استراتيجية دار الإفتاء المصرية ورؤيتها لمكافحة الأفكار المتطرفة باللغة الإنجليزية The idelogical war

Key Messages in Combating Radicalization         

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Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, Muslim Brotherhood (MB) all have the same objectives-the difference in achieving them is timing and tactics-all of them are on the same ideological page.

The Muslim Brotherhood is the parent Organization of all the modern radical groups.

Our failure to recognize that all radical groups are essentially the same will have dangerous implications for the future, reverberating across the world in potentially alarming ways.

Regardless of their historical or ideological bases, all radical groups and organizations become inextricably linked under the single appellation of extremism. All of them use or advocate violence against the will of society at large. This crooked understanding is antithetical to Islamic teachings The horrific crimes of the terrorist organizations are in complete violation of Islamic law and norms and the perpetrators are no way representatives of the Muslim people or the religion of Islam. They are simply criminals. They ought to be dealt with as such.

The Muslim Brotherhood published doctrine states they will wage armed struggle to achieve their objectives.

The MB has an internal security apparatus (the military wing) to protect its interests against the state as well as the people.

Understanding the core ideology of all the extremist and terrorist groups drastically changes the nature of the war in which we are engaged from appeasing to opposing.

God upholds the sanctity of life as a universal principle. God says "and do not kill one another, for God is indeed merciful unto you" says the Quran in (4:29). Islam views murder as both a crime punishable by law in this world and as major sin punishable in the Afterlife as well. Prophet Mohammad said, "The first cases to be decided among the people on the Day of Judgment will be those of blood-shed" These extremists are driven by their hunger for power and motivated by delusional understanding of the Islamic Faith. Islamic principles guided ordinary Muslims for over a thousand years to worship God, engage in developing their society, and have sought to cultivate good moral character. This is made clear in the Qur'an which says, "He caused you to dwell on earth and to develop it."

In both Islam and other religions we are witnessing a phenomenon in which laypeople without a sound foundation in religious learning have attempted to set themselves up as religious authorities, even though they lack the scholarly qualifications for making valid interpretations of religious law and morality. It is this eccentric and rebellious attitude towards religion that opens the way for extremist interpretations of Islam that have no basis in reality.

Furthermore, and this is very important, is that none of these extremists have been educated in Islam in genuine centers of Islamic learning. They are, rather, products of troubled environments and have subscribed to distorted and misguided interpretations of Islam that have no basis in traditional Islamic doctrine.

The aim of all terrorist organization is purely political and has no religious foundation at all. It is to create havoc and chaos in the world.

The Islamic law of warfare must be taken from the pristine teachings of Islamic sources and is subject to very strict rules of engagement. It is only for the purpose of repelling an attack and protecting one's self, one's home and family. This is something that can be found in every religious law and civil code, and more recently we find it being sanctioned by the Geneva Conventions. The Qur'an says: "Fight in the way of God against those who fight against you but avoid aggression for God does not like the aggressor."

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The Arabic word jihad in Islam refers to the struggle against one's lower self. The meaning is fundamentally spiritual, referring to the purification of the heart, which was described by the Prophet Muhammad as The Greater Jihad, the highest and most noble meaning of the term. The term Jihad has also been used to allow Muslims to struggle against and to ward off aggression has been described as the Lesser Jihad.

The extremists have misused the word jihad and, unfortunately the mass media, being ignorant of Arabic and the subtlety of the term has now reduced the word to meaning terrorist violence and this has worked to the advantage of the extremists.

Let us be clear by reiterating that Islam is utterly against extremism and terrorism but unless we seriously dismantle and deconstruct all ideas of terrorism and extremism propagated by all extremist and terrorist groups, we will never be able to eradicate this scourge. All terror groups essentially carry the same intellectual poison. This must be understood in order to build a better future that can bring an end to this grave situation that is destroying the world It is forbidden in Islam to issue fatwas without all the necessary learning requirements. Even then fatwas must follow Islamic legal theory as defined in the Classical texts. It is also forbidden to cite a portion of a verse from the Qur’an—or part of a verse—to derive a ruling without looking at everything that the Qur’an and Hadith teach related to that matter. In other words, there are strict subjective and objective prerequisites for fatwas, and one cannot ‘cherrypick’ Qur’anic verses for legal arguments without considering the entire Qur’an and Hadith.

Jihad in Islam is defensive war. It is not permissible without the right cause, the right purpose and without the right rules of conduc Loyalty to one’s nation is not only permissible but also commendable in Islam.

Jihad in Islam is defensive war. It is not permissible without the right cause, the right purpose and without the right rules of conduct.

The re-introduction of slavery is forbidden in Islam. It was abolished by universal consensus and can never be re-introduced.

Terrorists are miscreants who have no legitimate connection to the pure Islamic way, whose history and orthodox doctrine are testaments to the Islamic commitment to tolerance, compassion and peace.

Terrorists are not Muslim activists, but outlaws who have been brainwashed and fed a mistaken interpretation of Quran and Sunnah.

The Islamic intellectual heritage is a repository for texts that clearly forbid murder while extolling the sanctity of human life, “We prescribed to the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul, unless it be for retaliation, or to spread corruption on earth, it would be as if he had killed all mankind, and whoever saves a life, it would be as if he had saved the life of all mankind.” (5:32).

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Understanding the Threat The rising trend of religious extremism which adopts the policy of hegemony of a certain radical ideology to the exclusion of other ideologies which refute their radical bases and debunk their extremist beliefs is the malady of our time. Among other world religions, Islam has been subjected to extreme ideologies and miscreant beliefs which could not be any further from the core teachings of Islam both in letter and spirit.

We will delve briefly into the history of religious extremism with its dominant features for us to have a better understanding of what we are up against. 

The contemporary origins of extremist movements

One of the religious movements that is featured with extremism is a movement that started in the 19th century. After conducting some deep investigations and researches in an attempt to unravel their understanding of the Islamic doctrine, we found that their understanding is limited to issues that are both secondary and scholarly debatable. 

Holding tight to the opinion of a minority of scholars

They only hold tight to a minority of scholars who share their same religious belief and they chose to turn a blind eye on the overwhelming majority of scholars who are widely known for their intellectual discernment and religious scholarship.

They adopted a radical school of thought and its advocates believed that they exclusively hold the correct version of Islam that matches the thoughts of the early Muslims and expresses their understanding and application of Islam. 

Three assumptions of the radical mentality

They adopt a clashing mentality and this mentality has three assumptions within its fold. The first assumption is that the whole world hates Muslims and that there is a constant war to demolish them through three main entities Zionism, proselytization and secularism. They also assume that Muslims are the main targets of plots and conspiracies which are sometimes concealed but most of the time they are out in the open.

The second assumption is that clashing with this world is a necessity to revert the aggression and tyranny along with avenging for what is happening in the Muslim world. The necessity of clashing takes two forms, the first is killing non-believers which include all non- Muslims and the second form is killing hypocrite apostates who are presumably Muslims yet opposing their line of thinking. We can readily observe the mythical fallacies and erroneous beliefs which unfortunately might attract some ignorant youths to their false call.

The third assumption is that their methodology of thinking is meant to spread widely to become one of the current methodologies of thinking in our world today and this means that their methodology does not need to be confined to a certain organization or a specific institution which we can track but rather spread freely and the loyal believers of this methodology have a free hand to do what they can to spread this methodology with no higher commandment or official orders.

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Collective responsibility to combat radical ideas

Redirecting the path of these extremists is becoming a real burden on both the progress of Muslims and the renovation of the Islamic religious discourse along with the comprehensive development that the whole Muslim world needs. Unfortunately this extreme line of thinking is becoming a fertile soil for developing extremist ideologies and a base for disintegrating the society and a call for isolating oneself away from his surroundings which most of the time he/she is incapable of dealing with in the first place. 

Conclusion

The alleged claim by extremists that they attempt to follow the path of the early pioneering Muslims is erroneous because the mere confinement to the literal wording that they uttered or abiding by their juristic positions that they took regarding secondary issues is not what defines the essence of Islam. The true emulation would be through turning to the tools and maxims they adopted in textual interpretation and the principles used for conducting independent legal reasoning (ijtihad). The early Muslims were pioneers in writing down the guiding maxims and in developing a scientific methodology which enabled them to differentiate between the primary overarching issues and the secondary debatable ones.

Therefore, the true Muslims are the ones who abide by the scientific methodology that the early ones developed in order to deal with scriptural text of the Quran and the Prophetic traditions. Within the fold of the methodology developed by the early Muslims lies a room for multiple opinions and different views.

This diversity did not tear their Islamic unity apart or the unity of the later generations of scholars. On the contrary their diversified opinions left a huge intellectual heritage which stands as an eye witness of scholarly diversity and freedom of thinking.

