Terrorism has no Religion

THERE is no doubt that much of the world believes that Islam and violent acts of terrorism are synonymous. Efforts by any Muslim to refute such a widely held negative perception of the religion seems futile.

One of the challenges peaceful and moderate Muslims in the world face today is that everyone expects them to condemn each and every act of terrorism committed in the name of Islam.

This pressure on Muslims, has come to make innocent Muslims guilty by association. The reported acts of heinous crimes carried out in the name of Islam have become frequent and overwhelming that condemning each and every one of them is virtually impossible.

In some cases, Muslims are expected to condemn acts even when facts of the crimes are yet to be investigated, let alone, known. Yet, all Muslims of conscience will continue condemning acts committed by professing Muslims that are proven not to be in line with the teachings of Islam as derived from the Qur’an and prophetic tradition.

In the aftermath of the recent terrorist attacks by ‘Islamist terrorists’ in Paris and Nigeria, I received a question directed to me on my Facebook page (Armas Shikongo) quoted verbatim.

“Good evening Dr? I hope you remember the text I send you last year (2014) in which I asked you why the God of Islam is violent? You gave me some illustration. Today I would like to draw your attention to the Friday newspaper page 29 (The Namibian). Boko Haram threatened Cameroon if they fail to embrace Islam doctrine. My good Dr, I am still tempted to repeat my previous question as to why the God of Islam is so violent and seems to enjoy people being killed, kidnapped and all the like. May the good lord be the shield and protection for those nations.”

My response: “I truly appreciate your concern. Islam prohibits the use of military force and violence to convert people to Islam. What the so-called Boko Haraam is doing is similar to what the so-called Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda has been doing, committing crimes in the name of Jesus Christ, apparently wanting to turn Uganda into a Christian state. Does that make Jesus Christ a Lord of military violence? What BH is doing in Nigeria and surrounding countries is not Islamically correct. It is criminal but covered up in a religious discourse.

“I know what the Qur’an says on how to invite people to Islam. You can read about it yourself in the Qur’an 16: 125. No use of violence or force is allowed to invite people to Islam. Boko Haraam is a deviant group using the name of Islam to do their own things just like the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda. Joseph Kony is a recognised ‘Christian terrorist’. Do you agree with his type of Christian theology and tactics?”

The response was meant to expose the myth of exclusive ‘Islamist terrorism’.

One shared link by another Facebook friend, laid the terrorism problem squarely at the feet of Islam and Muslims, as if the whole world has all of a sudden become Muslim and Islamic, where each and every terrorist organisation is Islamist? To prove the point, a list of terrorist events in the recent past has been anonymously compiled, with 100% of them being committed by Muslims.

This obvious and politically motivated lie seems to be shared by many and has prompted me to pen this article.

As to my position regarding terrorism, I regard it as satanic, regardless of who the perpetrator or victim is. As such, I strongly condemn all the acts of terrorism that have been committed against innocent people, not only in Paris or Nigeria, but everywhere in the world, both by or against Muslims!

The world has equally suffered from acts of terrorism perpetrated by Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus and Secularists from all sorts of cultural and racial backgrounds.

The hypocrisy and selective morality around the issue of terrorism must be exposed, for terrorism has no religion. At the same time, the world cannot be deliberately fooled by those who politically abuse the ugly label of legitimate resistance to oppression as acts of terrorism.

In our own Namibia, if those who have arrogated themselves the right and duty to define, label and demonise others as ‘terrorists’ were allowed to have their way, we would still be under the terror of colonialism, as even the liberation movement Swapo and the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia were once considered as ‘terrorists’.

This only goes to show that the charge of terrorism is not always genuine or politically neutral.

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