April 30, 2007
Islamic terrorism: myth
or reality
Mohd.
Mohibul Haque
Terrorism
has become a global scourge these days. It is a menace, which does
not distinguish between Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus or anyone.
Hence, it would be unrealistic to compartmentalize this global
menace on the basis of religion and geography. It is simply inhuman,
cruel and barbaric which must be condemned in all its forms and
manifestations.
Terrorism as a subject of discussion and study requires
a deeper understanding and unbiased approach. Any presumptuous or
reductionist approach to study this problem may lead to dangerously
wrong propositions. Unfortunately, many scholars and mediamen have
taken an over simplistic view of this complex problem. Consequently
they usually associate terrorism with Islam. Hence, the term like ‘Green
menace’, ‘Green Peril’, ‘Islamic militancy’, ‘Islamic
terrorism’, ‘Islamic fascism’ are often used in the media and books.
However, those who are using these terms so frequently perhaps do
not realize that they are not denouncing a menace but condemning a
particular religion. If a heinous act like terrorism is called
‘Islamic’ it hurts the sentiments of millions of peace loving Muslim
across the globe. Moreover, by certifying crime against humanity, as
Islamic they also sanctify this act. Those who call terrorism of any
group, nation or individual as Islamic should know that terrorism
goes against the very teaching and spirit of Islam. Thus, an act of
terror which involves the killing of innocent people is contrary to
the spirit of Quran and Islam because the holy book itself declares
that to kill one human life is to kill entire humanity, and to save
one human life is to save entire humanity. (Holy Quran, 5:32).
Islamic
militancy is a misnomer in another sense also. The so-called Islamic
militancy has killed more Muslims than any other community. In fact
the Muslims are the worst affected victim of terrorism. Algeria,
Afghanistan, Iraq, Chechnya, Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Turkey,
Somalia all are the Muslim countries along with other countries like
India, U.S.A., U.K. etc. facing the menace of terrorism. When we
delve deep into the phenomenon of violence in these countries, we
find that in most cases western powers are responsible for the
menace. The roots of the problem are to be searched in global
capitalism and its worst from i.e. imperialism.
The
sudden upsurge of radical islamists or the Islamization of violence
should not be seen in isolation from the gross injustice and
betrayal against the Muslims by the international organisations and
the major powers. The major powers of the world fought Second World
War ‘to make world safe for democracy’ but they have been fighting
against Islamists in Arab countries to preserve worst kind of
dictatorships. The popular voices against authoritarian rules in
Middle East have never found any support from the international
community. On the other hand, the hereditary dictatorial monarchs
enjoy the blessings of the western powers. Thus in the absence of
any democratic and political rights, the people in most of the
Muslim countries feel disgruntled and alienated. Also, the
authoritarian regimes do not leave any space for moderates or
democratic groups. Hence, the lack rather denial of political
participation provides a fertile breeding ground for violent
activities. Thus the much needed and ever awaited democratisation
is a solution to rapidly growing terrorism.
There is no denying the fact that Islam is being used by
many Muslim groups for political indoctrination but Islam should not
be blamed for this phenomenon. In fact, there are many reasons for
this and the reasons are more political economic and cultural than
religious. One should know that it is not Islam which is guiding
the people to fight or to resist but it is the people who use Islam
for sanctifying their movements or acts. In the absence of any
secular ideology of resistance to imperialism, foreign occupation or
political marginalisation in Muslim countries, the groups and
individuals are going back to Islam to provide justification to
their movements of resistance. And a neutral observer can argue
that the means they have adopted may be wrong as it involves the
killing of innocent people, but the goal the groups are pursing is
not immoral.
Imperialist propagandists say that the Islamists are
trying to force the people of free nations to embrace their religion
and culture. This allegation is nothing but a propaganda, which
needs to be scrutinized carefully. In reality when one tries to
analyse this allegation, finds that the reverse is true. The
imperialist forces have tried to impose their culture and values on
others. The 9/11 New York episode or the 7/7 London bombings are
cited as glaring example of aggressive terrorism and unprovoked
attacks. But the fact is that the Anglo-American imperialist
alliance is reaping up the fruits of its own deeds in the Muslim
world. These attacks deserve condemnation and the culprits must be
brought to book. These attacks of course qualify to be branded as
terrorism because the innocent people or non-combatants have been
made the target of attack. But if only the loss of life is made a
parameter to judge an act of terror, the USA, Israel, Britain and
many other countries will qualify to be called as terrorist states.
Noted media critic Noam Chomsky has very clearly exposed the
genocide committed by America and its allies. From Vietnam to Iraq
and Afghanistan, USA is guilty of killing millions of innocent
people and destroying valuable properties. In fact, the need of the
hour is that when we devise a definition of terrorism we should
include not only the acts of individuals and groups but the nation
states also. Unfortunately in the present scenario, the nation
states are considered to be above humanity and all moral values.
Hence, in our definition of terrorism the nation states engaged in
the acts of terror and imperialism do not fit in.