Therefore, we ought to exert our efforts to fight against this extreme ideology which no longer represents a danger to itself alone but is forming an eminent threat to our youth and society in whole.

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Response to Radicalism: an Islamic Perspective 1-The Islam that we were taught in our youth is a religion that calls for peace and mercy. The first prophetic saying that is taught to a student of Islam is "Those who show mercy are shown mercy by the All-Merciful. Show mercy to those who are on earth and the One in the heavens will show mercy to you.

What we have learnt about Islam has been taken from the clear, pristine, and scholarly understanding of the Qur'an, "O people we have created you from a single male and female and divided you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another." When God said "to know one another" He did not mean in order to kill one another. All religions have forbidden the killing of innocents. Rather we have been ordered to cooperate in a constructive manner.

2-For over a thousand years ordinary Muslims have worshipped God, engaged in developing their society, and have sought to cultivate good moral character. This is made clear in the Qur'an which says, "I have created man and Jinn except to worship Me." "He caused you to dwell on earth and to develop it." " He is successful who has purified ]the heart and soul [." there are more than 6,000 verses in the Qur'an, only 300 of which are related to legal matters; the rest deal with developing good moral character.

Likewise there are over 60,000 prophetic traditions and sayings of which only 2,000 are related to legal matters; the rest deal with developing good moral character. For Muslims the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is described as being a mercy sent from God to mankind.

3- Islam established a moral and humanistic civilization that encompassed a plurality of religions, philosophies and civilizations which contributed immensely to the Muslim civilization. We see ourselves as a people who have absorbed a multiplicity of civilizations; we have been exposed to and assimilated the great civilizations of the Persians, Indians, Chinese, and Greeks into our cultural and intellectual life, and we benefited from all of them as well as contributing to them. Islamic civilization places people and worshippers above places of worship. This humanitarian and cosmopolitan worldview does not allow us to consider ourselves as superior to other people. We are proud of our civilization, but we do not reject other civilizations, rather all who work towards the constructive development in the world should be considered as our partners. Since our civilization is concerned with humanity, it brings together both the spiritual and the material. We do not hate life nor do we seek to create social imbalance, and anyone who engages in this has gone against the teachings of our religion and what we have been taught of good moral character.

4-One of the problems faced by religious communities today is the issue of authority. In both Islam and other religions we are witnessing a phenomenon in which laypeople without a sound foundation in religious learning have attempted to set themselves up as religious authorities, even though they lack the scholarly qualifications for making valid interpretations of religious law and morality. It is this eccentric and rebellious attitude towards religion that opens the way for extremist interpretations of Islam that have no basis in reality.

Furthermore, and this is very important, is that none of these extremists have been educated in Islam in genuine centers of Islamic learning. They are, rather, products of troubled environments and have subscribed to distorted and misguided interpretations of Islam that have no basis in traditional Islamic doctrine. Their aim is purely political and has no religious foundation. It is to create havoc and chaos in the world.

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Our role as religious leaders who have spent our lives carefully studying religious exegesis is to reestablish authority with those who are in true possession of knowledge. I have, through my present position, set out to publish an authoritative picture of Islam which, I hope will give the world a better understanding of and empathy for Islam and the Muslim world and help us all to live together in peace, tranquility, and mutual cooperation.

5-Some commentators from the non-Muslim world have taken the actions of a small but highly visible and disruptive minority of people within the Muslim world to represent the beliefs of the majority of Muslims, claiming that Islam has been a violent religion from the beginning. This view has unfortunately been reinforced through the presentation of Islam in much of the mass media.

6-The source of and alleged justification for much of the extremism and political violence across the Muslim world and beyond is the tragedy of Palestine, which has not been resolved for the last 60 years.

We need to understand this complicated situation in order to end the daily bloodshed on both sides. Egypt was quick to answer the call to peace nearly 30 years ago, but to this day we have not arrived at true peace as a result of the intransigence of all parties. Let me be clear by reiterating that Islam is utterly against extremism and terrorism but unless we understand the factors that provide a rationalization for terrorism and extremism we will never be able to eradicate this scourge. This must be understood in order to build a better future that can bring an end to this grave situation that is destroying the world.

7-Many people have made an issue of the fact that there are certain verses in the Qur'an that allow Muslims to defend themselves when they are attacked. This is something that can be found in every religious law and civil code, and more recently we find it being sanctioned by the Geneva Conventions.

The Qur'an says: "Fight in the way of God against those who fight against you but avoid aggression for God does not like the aggressor." "But if they cease]fighting[ then God is Forgiving, Merciful." This statement has been repeated many times throughout the second chapter of the Qur'an and forms the basis for the Islamic law of warfare, which is only for the purpose of repelling an attack and protecting one's self, one's home and family.

The extremists have misused the word jihad and, unfortunately the mass media, being ignorant of Arabic and the subtlety of the term has now reduced the word to meaning terrorist violence and this has worked to the advantage of the extremists.

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Radical Groups: Many Sides of the Same Coin The famous statement which indicates that “history repeats itself” cannot be more true than in the case of our modern day terrorism which plagued the minds of half-educated and ill-hearted extremists whose warped logic and deviant ideologies established the brutal platform of shedding blood and gave them the effrontery of randomly killing both Muslims and non-Muslims alike, torturing the captives and the hostages, enslaving women, looping money destroying places of worships and sanctuaries, usurping authority and gaining power among many other atrocious acts falsely under the name of Islam and Jihad. 

The emergence of Kharijites during the time of Prophet Muhammad

Along the line of history we find that this sickened ideology has deep roots which dates back to the Kharijites, a name which was given to a group of people at the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who were known for their lack of discipline and good manners along with their extremist mentality and excessive zealotry; thus they carried the seeds of terrorism for generations to come.

The kharajites first appeared in the days of the Prophet and their ideas gained momentum during the caliphate of ‘Uthman until it emerged as a full-fledged and organized group during the caliphate of Ali ibn Abi Talib. God Most High alluded to the Kharijites in the Quran and there are many prophetic hadith reports that explain their signs, beliefs, doctrines and practices. In general, the Kharijites committed acts of terrorism and carried out atrocities in the name of Islam. Due to their extreme and specious religious arguments, they would declare it permissible to shed the blood of both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Throughout this article we will examine the relationship between the beliefs and actions of the Kharijites of old and the terrorists of today. 

The definition of “Kharijities” by Muslim scholars

The classical Muslim scholars have given a precise definition of the Kharijities. Imam Muhammad b.

‘Abd al-Karim al- Shahrastani said in his famous book of heresiology, al Milal wal- Nihal,“Anyone who revolts against the Muslim government that enjoys the support of the community is called a Kharijite whether this revolt was against the Rightly Guided Caliphs or during the time of the companions or against those after them who followed them with excellence or the Muslim rulers of every subsequent era.” 

The Quranic rejection of the Kharijites’ radical mentality

The Quran has strongly rejected in numerous places the heinous act of murder, especially murder on a mass scale that spreads terror and mischief on earth. According to the Quran those who commit such deeds are considered brigands and rebels. A thorough study of the Quran will shed light on the many signs and blameworthy innovations of the Kharijites. 

The radical acts of Kharijites at the Prophet’s time

The turmoil of the Kharijites began during the time of the Prophet. Abu Sa’id al- Khudri said, “When the Prophet was apportioning the war booty, Dhu al-Khuwaysira, a man from Banu Tamim, said, “O Messenger of God! Be Just!” The Prophet replied, “woe to you! Who will be just if I am not just?” It was Dhu al-Khuwaysira’s disrespect to the Prophet that laid the foundation for one of the worst trials faced by the Umma. And the militants and rebels who revolted against the authority of Uthman and Ali were a continuation of the evil precedent set by Dhu al- Khuwaysira.

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Thus the later-day Kharijites had the same mindset as their founder. 

Sewing Discords by the Kharijites after the death of Prophet Muhammad

Those who embraced the beliefs of the Kharijites promoted their warped understanding, exploited these disruptions and began organizing themselves. Those who actively hatched the conspiracy against ‘Uthman, and ultimately killed him in the final days of his rule, were composed of those who held the extremist beliefs of the Kharijites. The most prominent of them was one ‘Abdullah b. Saba. This was the first time an extremist and terrorist group challenged the authority of the state. 

The major objective of the Kharijites

The major objective of the Kharijites is to destabilize the foundations of the Muslim state in the name of religion. When we look critically at the history of the Kharijites, we see that theirs was a violent movement that was against dialogue and peaceful settlement of disputes, such as the policy that Ali, the fourth rightly guided caliph, adopted in the form of arbitration before the Battle of Siffin. As long as the clamor of war prevailed, the Kharijite elements in Ali’s army were active, but the moment he decided to seek arbitration for the sake of avoiding further bloodshed, they rejected his decision and deserted his troops. Calling him a disbeliever, they organized a terrorist rebellion group and rose against him and the Muslim Ummah in the name of Jihad. When they organized themselves, their motto and call was, “There is no judgment but for God”. When Ali heard their slogan he said, “A word of truth by which falsehood is intended”. 

