Islam and Human Rights Course

Islam and Terrorism

April 2016

Introduction:
Terrorism has become one of the outstanding features that marked the twenty-first century, as its acts and threats have been in existence for millennia, and because it acts as a real danger facing the human existence. Terrorists have widened their activities and increased their practices in many regions of the world in recent times, such as Turkey, France and Belgium. Terrorist groups have used violence as a mean to achieve their goals and they did not adhere to any religious principles or moral, and they have showed us how they have used advanced weapons and equipment’s in their attacks. The core principle of terrorists is that the aims justify the means, which carries with it the destruction of human civilizations.
Muslims are being exposed by campaigns of slander and distortion, waged by western countries, politicians and media, and these campaigns have seen an increase of ferocity after the emergence of the (ISIS) terrorist group in the Arab countries, and specially after the terrorist attacks on some Western countries. Some Arab and Islamic countries participated in awareness campaigns about the thought of the new emerged terrorist group (ISIS) extremist on the Islamic religion, but violence and extremism is no longer mentioned in Western countries, but they became attributed to Muslims, Arabs. Extremism and terrorism has become Islamist, and all this is linked to Islamist groups.
I have selected the topic of terrorism and Muslims because of what happened to the Islamic religion is the strongest campaigns ferocity and mentioning of the word terrorism or extremism in the world has portrayed to an Islamic origin, and that the phenomenon of Islamic phobia needed to cope with sincere work and effective dialogue, as it can not be put Islamic religion which calls for human rights, peace, and tolerance in the position of the accused exploited by some groups as a tool to kill innocents and civilians. The larger argument of this research is therefore, studying the phenomenon of terrorism in the world and highlighting the position of religions from terrorism.
Terrorism has been a distinctive manifestation of political violence in previous centuries, and none of the previous nations get devoid from terrorism. Terrorists always call for the achievement of liberation, while they in fact uses terrorism to achieve their goal, which is the authority. The world will never forget extremism and terrorism operations in some Christian denominations in the United States, and the Catholic terrorism in Northern Ireland and in Croatia, and what was carried out by those sectarian campaigns of murder and destruction, either what is always mentioned that Islamic extremism and Islamic terrorism, as its the heart of Islam, and this character become a listed Islamic character to curse Islam itself.
History of terrorism across the centuries:
Extending the roots of terrorism from prehistory to the present day, the phenomenon of terrorism wasn’t limited to a nation or a people, as it included the entire world and throughout the ages, and was not associated with a religion. But over the centuries it has been exploited with religions as a cover for terrorist practices, a religion itself wasn’t one of the motives or causes of terrorism, but the people of religions were victims of terrorism. Terrorists, whether they were from antiquity or modern ages, they try to describe the killings and criminal acts as a heroic acts intended to rid the people from the clutches of injustice and oppression, but the truth is that terrorists want power for themselves.
The misuse of the freedom and the restrict of people lives with artificial restrictions unjust and unfair, pushes the oppressed and the oppressor from the people to the destruction, sabotage and murder to prove his existence. The instinct of power and control must be bounded by limits, otherwise, the lack of control on power will result to the occurrence of injustice and tyranny and to the prevalence of an atmosphere of panic and fear among the people and therefore resort to acts of terrorism, and the Arabs has practiced violence and terrorism since the dawn of Islam against each other and such practices has resulted in killing of hundreds of Companions of the messenger of Allah and kill tens of thousands of Arab Muslims soldiers who had first brought to carry the banner of Islam and defend it. In modern times we note that terrorist practices in some Arab countries are doing all of the ruling power to get rid of its enemies, opponents and organizations in order to maintain monopoly power and achieve their demands, making this conflict thus lead to heavy losses of life and property, the international extremism and regional policy and internal conditions for the Arab countries helped those terrorist organizations to expand and organize the development of terrorism in the Arab country and the world alike, in the framework of the internal conviction on the one hand and support the forces of external and internal groups on the other hand.

Terrorism as a global threat
Terrorism is a global phenomenon that is hard to be explained as some people defined terrorism actions that they are freedom fighters and others say that those terrorism actions are only to gain power and authority. For example the Palestinian who fights against Israel are freedom fighters in the Palestinian circle but from the frame of Israel they are terrorists and the actions of killing civilians are terrorist actions. In the global scene, terrorism has posed some challenges including: corruption, incompetence, insurgency, death and destruction.
International terrorism has become imperative in the present time, and there is a very high cost for combating international terrorism. After the attack of 9\11, the world has seen the American movement regarding the occupation of Afghanistan. For decades of rebellion has brought more death and destruction. The rebellion today is in its strongest position that shows us the black picture about future prospects.
The Syrian situation shows us that proper checks are a must to shape a vision that leads to corruption because the development and construction could not be pursued the way it was envisioned and the authorities couldn’t get rid of the terrorism groups all over the country. Syria has grossly suffered because of terrorism and the situation hasn’t improved much for more than four years now. What cannot be done in over a span of four years is a very hard task to be achieved in a little time or even in a year.
Democracy in the Arab world has suffered a lot because of the challenges that are posed by terrorism. Terrorists have a mission, which is establishing an Islamic caliphate in letter and spirit using vicious and barbaric acts to force governments to cede to their demands. The world today is indeed at crossroads that needs the effort by all world countries to dismantle and defeat those terrorists groups from the occupied lands.
The Islamic and the west countries have a very bad relations between each other because of the attacks of terrorists groups, and those relations needs to be solved before it gets out of control, and the only option has left is creating dialogue.
International terrorism always depends on drug trafficking for funding, as it’s the situation now in Syria. Corruption is a menace that needs to be solved and it’s the main danger character of democracy. The situation today demands a big role by the present generation to encourage all peacemakers to make this world a safer place for the upcoming generations.

