated in the UN resolution 194.
The absence of intellectual processing of the phenomenon of extremism and terrorism, and the continuation of a Western policy that ignores solving problems and predicaments in the region, besides its coverage of corruption and dictatorships and tyranny, it will all lead to further aggressive massacres and result in some desires of revenge that’d spare no one in the East or West.
I feel ashamed when some, in the name of religion, violate my Islamic identity, and make me susceptible and exposed to others’ hatred and antipathy. But the United States, along with many Western nations nourish unruly rancors by committing great follies and blunders of criminal actions against Arabs and Muslims. As it’s widely believed that these sectarian wars that decimated that crops and cattle in our countries are not far from the West planning and guile, as it serves the West ambitions in our fortunes, and perhaps a desire to humiliate the people of our nation.
Terrorism, that accursed Satan, undoubtedly contradicts the nature of our religion that came with mercy to all peoples… Therefore; whomever is beguiled to target civilians, regardless of their religious or ideological affiliations, needs to seriously check his moral values and religious system that prohibits the unjustly killing of others and considered such violation in its humanitarian context a major crime ; (as if he killed all people) –Quran 5:32
Finally… the West needs to review their aggressive policies towards the countries and peoples of the region. As extremes and radicals in our Arab and Muslim countries should not devote hostility and hatred to their religion, as they should realize that the West, is no longer a homeland of one color; there are millions of Muslims living in the West building up institutions and mosques and have even become an integral part of the political and cultural systems.
What is necessarily required today is adopting the policy of dialogue and “coexistence of cultures,” instead of thinking by the mentality of the “clash of civilizations”.
From : http://www.middleeasteye.net