Establishing an organized terrorist group to challenge the authority of Caliph Ali b. Abi Taleb

The Kharijites initiated an armed rebellion against Ali and based themselves in Harura, located on the Iraqi border. They accused him of polytheism and blameworthy innovations and declared him a disbeliever and rebelled against him. This would prove to be the start of their mass killing and terrorism.

They strictly observe the outward religious acts, which in turn instill in them with the conceited belief that they are staunch Muslims and true embodiments of Islam. They feel themselves near to God and consider all others either disbelievers or disobedient. They believe it is their right to force others to adhere to the path of righteousness and they forget God’s words, “Invite to the path of your Lord with wisdom and goodly invitation”. (16:125)And, “There is no compulsion in the religion” (2:256) This mindset allows them to kill people, spread terror and plunder wealth and property without fear of sin. According to their warped understanding, whatever crimes they do are a form of jihad. The Quran informs us that they will be the greatest of losers in the Hereafter: “say, Shall we inform you of those who are the greatest losers with respect to their deeds? It is those whose entire struggle is wasted in the life of this world, but they presume they are doing good”. 

History of brutal killings by the Kharijites

One particularly heinous event occurred when the Kharijites brutally slaughtered Abdullah b. Khabbab and his wife for refusing to declare ‘Uthman and Ali disbelievers. Imam al- Tabari, Ibn al-Athir and Ibn Kathir narrated: They put him on the ground and slaughtered him, causing his blood to flow into the water. Then they advanced towards his wife and she said, “I am pregnant, don’t you fear God”, Then they sliced open her stomach and killed three other women from the tribe of Tay (because they sympathized with her).

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When Ali learnt about the murder of Abdullah b. Khabbab, he dispatched al- Harith b. Murra al- Abdi to the Kharijites to investigate the incident. When he reached the Kharijites and asked why they murdered Abdullah, they killed him as well. Ibn Kathir mentioned that after this, the Kharijites wrote to Ali, Saying, “All of us have killed your brothers and we believe that both their blood and your blood are lawful”.

When Ali dispatched Qays b. Sa’d b. Ubada al- Ansari to go and negotiate with the Kharijites, he addressed them saying, “O servants of God hand over those of you who we want, and obey the authority of the state that you have challenged. For indeed, you have committed a grievous crime; you accuse us of polytheism and shed the blood of the Muslims.

Similarly as Ali’s representative, Abu Ayyub al- Ansari also tried to convince the Kharijites. He said, “O servants of God. Certainly, we and you are in the same state as we were before. There is no hostility as such between you and us, so why do you fight us for?” Their terrorists and rebellious state of mind is also revealed in the address Ali made to the kharijites, “explain to us by what justification do you declare it lawful to kill us and rebel against the authority of the state and take up arms? And then you go out and slay people! Indeed this is most surely a clear loss. I swear by God, it would be seen as grievous in the sight of God that you even kill a chicken with this intention, so what about a harmless soul that is considered inviolable in His sight?

When Ali presented the banner of peace to Abu Ayyub al- Ansari, he went out and said, “Whoever takes refuge under this banner is safe, whoever abstains from fighting and killing will be safe; and whoever amongst you heads to Kufa or to the other towns and abandons this group is safe” The Kharijites would base their call for religion on the Quran. Expressing their religious zealotry, they would rouse extremist’s sentiments in some of the hapless and ignorant Muslims and misinterpreting Jihad, they would incite them to commit mass murder. To motivate them further they would mention the rewards of paradise so as to mentally prepare their followers to kill and be killed. 

Conclusion

If we analyze the methodology and activities of the modern-day terrorists, we see that they are mentally immature, young and brainwashed, and have the same modus operandi as the Kharijites of old. Their warped view of Islam is plain to see on the one hand they are very devout in their worship and on the other hand they have no compunction in killing peaceful people. Ibn Kathir reported that once the branch of a date palm fell during a journey and one of the khharijites picked up a date from it and put it in his mouth. A fellow Kharijite objected and reminded him that he did not have the owner’s permission.

Immediately, the man spit it out.

Similarly, Imam Ibn al Athir related that once when a pig owned by one of the non-Muslim citizens passed by a member of the Kharijites, he killed it with his sword. A fellow Kharijite condemned him for killing it and when its owner came he begged his pardon, paid its price and made the man happy.

The historical records prove that the Kharijites considered blood a cheap commodity. They had no reservations about killing people and cared not one iota for those who were brought up with the Prophet’s spiritual training. Since the Prophet made it categorically clear that these people would continue to emerge, time and time again, it is easy to recognize the modern-day Kharijits, for they share the same traits of those of old. They too shed the blood of people; they too brutally slaughter women and children and challenge the authority of the state; they too attack mosques, murder peaceful people engaged in worship and target them in the marketplaces; and they too call their dastardly deeds jihad. All the current

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acts of terrorism committed by the so-called “Mujahidun” are but a continuation of the Kharijite doctrine and ideology.

Exposing the Ideological Errors of the radical groups The Following is a concise and methodological discussion of the ideologies and theories of the radical groups by measuring them against the parameters of Islamic law, Islamic legal theory, and the approach of mujtahids (scholars who are qualified to make independent legal reasoning) and leading jurists.

What follows is an overview of the types of flagrantly flawed beliefs of Daesh which we will commence to deconstruct. In the coming episodes, we will present an example of each mistake as follows: 

Misunderstanding of the Quran and Prophetic reports and the invalid use of its verses as proofs

Terror groups commit abominable crimes against the Quran and Prophetic reports—they take the Quranic verses and the Prophet’s words out of context and imbue them with the worst of meanings, violence, and savagery. They are totally ignorant of the tools of comprehending the Quran or hadith, the rules of inference, the objectives of Islamic law and its principles. As a result, the words of Allah in the Quran or the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) which fill hearts with peace and mercy and reverence for religion are replaced with ugly, bloody, distorted words which fill hearts with repulsion and fear 

Misunderstanding concepts and terms

The first mistake they make is to narrow the concept of jihad and restrict it to combat and slaughter with the claim that such distortions represent the jihad legislated by God. So much so that they have made jihad an end in itself when in fact it is a means to guidance. Whenever it impedes guidance, jihad deviates from its goal, backfiring to becoming a means of outright harm that repels people from God’s religion.

Imam Taqiy Al-Deen Al-Subki (d. 756 AH) cites in his book Al-Fatawa (vol. 2, p. 340), the Prophet’s words to Aly when he sent him to the outskirts of Madinah “If God were to guide a single person through you, this would be better [for you] than red camels [a highly prized commodity].” The Prophet’s words in this instance suggest that guidance is the purpose of jihad. And wisdom requires this. Jihad means guiding the people and inviting them to monotheism and the laws of Islam and offering Islam to them and their descendants until the Day of Judgment. Nothing compares to this.

However, it is better to achieve this goal by imparting knowledge, engaging in debates, and removing misconceptions whenever possible.

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Deficiencies in understanding the higher objectives of Islamic Law due to the following: They do not have the slightest understanding of the jurisprudence of results and consequences.

They are totally ignorant of how to weigh interests against evils.

They do not have the slightest understanding of the jurisprudence of objectives. They do not know that rulings were principally legislated to achieve their respective objectives. What then if their actions destroy these very objectives?

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Some examples of mistakes committed by radical groups include: misapplying the ruling on using human shields, and in so doing erroneously and ignorantly permit the murder of Muslims. Due to their compounded misunderstanding of rulings and their misapplication, they kill innocents. 

A defective understanding of reality is a grave danger

Terror groups' defective understanding of realities and conditions under which people live is grievously alarming. This is because when they infidelize Muslims, declare their murder lawful, and believe that only they—apart from the rest of the 1.6 billion Muslims living in the inhabited world—represent Islam. 

A defective and reductionist understanding of the Prophet's biography

One example is the incident of Abu Busayr which they erroneously interpret to mean the permissibility of rebelling against public order of the established authorities of the state.

There are rules for deriving rulings from the Prophet’s biography and from the incidents contained therein. Whoever is quick to analogize a particular incident to one in the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stands guilty of fabricating lies against him and imputes to his law what is antithetical to it.

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The Muslim Brotherhood: the Parent Organization of all modern Radical Groups The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) was created in 1928 as a political mass movement to bring about a change in the sociopolitical order through a particular methodology. 

Their By-Laws specifically state:

"The Muslim Brotherhood is an International Muslim Body, which seeks to effect Allah's law in the land." 

The MB goals are listed in their By-Laws as:

"Insist to liberate the Islamic nation from the yoke of foreign rule…the need to work on establishing the Islamic Political Order."

