Terrorism is categorically prohibited in Islam. The present era of our history has been blemished by indiscriminate violence in almost every society. The loss of innocent lives has become extremely commonplace. Unfortunately, due to the actions of some ignorant Muslims as well as biased reporting in the media, the religion of Islam has come to be associated with terrorism. However, the appropriate question to be asked is: "Do Islamic teachings promote terrorism?" "As a matter of fact, Islam and terrorism are precise opposites. The very name, Islam, denotes peace and submission. The fundamentals of Islam direct its followers to maintain and promote peace throughout the world. Islam is a faith of moderation; thus, a righteous and God-fearing Muslim can neither be a fanatic, nor an extremist. There is no connection whatsoever between Islam and the violence practised by terrorist groups in different parts of the world", Dr Mohamed Abdul Moneim, a professor at Al-Azhar University's Faculty of Preaching, told The Egyptian Gazette over the phone. The Islamic basis for national and international relations is peace rather than war. Prominent Muslims, Islamic organisations, and leading scholars have repeatedly denounced terrorist attacks and terrorism in general. Islam emphatically prohibits and disassociates itself from the violent acts that have been carried out by some of its members in the name of religion, Abdul Moneim explained. "Islam should not be judged by the acts of misguided Muslims or even by the obvious corruption that permeates many Muslim countries. In fact, what Islam teaches is one thing and what these so-called Muslims practise is something else. The only way to know the truth about Islam is to study its teachings from the Holy Qur'an and the traditions and sayings of Prophet Mohamed (Peace be upon him), for they are the standard by which the actions of Muslims can be assessed as being right or wrong", he added. Islam emphasises the sanctity of life in general, and particularly, human life. And the Qur'an prohibits murder in clear terms: "And do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed] except by [legal] right." [5:32] Allah (Glory be to Him) says in another verse: "Whoever kills a soul unless for a soul [i.e., in legal retribution for murder] or for corruption [done] in the land [i.e., that requiring the death penalty] - it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one - it is as if he had saved mankind entirely." [6:151] Such is the value of a single human life that God equates the unjust taking of one life with killing all of humanity. "Terrorism involves the indiscriminate use of force to achieve certain objectives, and in reality it manifests itself in various forms. The head of state who orders the bombing of entire cities, the councils that kill millions of civilians by the imposition of sanctions, and the wealthy nations that would rather destroy their surplus food than make it available to those afflicted by famine are rarely punished for crimes against humanity. Enmity towards any people or nation should not provoke Muslims to commit aggression against them or disregard their rights. As for the spread of Islam, this is supposed to take place peacefully by disseminating the message of Islam through the written and spoken word," Sheikh Fouad Abdul Azeem, the first Under-secretary of the Ministry of Endowments, stressed. Meanwhile, one should justly compare the number of civilians killed by Muslims to the number killed by communists and the Western nations, who ignited two world wars within half a century and deployed the atomic bomb against innocent, unarmed civilians. Currently, they are supporting the brutal Israeli military occupation of Palestine against its civilians, and have brought about the destruction of Iraq while thoroughly terrorising its citizens, he added. Does the Holy Qur'an condone terrorism? "For many who have little previous knowledge of Islam or Muslims, acts of terrorism committed by extremists, in particular 9/11, raise the question of whether there is something in Islam or the Qur'an that fosters violence and terrorism. Islam, like all other religions, neither supports nor requires illegitimate violence. The Qur'an does not advocate or condone terrorism. Allah (Glory be to Him) is consistently portrayed as a God of mercy and compassion as well as a just judge. Every verse of the Qur'an begins with a reference to God's mercy and compassion; throughout the Qur'an in many contexts, Muslims are reminded to be merciful and just. While Islam seeks to promote peace, it also encourages its followers to oppose oppression. Both of these objectives may on occasion require the use of force. Islam does allow taking up arms under particular circumstances. However, it prohibits the slightest injustice, even towards those who oppose the religion", Dr Salem Abdul Galil, a professor of Islamic Culture at Sixth October University replied. The Qur'an orders: "And do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness." [5:8] Like all scriptures, Islamic sacred texts must be read within the social and political contexts in which they were revealed. It is not surprising that the Qur'an, like the Hebrew Scriptures or Old Testament, has verses that address fighting and the conduct of war, Abdul Galil explained. "The world in which the Islamic community emerged was a rough neighbourhood. Arabia and the city of Mecca, in which Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) lived and received God's revelation, were beset by tribal raids and cycles of vengeance and vendetta. The earliest Qur'anic verses dealing with the right to engage in a "defensive" jihad, or struggle, were revealed shortly after the hijra (emigration) of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his followers to Medina who were escaping from persecution in Mecca", he stressed. At a time when they were forced to fight for their lives, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is told: ‘Leave is given to those who fight because they were wronged – surely God is able to help them – who were expelled from their homes wrongfully for saying, ‘Our Lord is God' (22:39 -40). The defensive nature of jihad is clearly emphasised in ‘And fight in the way of God with those who fight you, but aggress not: God loves not the aggressors.' (2:190). "Throughout the years of fighting and war between faithful believers and the pagans of Mecca and other tribes, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) received revelations from God that provided guidelines for the jihad. As the Muslim community grew, questions quickly emerged as to what was proper behaviour during times of war. The Qur'an provided detailed guidelines and regulations regarding the conduct of war: who is to fight and who is exempted, when hostilities must cease, and how prisoners should be treated", Dr Abdul Galil, the deputy of Endowments Ministry, clarified. Most importantly, there are verses in the Holy Qur'an emphasising that warfare and the response to violence and aggression must be proportional: Allah says in the Holy Qur'an: "Whoever transgresses against you, respond in kind." From the earliest times, it was forbidden in Islam to kill non-combatants as well as women, children and monks, who were given the promise of immunity unless they took part in the fighting. Throughout history, the sacred scriptures of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have been used and abused, interpreted and misinterpreted, to justify resistance and liberation struggles, extremism and terrorism, holy and unholy wars. Terrorists everywhere go beyond classical Islam's criteria for a just jihad and recognise no limits but their own, employing any weapons or means. They reject Islamic law's regulations regarding the goals and legitimate means for a valid jihad: that violence must be proportional and that only the necessary amount of force should be used to repel the enemy, which innocent civilians should not be targeted, and that jihad must be declared by the ruler or head of state. Today, individuals and groups seize the right to declare unholy wars of terrorism in the name of Islam.
