Having survived a terrorist attack 10 years ago while acting as Egypt's ambassador to Pakistan, Mohamed Noman Galal* reflects on the connection, real or perceived, between Islam and terror The terrorist attacks in London on 7 July 2005 raised many questions that need to be answered. The first relates to the incidents and their culprits. Notwithstanding the outcome of police investigations, indications are that Muslim criminals were behind the bombings. Aside from claims of responsibility made by certain terrorist Muslim groups, the general feeling worldwide is that the recent wave of terrorist attacks are initiated by Muslims. The second issue relates to Islam as a creed and a religion. Is it responsible for terrorism or terrorist acts? Here we need to differentiate between three things. First, Islam as a religion in its authentic form should be held separate. Islam is not a religion of terror. It advocates peace and, if necessary, peaceful acts of opposition and means of resolving differences. Islam considers difference as natural, borne of creation, where it complements and sustains, whether in the realm of human beings or those of animals or other species. Second, concerning Muslims and the promotion of hatred towards others, historically, the case does not hold. Islamic civilisation at its peak was open to other religions and accommodated their concerns insofar as they refrained from working against Muslims and their state. All other religions are considered part of an unfolding civilisation, with Islam itself a phase in the development and religious evolution of humanity. It holds in high esteem the prophets of other religions, such as Moses or Jesus. Children of Israel and their offspring are revered along with the Virgin Mary and other holy personalities. Consequently, any good Muslim entertains no ill feelings towards Jews or Christians, or even towards atheists. Islam advocates its principles through sound argument and logic, rejecting the principle of coercion as a path towards enlightenment. The third aspect is that Muslim history has suffered encroachments by other countries, particularly European domination during the period of colonialism. One bad experience was the Crusades, which fomented conflict and hatred. It is to be mentioned that neither Christianity nor Islam advocate conflict. Christianity calls for turning the other cheek to one's tormentor. Nevertheless, imperialist ambitions were -- and still are -- responsible for fomenting conflicts. The period of the Crusades, and the imperialist era that followed, left behind unresolved disputes, laying the foundation for conflict, misunderstanding and ill feeling. Unfortunately, some clergy on both sides played a negative role, either by misinterpreting certain tenets of their religion or out of zealotry in their approach to spreading their faith, achieving selfish interests or personal ambition. The end result is what we are witnessing. Muslims, placed as underdogs, are left with an inferiority complex, believing that the West is plotting against their religion, keen to destroy it as it destroyed communism. The West, in turn, has begun to believe that there is a Muslim conspiracy against its civilisation. However, the mainstream, in the Muslim world or the West, is not of this opinion and often acts against such irrational thinking. Whenever a terrorist acts takes place, many Muslim leaders denounce and condemn it as non-Islamic. Also, Western leaders highlight that such acts are committed by certain groups and have nothing to do with Islam as a religion or Muslims as citizens of this or that country. The fourth issue relates to how we escape recurrent violence and ill feeling. I believe there is a need for the silent majority to act. The onus is on both Muslims and the West equally. Muslims as individuals, as well as religious leaders and politicians, have to speak loudly against deranged terrorist groups that hijack Islam, leaving them as much hostage as others to an unreasonable and inauthentic way of life. The West, in turn, should not jump to brand any terrorist attack as Islamic, even if the criminals involved happen to be Muslims. They should be dealt according to the law as terrorists and criminals, with full sanction if proven guilty. Innocent, law-abiding citizens should not bear the consequence of criminal acts. The principle of law in Islam, or any other religion, is that everyone should bear the consequences of their own acts. Muslims should stop putting the blame for their problems on others. They must also stop thinking within the parameters of conspiracy theories. The West should take on some of the moral responsibility for past acts against Muslims during imperial eras. They should compensate for those times and try to redress grievances in a rational way, as they do with other religions or other ethnic groups. The West, as well as the Muslim world, has to stop thinking and talking about the "other" in a derogatory way, or to lobby for their values or against the values of the other in an antagonistic way. Every person and every nation should learn how to live in a pluralistic world. Strong ties from both sides need to be forged, and both should work vigorously to build bridges and narrow gaps in understanding. * The writer is a member of the Egyptian Council on Human Rights and former assistant minister for foreign affairs.