By the early 1930's, the Brotherhood formalized its organizational structure and formed groups of men with unique spiritual and physical training called "Battalions".

By the 1940, the Brotherhood created the Special Section, the military wing of the MB which conducts offensive operations such as ambushes, kidnappings, assassinations, etc.

During the 1940's and World War II, the Brotherhood pushed for Egyptian society to become increasingly rigid and called for the removal of the political establishment in Egypt.

During the late 1940's, the Brotherhood assassinated Egyptian officials and their families.

In December of 1948, a Muslim Brother assassinated Egyptian Prime Minister Mahmud Fahmi alNuqrashi. In February 1949, the Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna was gunned down in Cairo.

The time following the death of al-Banna is marked with significant violence in Egypt against government and the People . During this time, a more radical doctrine was in the shape.

Besides the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al-Banna, the greatest ideologue for the Muslim Brotherhood was Sayyid Qutb. Qutb was an Egyptian who came to the U.S in 1948 to study at the University of Colorado in Greely.

Upon arriving back in Egypt in 1950, he wrote a series of articles in which he derided America's moral decay, and indicated the world is in need of revival and change. Soon thereafter, Qutb joined the Muslim Brotherhood Movement in Egypt.

In 1950s, he was arrested along with many other Muslim Brothers in Egypt. While in jail, he wrote his seminal work, Milestones, which operationalizes Radicalism for the modern Muslim, and is the centerpiece for Extremist organizations around the world.

In August 1966, Qutb was hanged for his association with and activities on behalf of the Brotherhood. 

Ayman al-Zawahiri, the current leader of Al Qaeda, said of Qutb:

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"Sayyid Qutb's call for loyalty to Allah's oneness and to acknowledge Allah's sole authority and sovereignty was the spark that ignited the Islamic revolutions against the enemies of Islam at home and abroad." 

The 9/11 commission Report recognized Qutb'simportance:

"In speeches and writings, the sightless [Abdel] Rahman, often called the "Blind Sheikh", preached the message of Sayyid Qutb's Milestone, characterizing the United States as the oppressor of Muslims worldwide and asserting that it was their religious duty to fight against God's enemies." (9/11 Commission Report, p72)

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The War of Ideas against Radical Groups The term “war on terror” was first used by US President George W Bush just days after the September 11 2001 terrorist attack on US soil.

Since then, the Bush administration has realized that the war is not a conventional one to be fought solely one a military battleground; rather it is a war of ideas against a global, diffused and radical Islamic insurgency driven by religious ideology. President George W. Bush has said ''We actually misnamed the war on terror. It ought to be [called] the struggle against ideological extremists who do not believe in free societies and who happen to use terror as a weapon to try to shake the conscience of the free world.''

As a religious ideology, Radical groups have attained a surprisingly wide base of support among young people throughout significant areas in the world. Hence, to win this war entails not just winning on the ground or in the air but more importantly, to successfully engage a free flow and exchange of ideas and information to refute the dogma of these radical clerics.

The following shall examine the various theories of diffusion of ideas and norms through the international system in an attempt to answer the following questions: How do terrorist norms/ideas emerge and become institutionalized? In this war on ideas, how do we effectively compete with these ideas and norms presented by the terrorists? Once these norms are identified, how do we sustain norm compliance?

Terrorists’ networks like Al-Qaeda and its affiliates like Daesh represents a shift in the way terrorists operate, a shift made largely possible by the changing rules of the New World Order.

Al-Qaeda ex leader, Osama bin Laden once claimed that the collapse of the Soviet Union has led the US to assume the role of “a master of this world and establishing what it calls the New World Order.” Ironically, it is precisely the end of the Cold War that brought more open borders, thus enabling al-Qaeda to flourish.

Currently Daesh has successfully disseminated its ideas by capitalizing on the open, global society in the post- al-Qaeda era. Over the past two years, a sophisticated public relations and media communication campaign was conducted using a series of tweets, audio recordings, video appearances, and internet postings.

These ideas in the form of hate speech and conspiracy theories directed at the whole world spread globally throughout innumerable newspaper articles, books and publications, websites and homepages, facebook and Twitter pages, TV news items, educational broadcasts and music videos.

The ideas were not communicated through certain mosques or Islamic schools but via independent satellite television networks in different languages.

In an increasingly globalized culture, radicals' ideas are influencing the beliefs and actions of militants from Yemen to Kenya to England with a speed and reach unimaginable two decades ago.

These messages have been well-designed to elicit desired psychological impact and to communicate complex political messages to a global audience as well as to specific populations in the Islamic world, the United States and Asia. The leader of the self claimed Islamic State has personally stated his beliefs in the importance of harnessing the power of international and regional media for Daesh's benefit.

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The Grand Mufti Combats Ideological Extremism 

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It is of no surprise to anyone that extremism and extremist violence are some of the most serious issues confronting civilization today. Recent years have only seen an exacerbation of these phenomena. The tragic events of 9/11 constitute but one high-profile example of the ongoing problem posed by extremist ideologies to the image of Islam and the future of intercultural and interreligious relations.

The Grand Mufti Dr Shawki Allam has been one of the most vocal proponents of the view that ideological extremism committed in the name of Islam is in fact a misreading of both the letter and spirit of the Islamic tradition, and an aberration from the great history of Islamic civilization.

In the view of Dr Shawki Allam , there is no religion worthy of the name that does not regard as one of its highest values the sanctity of human life. Islam is no exception to this rule. Indeed, Allah has made this unequivocal in the Qur’an by emphasizing the gravity of the universal prohibition against murder, saying of the one who takes even one life that “it is as if he has killed all mankind.”

Terrorism, therefore, cannot be for Dr. Allam the outcome of any proper understanding of religion. It is rather a manifestation of the immorality of people with cruel hearts, arrogant souls, and warped logic. The great corruption and instability sown by their actions are therefore a source of great sadness and outrage to him. What further complicates the matter, and exacerbates his concern is the way in which those who in no way understand or represent the grand Islamic traditions of tolerance, mercy and understanding have been able to link their repulsive actions with the noble religion of Islam.

For Dr. Allam, the Qur’an is clear that “God has honored the children of Adam ... and distinguished them among our creation.” (Al-Isra’: 70). Islam therefore makes no distinction among races, ethnicities, or religions in its belief that all people are deserving of basic human dignity. Furthermore, Islam has laid down justice, peace and cooperation as the basic principles of interaction between religious communities, repeatedly advising Muslims that the proper conduct towards those who do not show aggression towards the Muslims is to act with “goodness and justice.” Indeed, this is the way of the truly observant Muslim, for “Allah loves the just.”

Sheikh Allam has thus been a consistent and outspoken critic of violence of every form, and its erroneous and rootless affiliation with Islam. He has explicitly stated that terrorists are not Muslim activists, but outlaws who have been brainwashed and fed a mistaken interpretation of Quran and Sunnah.

Given his stance on the issue, it is of particular concern to witness the occasional episodes of sectarianism in Egypt. After the terrorist incidents against churches, the Grand Mufti issued a strongly-worded statement, saying, “It is ... with great sadness and outrage that we witness the emergence of this disease in our nation. There is no doubt that such barbarism needs to be denounced in the strongest of terms, and opposed at every turn.

More important than simple condemnations, however, Dr. Allam maintains the strong belief that Muslims, and especially their religious leadership, must actively counter the deviant beliefs that underpin such gross transgressions. Despite their confused claims, terrorists are miscreants who have no legitimate connection to the pure Islamic way, whose history and orthodox doctrine are testaments to the Islamic commitment to tolerance, compassion and peace.

As is his position on all matters, Dr. Allam is insistent that the Prophetic example is the best of all models. The Prophet considered non-Muslims and Muslims as participating in a social contract which was inviolable. The promise of a Muslim is sacrosanct, for as he said, “Whoever unjustly persecutes one with whom he has an agreement, or short-changes his rights, or burdens him beyond

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his capacity, or takes something from him without his blessing, I myself will be an argument against him on the Day of Judgment.” What sort of Muslim could it be that not only deprives himself of the intercession of the Prophet of God in front of his Lord, but indeed puts himself at odds with him?

Nor can one attribute blame to the grand tradition of Islamic law as responsible for such repulsive actions. As the Grand Mufti stated in a speech in Belgium 2014, it cannot be stated strongly enough that terrorism is opposed to everything Islamic law stands for. Islamic law is a sophisticated and humane system which mandates very precise rules for warfare.

These have been laid out very clearly in fatwas by the Grand Mufti which repudiate the actions of a misguided criminal minority . Those who undertake such activities not only commit crimes against their victims – many of whom are innocent women and children -- and breach international agreements and treaties, but they overstep their boundaries, and place an unjustifiable burden on the rest of the Muslim community.