The position of Islam on terrorism
Unfortunately, Islam has been associated with terrorism actions of some extreme individuals who have taken it upon themselves to do the most outrageous action in the name of Islam.
The last sorrowful attacks on France and Belgium are assumed to be justified by Muslims and Islamist groups. The idea of terrorist Muslim has been waged by politicians and many media channels which defame Islam religion by describing those bombing attacks as Islamist as their though is accepted by Islam. The attacks of those groups who happen to have Muslim name or they describe themselves to Islam religion should not be measured by which Islam is judged.
To understand where Islam stands on terrorism, we must refer to the original source of Islam, which are the Quran and the teachings of prophet Muhammad. Those sources are explicit in their prohibition of any form of injustice actions including that oppressive violence that seeks to get the power and authority by installing fear, injury and death to civilians.
The Quran shows us the high value of human life, whether it’s Muslim or Non-Muslim and makes it forbidden to kill or to take an innocent life unjustly. The seriousness of this crime is equal with the killing of all humanity in the Quran.
“On that account: we ordained for the children of Israel that if anyone slew a person unless it be for a murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them our apostles with signs, yet, even after that many of them continued to commit excesses in the land.”
The human life is not the only sacred in Islam, but also the property, wealth, family and dignity of all peoples are to be protected and respected. Those who override the rights and spreads corruption will incur the wrath of Allah.
“The blame is only against those who oppress men and wrong doing and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the land, defying right and justice for such there will be penalty grievous.”7
Centuries before Geneva Convention was composed, Muslims were obligated by a code of conduct, which that prophet Muhammad set. He forbade his soldiers from killing women and children and he advised them by (… do not betray, do not excessive, do not kill a newborn child). And he also warned his soldiers (who ever has killed a person having a treaty with the Muslims shall not smell the fragrance of paradise).
The message of the Quran is clear, that human life should be respected and protected and any violation in that regard is connected to the worst crime of Islam, mercy has been set as the heart of Islam ((Muhammad), We have sent you for no other reason but to be a mercy for mankind.) Which is totally different message to what terrorists are imparting to humanity.
Conclusion:
By searching for the roots of terrorism It was found that it stretched from prehistory to the present day, and the phenomenon of terrorism is not limited to a nation or a people, as it included the entire world and throughout the ages, and it wasn’t associated with a religion, but religion and over Ages has been exploited as a cover for terrorist practices. Religion itself wasn’t as a motive of terrorism or a causes, but it was the people of religions are victims of terrorism, and the terrorists, whether they were from antiquity or modern times, they all tries to describe the killings and their criminal acts as they are doing heroic work on it aims to rid the people from the clutches of injustice and oppression, and the truth is that terrorists always wanted power for themselves.
Islam is the religion of peace, equality and justice, and it fights all forms of terrorism whatever its causes and motives. The generosity of God has been down on the Muslim Arab Nations, which saved it from misguidance to guidance and from the conflict and hatred to love, and Made constitution of Virtue and Prevention evil, without harshness or coercion. Islam has forbidden all what is related to terrorism onion, and makes assaulting on innocent lives a crime that involved in God.
Confronting terrorism requires the development of plans that call for the awareness of citizens of the dangers and problems of terrorism which aims to isolate the Arab societies of the world, as well as enlighten the Arab public opinion by an audible and legible and visible by media materials, and its responsibility to protect the young generations from falling into the clutches of terrorism, and the need for religious outreach plan to provide debt in the correct image of the tolerant away from the spirit of intolerance, and the intensification of media programs that highlight the seriousness of terror against the State. Even the fight against terrorism will be more meaningful if this fight have been led by all international levels and through cooperation of Arab and wests, and the distinction must be made between terrorism and the legitimate struggle of peoples for self-determination and national liberation from all forms of occupation and colonialism and racial discrimination.

Bibliography: * The Holy Quran * Al-ismaiel, Muhammad abdul-Aziz. “Terror and terrorists”,1994 * “Terrorism and human rights” (2016, Feb 3) retrieved from http://alwafd.org/essay/6065 * Ghanam, Muhammad Abu Alfateh, “Terrorism legislation and control in democratic countries”, * Borowitz Albert, “Terrorism for self-glorification: The Herostratos Syndrome”, 2005 * Arena, Michael P. and Arrigo, Bruce A. “The terrorist identity: explaining the terrorist threat”, 2006 * Saheeh Muslim * Saheeh Al-Bukhari * Singh, Sudhir Kumar, “Terrorism: A Global Phenomenon”, 2013 * Berman, Eli, “Radical, Religious, and Violent”, 2009

--------------------------------------------
[ 1 ]. Al-ismaiel, Muhammad abdul-Aziz, terror and terrorists,1994, page 25
[ 2 ]. Terrorism and human rights (2016, Feb 3) retrieved from http://alwafd.org/essay/6065
[ 3 ]. Muhammad Abu Alfateh Ghanam, Terrorism legislation and control in democratic countries, page 72
[ 4 ]. Borowitz Albert, Terrorism for self-glorification: The Herostratos Syndrome, 2005, page 83
[ 5 ]. Arena, Michael P. and Arrigo, Bruce A. The terrorist identity: explaining the terrorist threat, 2006, page 93
[ 6 ]. The Holy Quran (5:32)
[ 7 ]. 7 the Holy Quran (42:42)
[ 8 ]. Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #1731
[ 9 ]. Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3166
[ 10 ]. The Holy Quran (21:107)