Thus, while levelling baseless charges against a great
religion and its followers, the scholars and journalists should know
that terrorism is not a monopoly of Islam and its followers. Of
course Islam has a clear-cut ideology of Jihad, which has been
misunderstood by many including the followers of Islam. In fact
jihad is a constant struggle against evil within or without. The
Jihad may be peaceful, persuasive as well as violent or by the
sword/weapon. But the jihad is to be applied or adopted with utmost
care. In no case it should be against innocent people. The Holy
Book Quran has already mentioned that there shall not be any
compulsion in religion. Every one is free to choose and practise
his/her own religion. So, suicide bombing aimed at killing innocent
people is not an act of jihad but an act of terrorism, which is
prohibited in Islam.
Thus jihad should not be taken as ‘a holy war fought by
Muslims, against those who reject Islam’ (as defined by the Oxford
Advanced Dictionary). It seems that this distorted version of jihad
has been taken by many of the followers of Islam and the opponents
as well. Hence it can be concluded that there is nothing like
Islamic about terrorism. The act of terrorism is un-Islamic.
Also, identifying Islam with violence and terrorism is
highly unfair. In fact when we try to analyse violence as a means
adopted by the groups and individuals, we find that it has got
justification by all ideologies and by all organised religions. No
religion or ideology can claim that violence has not been adopted
and justified by his or her followers. For example the followers of
the Christianity sanctified violence and bloodshed in the name of
crusade. Even today many Christian groups across the globe are
engaged in terrorist activities. The Irish Republic Army, a
predominantly catholic Christian terrorist organisation has been
active for almost a century. The Lord’s Salvation Army in Uganda, a
Christian outfit is a notorious terrorist organisation, which
recruits children as fighters. The predominantly Christian America
and Britain (though they are nothing to do with Christianity) are
leading and supervising imperialists’ crime in many parts of the
world.
Hinduism is full of stories of glorified violence – For
example, Ramayana and Mahabharta, two sacred books of Hindus have
beautiful stories of wars/battle between good and evil. Lord Rama
representing good has been glorified fighting Ravana who represented
evil. Not only this but mythological Hanuman is appreciated for
burning Lanka. Hindu fanatics are known to have committed many
crimes, which qualify to be called as terrorism. The assassination
of Mahatma Gandhi by a Hindu fanatic, killing of Rajiv Gandhi by the
members of Tamil outfit, gruesome murder of the Australian Christina
priest Graham Staines and his two minor sons, genocide of Muslims in
Gujarat by Hindu chauvinists are a few examples which show that the
followers of Hinduisms have also engaged themselves in terrorist
activities.
The involvement of the Sikh in terrorist activities in India
is well known. The Sikh terrorism even took away the life of Mrs.
Indra Gandhi. There is a history of Jewish terrorism in Palestine in
the post World War-II. The groups like Haganah, Irgun and stern gang
were involved in dreaded terrorist activities in Arab world. Many of
the dreaded terrorists became celebrated heroes of their community
after the creation of Israel. Ironically one of the terrorists of
those days got a noble peace prize.
The Buddhist Japanese army committed worst kind of
atrocities against Chinese in Manchuria on the eve of Second World
War. The intentions of Aum Shinrikyo, a dangerous Buddhist cult are
not hidden.
But for all then acts of people from different religious
persuasions the religions are not to be blamed because no religion
teaches violence and bloodshed. In fact all religions have given
emphasis on love, sympathy, compassion and brotherhood.
As far as secular ideologies are concerned, they too
have brought untold misery to mankind. The western liberal democrats
are responsible for economic exploitation of the Third World. The
ideology of capitalism and imperialism led by USA is accused of
imposing war and sanctions on free people of Asia, Africa and Latin
America. Similarly the Soviet imperialism has culminated into the
worst kind of atrocities in the world.
Despite
all these, it is ironical that Islam and its followers has become a
target of the imperialists’ propagandists and media persons. It
appears that Islam has been singled out for demonising and
condemning. The record of cruelties of other dispensations are
deliberately ignored or painted in a different colour. But whenever
any misguided group or individual belonging to Islam is found in any
crime, the group or the individual is not blamed for it but his
religion is made the target of attack. It is intellectual and
academic dishonesty to put Islam in the dock for what a handful of
its misguided followers do. It seems that the imperialist powers are
trying to find or invent a new enemy after the demise of Soviet
Union. Thus the ‘Red danger’ is being replaced by the perceived
‘Green Peril’. But what is unfortunate that the intelligentsia in
Third World countries falls prey to the propaganda of the
imperialists and join the chorus with them.
Keeping
in view the growing menace of terrorism and its transnational
character, it can be suggested that the scourge should be analysed
and understood properly. An unbiased and comprehensive approach may
help us in understanding the true nature of terrorism and its root
causes. Thus the intellectuals and scholars should try to demolish
the myth of Islamic terrorism and endeavour to expose the
contradictions inherent in the propaganda against Islam. It is a
fact that the terrorist group targeting the Western countries are
mainly Muslim, but their activities are un-Islamic. So, calling
their activities as Islamic is tantamount to sanctifying them and
thus leaving no space for moderates among the Muslims who are in a
big majority.
Lecturer
Department of
Political Science, A.M.U., Aligarh