As Grand Mufti, Sheikh Allam has repeatedly condemned the senseless acts of terrorism carried out by those falsely claiming to represent Islam. These include unequivocal and express condemnations of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, the London bombings on 7/7/2005, the Bali terrorist attacks, as well as the horrific beheadings perpetrated by the self claimed Islamic State.

Unfortunately, the terrorists often invoke the Islamic concept of “jihad” to justify their crimes. This has led to much confusion and the tendency to misinterpret this important Islamic idea by linking it to violence and aggression. Dr. Allam has taken it upon himself to clarify this misconception.

Wrongly perceived as a synonym of “Holy War”, the word “Jihad” carries the broad meaning of struggle, and not necessarily armed struggle. It can be a Personal Jihad; which involves struggle against the inner-self and its inclination towards what is evil and harmful. Similarly, it can be a struggle for individuals’ rights and freedoms in a variety of ways.

Once, upon returning from a battle, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is narrated to have told his companions: “We have returned from the lesser Jihad to the greater Jihad; the Jihad of the soul.”

Here, the term Jihad refers to the spiritual exercise of taming the lower self. And it is referred to as the greater Jihad, for people may spend their entire lives struggling against the base desires within themselves – desires that, if not overcome in a rational manner, may harm them and those around them.

To the contrary, the Islamic intellectual heritage is a repository for texts that clearly forbid murder while extolling the sanctity of human life, “We prescribed to the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul, unless it be for retaliation, or to spread corruption on earth, it would be as if he had killed all mankind, and whoever saves a life, it would be as if he had saved the life of all mankind.” (5:32).

Also the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) has clearly warned that, “The first cases to be adjudicated against on the Day of Judgment will be those of bloodshed.” - (Narrated by Bukhari).

And in another saying, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also warned that; “Whoever kills one (non-Muslim) under contract (of Muslim protection) will never smell the scent of Paradise”- (Narrated by Ibn Majah).

As such, it is clearly a mistake to label the terrorists practitioners of jihad, or mujahidin. This is a lofty Islamic concept which bears no resemblance to the lawlessness practiced by extremists and terrorists. But Dr. Allam is even more precise, arguing that the word commonly used in modern Arabic for terrorism, irhab, though an improvement, also poses its own set of problems.

Indeed, irhab and the related Arabic root r-h-b often contain positive resonances for those conversant with the classical Islamic vocabulary.

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Jihad: the antithesis to Terrorism Ironically, anyone may talk about it, explain it or even declare it. This chaotic approach to such a noble concept has accelerated since the tragic events of September 11, 2001. However, the confusion predates the tragedy by many years. We blame the media, special interest lobbies, politicians as well as extremists.

While there is no doubt that all of these groups contributed to the misunderstanding, the main responsibility falls on our shoulders; "the mainstream" Muslim men and women who see their religion as a dynamic force to deliver humanity from the darkness of ignorance and oppression to the light of justice, mercy, peace, dignity and liberty for all human beings .

We Muslims are the ones who should reclaim our right to define our religion, according to the Quran and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and not leave it to the pundits of sensationalist media or the extremists (be they Muslims or non-Muslims).

We are the ones who should let others know what jihad is and what it is not. It is not a holy war. This characterization is Crusade-coinage imposed so repeatedly that even some Muslims adopted the same false terminology. This happens despite the fact that the only thing holy in Islam is God. In reality, fighting was described in the Quran as something that is hated .

"Fighting is ordained for you, even though it be hateful to you; but it may well be that you hate a thing the while it is good for you, and it may well be that you love a thing the while it is bad for you: and God knows, whereas you do not know." (2:216) the word jihad has a root verb: jahada, which in Arabic means exerting maximum effort or striving. The theological connotation is striving for betterment. Its major form is the struggle within oneself for self-improvement, elevation, purification and getting closer to God .

Another form is intellectual jihad, where the truth is offered to the hearts and minds of people through intellectual debate, wisdom, and dialogue, exposing the facts in the Quran in a clear and convincing way.

Related to that is the concept of ijtihad, which is exerting maximum effort to derive solutions and rulings from the Quran and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, to be implemented in different and dynamically changing contexts. Another form of jihad is using economic power to uplift the condition of the down trodden and have-nots. Last, but not least, of the forms of jihad is the physical form, where people actually fight against aggression. The principals of that form are stipulated clearly in the Quran and teachings of Prophet Muhammad : 1. Fighting is only to defend against those aggressors who attack Muslims to force them to convert away from their religion or to drive them out of their homes. "As for such 10f the unbelievers] as do not fight against you on account of [your] faith, and neither drive you forth from your homeÂŹlands, God does not forbid you to show them kindness and to behave towards them with full equity: for, verily, God loves those who act equitably." (60:8) 2. Fighting is limited to the combatants. "Fight those who fight against you, and do not transgress (as the fighting is limited to combatants)." (2: 190) 3. The Prophet commanded that the life of civilians, women,children ,livestock, clergy and places of worship are to be protected .

4. If the enemy inclines to peace, peace should be accepted, even at the risk of possible deception by the enemy: "But if they incline to peace, incline thou to it as well, and place thy trust in God;

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verily He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing. And should they seek but to deceive thee [by their show of peace] - behold, God is enough for thee." (8:61-62) 5. If these are the bases of war and peace, there are also rules of engagement that are applicable in the battlefield. The rules of bravery, steadfastness and resilience are all required in fighting to achieve victory. "O you who have attained to faith: When you meet in battle those who are bent on denying the truth, advancing in great force, do not turn your back on them for whoever on that day turns his back to them- unless it be in battle maneuver, or in an endeavor to join another troop [of the believers] - shall indeed have earned the burden of God's condemnation, and his goal shall be hell: and how vile a journey's end." (8:15 -16) 6. The dignity and sustenance of the prisoners of war should be guaranteed. "And who give food however great be their own want for it - unto the needy, and the orphan, and the captive of war [saying in their hearts,] 'We feed you for the sake of God alone. We desire no recompense from you ,nor thanks.''' (76:9-10) It is obvious that the concept of jihad is too comprehensive to be reduced simply to "war" even if described erroneously as holy .

Jihad is the human endeavor of striving to improve the individual and the society and to bring life closer to the divine model .

It is clear then that the word jihad is an Islamic-Arabic term that has been incorrectly translated and largely misunderstood. The word has been twisted in order to give the impression that Islam and Muslims are inclined towards violence; that they have a dark side.

This understanding would lead people to conclude that, inherently, Muslims cannot be active participants in world peace. As mentioned before, there is no equivalent to the term "holy war" in Islamic terminology. There is no mention of "holy war" in either the Quran or hadith (teachings of Prophet Muhammad), which are the primary sources of Islamic teachings .

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Relations with Non Muslims in the Islamic paradigm Throughout the long history of Islam, Islamic states have included many non-Muslim citizens who enjoyed respect, justice, and prosperous livelihoods. Some of them virtually dominated such professions as money exchange, medicine, and trades of jewelry, gold and silver, selling herbs and drugs, certain crafts and so on. For example, the chief of the Christian community in Baghdad was the caliph's (the head of an Islamic state) physician .

Non-Muslim officials were significantly numerous in public administrations. According to a Christian source, Michael the Syrian, the chiefs of the Jewish and Magian communities in the Abbasid times were called "kings"and their positions were hereditary. Most chiefs of Eastern Christian churches were elected, and all chiefs of non-Muslim minorities represented them before thecaliphs and authorities .

A Jewish traveler in the 12th century A.D. Rabbi Benjamin von Tudela _ stated that Muslims of Baghdad called the Chief Rabbi "Sir," while the Chief Rabbi in Cairo under the Fatimids was called the "prince of princes." Rabbi Petachja Von Regensberg, who traveled twenty years later in the same century, estimated the number of Jews in Muslim countries, except North Africa. He stated that Jews in Iraq alone reached 6 million .

Religious freedom was secured and non-Muslims celebrated their festivals. Muslims participated and helped organize those festivals that were attended by the caliphs, their ministers or regional governors.

Public services, including medical treatment in hospitals, were offered to both Muslims and nonMuslims .

While certain minorities chose to live in the same localities, there was no segregation with regard to living quarters. They were allowed their own judges for religious and family affairs, but they had the choice of submitting their lawsuits to the state court. The Fatimid Caliph al-Aziz (975-996 A.D.) had Christian in-laws, and appointed a Christian (Eisa ibn Nestorius) as a minister, and a Jew (Menassa) as a governor of Syria. (See Adam Mez, Die Renaissance des Islam, Ch. IV) 

Christian and Jewish people lived in safety and were protected within the Ottomon Empire .

Different Islamic states had friendly and constructive relations with other contemporary world powers. In Muslim Spain, then known as "Andalus," Muslims and Jews cooperated in developing a glorious civilization, which was a torch of light for the whole of Europe during the Middle Ages, and both groups suffered after the fall of Muslim power there. Many official visits were exchanged between Muslims and the existing world powers, including the Byzantines, the Franks, and the Chinese. Muslims developed active commercial and cultural relations with the entire known world .

Having various origins, Muslim cities represented a wide spectrum of urban and architectural origins such as Arabian, Byzantine, Iranian and Indian. Yet they also developed their own regional styles such as Moroccan-Andalusian, Egyptian, Syrian, and Eastern.

The Muslim geographer, al-Idrisi (d. 1251 A.D.) reported that some Muslim navigators went from Lisbon across the Atlantic west then south to explore and could reach a land there.

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Having said all that, we have to admit that through the succeeding centuries, Islamic principles of internal or international justice were sometimes challenged .

Nevertheless, the principles of Islamic justice have always been clear in divine sources since the conception of humanity, as represented in the Muslim intellectual heritage under any despot or expansionist .

People generally have the ability to exploit faith or ideology or law. However, the facts about Islam in its divine sources and main practices should always be recognized in their authenticity and purity .

Likewise, the claims to Christianity by medieval Crusaders, modern Nazis or pro-life activists who bomb abortion clinics by no means should represent the teachings of the Bible .

Thus, jihad in Islam is essentially a system for a legitimate struggle against aggression and oppression. " ... And if God had not enabled people to defend themselves against one another, mischief would surely overwhelm the earth." (2:251)

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Striking the roots of radicalism: Reclaiming Islam's intellectual heritage 

Countering radicalism has been the main focus of global counter-terrorism efforts in recent years.

These largely operational strategies have yielded some success. But terrorists have displayed a high level of resilience and adjusted their strategies accordingly. Though operational capabilities have been weakened, radical groups have shifted to “franchising” their violent ideologies to like-minded groups and individuals, with the Internet increasingly becoming their main media. The outcome of this strategy can be seen in that almost a year after the self claimed Islamic State announced the birth of their caliphate, activists identifying themselves as holy worrier, although a small percentage of Muslims, are increasing in number and geographic dispersion.

Not even a single state is immune to the threat of radicalization via the Internet. The incidents in the past year mark an important shift in the struggle against terrorism and radicalism here. This is because from an intelligence perspective, self-radicalized individuals are harder to monitor and detect compared to those who belong to a group. Furthermore, it is equally challenging, if not impossible, to control the activities on the Internet effectively.

More importantly, it illustrates that now, more than ever, we need to target the extremist ideology at its innermost core. The battle is in the realm of the hearts and minds, not merely in the use of guns and through legislation. 

The first question we need to ask is: What drives the heart of Islamic radicalism?

Radicalism is the internalization of a set of beliefs, including a militant mindset that embraces violent jihad, as the paramount test of one’s conviction. In the case of an extremist, we realise that his radicalization was sparked by a desire to become a better, practicing Muslim. This, incidentally, was also the case with many extremists who, when interviewed, considered religion as their top-most priority more crucial than developing themselves socially or economically. What they were saying was that in an increasingly secularised world, their search for excellence went beyond material concerns. It was, in fact, equated to a search for spiritual meaning. And it was to fill this spiritual void that they sought to deepen their knowledge and practice of Islam. In fact, the extremist is a part of a global phenomenon of Islamic resurgence today. One of the main effects of globalization is that some individuals increasingly find it difficult to cope with rapid changes without losing their inner sense of security and identity. This happens across many societies, not just among Muslims. Yet, one of the options that many Muslims take to preserve their identity and values is to uphold the values and identity offered by Islamic teachings.

Unfortunately, many Muslims today are not equipped with the proper knowledge to adapt true Islamic teachings to the demands of a rapidly changing world. This is the result of a deepening intellectual and moral crisis across many Muslim societies.

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The origins of the crisis can be traced back to the 19th century when the Muslim world, along with other non-western parts of the world was challenged by the economic, political and cultural hegemony of Europe. As a result of adopting foreign concepts without first evaluating these concepts and incorporating only what is of value through the guidelines of their own intellectual heritage, Muslim scholars from both dogmatic literalists (what is commonly known as fundamentalists) and modern liberal secularists(or modernists) were born.

For instance, Western thought had the effect of intruding upon the integrity of the Islamic intellectual tradition by mutating and marginalizing several of its disciplines. For example, Sufism came to be viewed as a mystical, personal experience of the religion and thus sidelined from mainstream Islamic practices. This, Omid Safi asserts can only be argued if one looked at Sufism through the lens of post-enlightenment theories of religion. The rejection of this core Islamic teaching which emphasizes morality and spiritual cleansing signifies the onset of an intellectual imbalance and subsequent moral decay within the Muslim ummah.

This can be seen manifest in the many problems that currently beset many Muslim nations and leaders who struggle with many issues which have directly or indirectly responsible for the insurgencies and terrorism-related activities in the world.

The crisis is deepening with a current trend towards anti-intellectual minimalism spearheaded by the dogmatic literalists.

This group of people strongly rejects the diversity of views, broad range of thinking and varying levels of rational discourse found in the intellectual Islamic disciplines in the past. Instead, they insist on a worldview based on a narrowly defined traditionalist in the past which forces doctrinal conformity and rigidity

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Terrorism is the outcome of a culture of hatred One of the distinctive challenges of the period we live in is the significant presence of violence in our societies. These acts of violence stem from a doctrine of hatred and intolerance that fracture societies into constant turbulence and upheaval. For violent organizations, this ideology of hatred is based on an extreme interpretation of Islam that divides the world into the realm of Islam and the realm of war.

Essentially, the extremists fail to understand the peaceful message of Islam, leading them to believe that, at the core, the relationships between Muslims and non-Muslims must be driven by enmity and hostility.

Consequentially, it solicits revulsion of anyone or anything that they perceive as infidel. The perception is craftily tweaked to advocate and legitimize unrelenting war and aggression, all of which stem from the overwhelming and uncontrolled feelings of hatred. 

The Hate Psychology

Hate is often described as an emotion of intense enmity and hostility, generally attributed to a desire to avoid, restrict, remove, or destroy the hated object. It is also used to describe feelings of prejudice, bigotry and condemnation against a person, or group of people. It is among the most common emotions that humans experience.

Hatred is a learned emotion; humans are not born with the inherent capacity to hate. Feelings of hatred, prejudice and bigotry are generated for those who deem to be different from us, be it racial, religious, economic or cultural. When hatred becomes a feeling that is so unbridled and fierce, it elicits a strong, uncontrollable desire to physically harm that group of people because of those perceived differences.

One major question that perhaps comes to our mind is why people feel such hatred that they would either advocate the use of such violence or engage in random violence to others in the form of acts of terrorism?

According to Erich Fromm, a German-born social psychologist, there are the two types of hate inherent in human being. The first type is 'rational hate". This hate is expressed in reaction to a threat to one's own freedom, life or ideas. It has a biological self-protecting function. It comes as a reaction to a threat and dissipates when the threat is removed. It is not against life but for life. This type of hate is manifested in the cry of a baby who is hungry.

The second type of hate is 'irrational hate". Rather than a reaction to a specific threat, it is acharacter trait developed in some people. It is marked by a readiness to be hostile to others.

This is a passion to cripple life, a strong impulse to cruelty or a pathological aggressiveness. People with this kind of hate seek a target to attack. They do not wait for an incident to occur, rather they create it.

Such people are found among the leaders of racist mobs and organizations, and sometimes among the ideological 'theorists" of hate movements. Based on these two types of hatred, we can understand that the hatred of the extremists is more of an irrational hate. 

Terrorism and Hatred

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Terrorism is a crime committed out of hatred (hate crime). In addition, the terrorist acts the way we are witnessing today are often the product of a long standing and often inter-generational culture of hate and extremism. Terrorists are human beings whose hearts and minds have been molded into blind hatred, violence, and gross misperception of the realities today. This in turn, is the by-product of a culture of prohibitions. For extremists in certain parts of the Muslim world, their outlooks are shaped by the religious messages anchored in fears of plots against the Muslims, by publications which spread hatred and conspiracy theories. The youths are not spared as educational messages seek to alienate youths from the ‘threats’ of the modern era and the ‘evil West’.

In an article titled "How to Make Our Young People Love Life" in the Kuwaiti daily AlSiyassa, Dr. Abd Al-Hamid Al-Ansari, former dean of the Shariah and Law Faculty University said "Terrorism is the fruit of hatred-hatred of life, hatred of civilization and the modern era, hatred of society and state, hatred of living people. The young people who have become tools of murder and human bombs are the by products of the culture of hatred, and the outcome of a fanatical culture and extremist ideology that sees life, its pleasures, and its beauty as unimportant.

Ultimately the political, economic, social, and religious motives that push the young people to blow themselves up lie in a single main cause and that is the culture of hatred”.

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The Misquoted Verses After the wave of curiosity that swept the entire world in the aftermath of the September 11 tragedy, and as the people showed maturity, open mindedness and a genuine desire to know about Islam, we also saw the rise of self-proclaimed experts, with various agendas. They tried to discredit Islam and Muslims by claiming that: a) Muslims are violent, and b) That this is a result of the book they believe in, the Quran.

Here we will address the most commonly misused verses of the Quran. The majority of these verses refer to violent confrontation in war. Rather than going into an exhaustive and detailed discussion about each and every one, we would rather set lines of demarcation between: the basis for war and peace in the Quran, the rules of engagement and the history behind the verses. 

Basis for war and peace:

It has been already mentioned that: •The base of human relations is peace. War is the bitter exception.

•War is not holy. Rather, it is a last resort that is in fact hated.

•War is fought to defend against oppressors who fight people to force them away from their faith or drive them out of their homes.

•War is limited to combatants.

•Islamic ethics are to be observed.

•Peace is to be accepted if the enemy so inclines, even at the risk of later treachery or deception.

The verses that mandate these rules have been already mentioned or will be mentioned in the upcoming pages. They are permanently binding to all Muslims at all times and under any circumstances.

Rules of engagement: When war is already imposed and within the limits of the battlefield, Muslims are to be patient, confident, resilient, and must fight with courage and determination. For example: "And kill them whenever you find them (in the field of war), and drive them out of the places where they drove you out (counter attack)." (2:191) 0"you who have attained to faith: when you meet in battle those who are bent on denying the truth advancing in great force, do not turn your backs on them. For whoever on that day turns his back to them on such a day - unless it be in battle maneuver, or in anendeavor to gain another group (of the believers) shall indeed have earned the burden of God's condemnation, and his goal shall be hell: and how vile a journey 's end." (8:15-16) Clearly, these verses are applicable in the heat of battle and against an aggressive combating force. 

Verses limited to a certain historical situation:

These verses were applicable to a particular situation or if, hypothetically, the same situation was to be 25 verses: repeated. Several examples can be found in the following

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"And fight in the way of God against those who fight against you, but begin not aggression. Verily God loves not the aggressors. And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out of the places where they drove you out, for igniting the fire of persecution is worse than killing. And fight them not by the sacred mosque unless they fight against you there, but if they attack you there, then slay them. Such is the recompense of those who deny the truth. But if they desist, surely God is forgiving, merciful. And fight them until persecution is no more and the religion is for God, but if they desist, then let there be no hostility except against the wrongdoers." (2:190ÂŹ193) Historically, fighting back against aggressors was prohibited during the thirteen years of the Meccan period. After the migration to Medina and the establishment of the Islamic state, Muslims were concerned with how to defend themselves against aggression from their enemies.

The aforementioned verses were revealed to enable them to protect the newly formed state by fighting in self-defense against those who fought them. However, the Quran clearly prohibits aggression. The verses explain that fighting is only for self-defense. Thus, a Muslim cannot commit aggression and kill innocent men, women, children, the sick, the elderly, monks, priests, or those who do not wish to fight. A Muslim is also mandated not to destroy plant life or livestock. " Fighting is ordained for you though it is hateful unto you, but it may happen that you hate a thing that is good for you. And it may happen that you love a thing that is bad for you. God knows and ye know not."(2:216) This verse addresses the need for Muslims of that time to answer a draft. The Quran highlights the fact that the Muslims hated fighting. Yet, the newly formed Islamic state needed to implement a defense force to be prepared in case of aggression.

0"you who have attained to faith! Do not take for your bosom-friends people who are not of your kind.

They spare no effort to corrupt you; they would love to see you in distress. Vehement hatred has already come into the open from out of their mouths, but what their hearts conceal is yet worse. We have indeed made the signs (thereof) clear unto you, if you would but use your reason." (3:118) The political and military situation of the time was such that the Muslims needed to be careful whom they trusted with their information. The verse does not forbid Muslims to show kindness and fairness to people who neither fought against them nor drove them out of their homes. The verse is intended to alert them during a state of war, particularly of those who show signs of hatred and resentment.

"Those who have attained to faith fight in the cause of God, whereas those who are bent on denying the truth fight in the cause of the powers of evil. Fight, then, against those friends of Satan: verily, Satan's guile is weak indeed!" (4:76) This verse is related to the two preceding verses (see 4:74-75) where it was stated that those who fight for God's cause would be rewarded whether they are victorious or slain. Fighting for God's cause includes the liberation of the oppressed, meaning the helpless men and women who are yearning and praying for freedom. The believers fight for God's cause, and the disbelievers fight for the sake of their idols. An idol may be taken conceptually. For example, evil or greed may figuratively be construed as idols. The believers should put all their trust in God the Almighty and Powerful and fear not the disbelievers and their evil plans. Evil plans are always inferior to goodness.

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0"you who believe! Take not the Jews and Christians for your allies: they are but allies of one another and whoever of you allies himself with them becomes one of them. Behold, God does not guide such wrong doers." (5:51) "Your allies" used to translate the Arabic word "awleya" which actually means superior protectors. In the environment of war, Muslims who were under attack were admonished to seek their protection with God, and to keep their community aware of the danger of leaking secrets that may benefit the enemy. So this is not an absolute permanent attitude. Otherwise, it will contradict the permission of Islam to marry women of the people of the book, which is a relationship that goes far beyond friendship or alliance.

"You will surely find that of all people, the most hostile to those who believe (in the divine writ) are the Jews and the Polytheists, and you will find the nearest of them in affection to those who believe are those who say, 'Behold, we are Christians.' That is because there are among them priests and monks and because they are not arrogant." (5:82) Because of the oppression under the Meccan polytheists, some Muslims migrated to Abyssinia, a Christian country. The Muslims had a chance to recite the Quran in the presence of the king, priests, and monks whose eyes overflowed with tears because they recognized something of its truth. The king granted asylum to the Muslims (see 5:83). Meanwhile in Medina, the Jews showed hostility and hatred to the Muslims. The above verse (5:82) was revealed to compare the treatment of the Muslims by the Jews and polytheists on the one hand, and the Christians on the other hand. God reprimanded the Jews of Medina for allying themselves with polytheists over monotheists. Thus, this verse relates specifically to Christians and Jews in the context of that particular era. As a matter of fact, history has shown that, with the exception of Palestine, the Jews generally had good relations with the Muslims while Christians waged crusades against Muslims and colonized Muslim lands and peoples.

"And fight against them until there is no more oppression and all worship is devoted to God alone. And if they desist - behold, God sees all that they do." (8:39) 

The people of Mecca persecuted Muslims for thirteen years.

After the migration of Muslims to Medina and in the second year of hijra (migration), the Battle of Badr took place between the Muslims and the Meccans. The Muslims won the battle and were directed in this verse to continue fighting them until they end the persecution and allow freedom of religion to worship God alone. Freedom of religion is one of the most important tenants of Islam, as God says: "There is no compulsion in religion." (2:256( "Then, when the sacred months are over, slay the idolaters wherever you find them. And take them captive, and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush, but if they repent and establish prayers and pay alms, then let them go their way. Verily, God is forgiving, merciful." (9:5) This verse was revealed towards the end of the revelation period and relates to a limited context.

Hostilities were frozen for a three-month period during which the Arabs pledged not to wage war. Prophet Muhammad was inspired to use this period to encourage the combatants to join the Muslim ranks or, if they chose, to leave the area that was under Muslim rule; however, if they were to resume hostilities, then the Muslims would fight back until victorious. One is inspired to note that even in this context of war, the verse concludes by emphasizing the divine attributes of mercy and forgiveness.

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To minimize hostilities, the Quran ordered Muslims to grant asylum to anyone, even an enemy, who sought refuge. Asylum would be granted according to the customs of chivalry; the person would be told the message of the Quran but not coerced into accepting that message. Thereafter, he or she would be escorted to safety regardless of his or her religion. (9:6).

"Fight those who believe not in God and the Last Day and do not forbid what God and his messenger have forbidden. Such persons as practice not the religion of truth, being of those who have been given the book, until they pay the exemption tax with a willing hand and have been humbled." (9:29) 

Freedom of religion is an essential aspect in an Islamic state.

One of the five pillars of Islam is zakat (almsgiving). The People of the Book (Christians and Jews) are not obliged to pay the Islamic zakat that is spent by the state for social necessities and state affairs as defined in the Quran (see 9:60). But they must pay other taxes to share in the state budget. If they refuse to pay this tax to the state and rebel against the state, then it is the obligation of the state to confront them until they pay it. The same goes for Muslims; if some do not pay the zakat, the state must confront them until they pay it. This is what Caliph Abu Bakr did after the death of the Prophet, when some people refused to pay their zakat.

"And fight against the polytheists collectively as they fight you collectively, and know that God is with those who are conscious of Him." (9:36)  Wars against the polytheists must follow the same divine rules of fighting for God's cause.

1) Fighting in defense of self or in defense of others against those who try to drive Muslims out of their homelands.

2) Fighting in defense of freedom of religion.

3) Fighting for the freedom of the oppressed and persecuted.

Quoting parts of any scripture without being aware of what is general and what is specific, or what is permanent versus what is pertinent to a certain historical situation is doing injustice to an intelligent understanding of the text. It is only fair to state that this reductionism is not only done by people who have an agenda to malign Islam, but by some Muslims, particularly those using Islam from an angle of anger and who wish to justify their ideologies and extremism by blurring the lines elucidated in the Quran.

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Al Azhar University's Role in Combating Radicalization 

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Founded by the Fatimids in the 10th century, Cairo’s al-Azhar mosque is the second oldest university in the world still in operation. Al-Azhar is the most respected and influential Sunni institution of higher education in the world with more than 500,000 students attending the university and 1.6 million attending al-Azhar affiliated schools in Egypt and al-Azhar accredited academies throughout the world.

Construction was begun on the al-Azhar mosque in 972, and during the next two hundred years it became Cairo’s main center for religious learning, and one of the mosques where citizens would gather for public prayers.

In the centuries that followed, Cairo became one of the most sought out places for Islamic religious instruction, and students and scholars came from all over the world to study and teach at al-Azhar.

Hundreds of students attended daily lessons in the Qur’an, the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, jurisprudence, and other Islamic sciences as well as the natural sciences. Room and board was provided for students through a system of endowments that allowed students and scholars alike to dedicate themselves wholly to religious study. These and similar endowments continue to fund alAzhar to this day.

Although the study of Islam has dominated its curriculum, al-Azhar has a history of secular education as well. The well-known medieval Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides taught medicine there.

During the Ottoman Empire the position of Sheikh al-Azhar was established. Since the 17th century, one scholar was selected from among his peers to head the al-Azhar mosque and university. This position has been held by great scholars such as Sh. Abd Allah al-Sharqawi, Sheikh Hassan al-Attar, Sh. Ibrahim al-Bajuri, and in modern times Sheikh Mahmud Shaltut, Sheik Abd al-Halim Mahmud, and the current Sheikh of al-Azhar Muhammad Sayid Tantawi. These figures were regarded as the highest religious authorities and their legal opinions were respected by the political leadership, the scholarly community, and the Muslim public.

In the middle of the 20th century, al-Azhar underwent a series of reforms that have led to numerous developments such as the establishment of non-religious schools, like the Faculty of Medicine, and the opening of a women’s college. Today women study at al-Azhar University. Through a constant process of curriculum review and development, al-Azhar provides each generation of students with the education most suitable for their changing needs while continuing to uphold the timeless principles upon which it was founded.

Since its reestablishment as a Sunni institution, al-Azhar has been devoted to spreading a balanced vision of Islam based on the four Sunni Schools of Islamic law and orthodox theology infused with the spiritual depths. Students at al-Azhar are and have been taught not only how to master grammar, logic, and law, they have been given instruction in ethics and spirituality as well, which are considered integral parts of effective religious leadership. Combined with an understanding of contemporary issues, this holistic approach to religious education continues to draw students from all over the world to study at al-Azhar. These students return to their countries with not only knowledge, but also the example of a balanced religiosity that, while remaining true to its principles, is able to address the current needs of the Muslim community. As one scholar has noted, not a single graduate of al-Azhar has taken part in an act of terrorism.

Al-Azhar has long been active in reaching out to other religious communities, both within the Islamic world, and on an international scale. This spirit of dialogue can be found in the fatwas of al-Azhar Sheikhs, as well as in the activities of its scholars. For example, in 1959 the Sheikh of al-Azhar

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Mahmud Shaltut issued a fatwa proclaiming that the school of thought followed by Shiite Muslims is acceptable to Sunnis bringing about a new era of dialogue and cooperation between the sects. Pope John Paul II visited al-Azhar in 2000 after which a Muslim Catholic commission for dialogue was founded which continues to meet regularly. In 2006 Prince Charles visited al-Azhar where he was awarded an honorary degree and called for further efforts to foster understanding and compassion.

More recently, in 2007, the Grand Mufti of Egypt Sheikh Ali Gomaa, the highest legal authority associated with al-Azhar, was a primary signatory of the “A Common Word” initiative which called for dialogue between Muslims and Christians based on the principles of love of God and love of neighbor. In a series of conferences based on this initiative, the Grand Mufti and other Muslim scholars from around the world, including many graduates from al-Azhar, have met with Christian leaders in America, the U.K, and with the Pope at the Vatican where they discussed the importance of interfaith dialogue based on authentic scholarship and brotherly love.

Al-Azhar’s disputes with radicalism are well-known, as al-Azhar openly and routinely rejects radical thought, and considers radical leadership alien to the long-standing institution of traditional Islam.

Whereas the radicals promote an exclusivist and rigid understanding of Islam, the Azhari methodology stresses inclusivism and tolerance as the proper mode of Islam in the modern world. In this regard, it is impossible to overstate al-Azhar’s importance and influence in the Islamic world. It is the single most important reason—perhaps the only serious factor—in keeping heavily-funded radical thought down to less than 5% of the Sunni world, despite all the money available to the other competing ideologies and the impoverishment of traditional Muslims.

Global political players must consider themselves duty-bound to ensure that the the moderate, traditional, and culturally authentic religious institution of al-Azhar must be supported.

More concretely, the USA and Europe must start to signal publicly and diplomatically that al-Azhar should take up its role to combat religious extremism.

Al-Azhar, with up to 10 million graduates inside Egypt alone (who tend to be very devoted to alAzhar), is quite capable—if organized—of ridding the whole world from extremist ideologies. It is instructive here to note the dominance of the religious field in Pakistan by the network of students and schools which stem from the Deoband Seminary. This is an important precedent as to the political potential of religious seminary students and the organizational structure of their educational institutions and networks, although the particular substantive trajectory of Deobandism is itself quite problematic, and unique to South Asia.

The current leadership of al-Azhar led by the Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayyib is doing his part to reenergize and revitalize the University after the recent changes Egypt has undergone.

In addition, the image of al-Azhar needs to be distinguished among decision-making and policy circles from the rest of the religious currents, especially the Islamists and the other radical groups, whose connections to foreign funding are as unclear as their relationship to extremist elements. The paradigm of al-Azhar needs to be understood as a viable alternative to these.

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Ethics of War in Islam The following guidelines form the ethical standards that Muslim combatants ought to observe. It is important that the war ought to be declared by the legitimate authorities of the state. Any entity other than the state which self-declares armed struggle is dissent and ought to be opposed and challenged. These guidelines can be summed as follows. 

Personal Behavior of the Troops

Islam places great emphasis on the personal behavior of Muslim soldiers. In war and in peace, the instructions of Islam are to be observed. Whatever is prohibited during peace is also prohibited in war.

War is no excuse to be lenient with one's values. Prophet Muhammad said: "Beware of the prayer (to God) of the oppressed ... for there is no barrier between it and God even if he (the oppressed) was a nonbeliever." Therefore, a true believer will make every effort not to be an oppressive power. 

Fighting Norms

As mentioned previously, fighting should be directed only against fighting troops, and not against civilians. Thus, the Quran says: "Fight in the cause of God those who fight you ... and do not transgress" (2:190) Prophet Muhammad's instructions to Muslim commanders in chief were: "Fight in the cause of God. Do not be embittered. Do not be treacherous. Do not mutilate. Do not kill children or those in convents".

Abu Bakr, the first caliph (head of an Islamic state), instructed Usarna, the Muslim commander in chief who led the army to Syria: "Do not betray or be treacherous or vindictive. Do not mutilate. Do not kill the children, the aged or the women. Do not cut or burn palm trees or fruit trees. Don't slay a sheep, a cow or camel except for your food. And you will come across people who confine themselves to worship in hermitages ... Leave them alone to what they devoted themselves for".

Abu Bakr also instructed Yazid ibn Abi Sufian: "I give you Ten Commandments: don't kill a woman or a child or an old person, and don't cut trees or ruin dwellings or slay a sheep but for food. Don't burn palm trees or drown them. And don't be spiteful or unjust". 

Maintain Justice and Avoid Blind Retaliation

The atrocities of the enemy are not justification for blind retaliation or unjust practices on the part of Muslims. The Muslim army is not allowed to destroy civil facilities or disrupt public amenities. The Quran says: 0"you who have attained to faith! Be ever steadfast in your devotion to God, bearing witness to the truth in all equity; and never let hatred of anyone lead you into the sin of deviating from justice. Be just: this is closest to being God-conscious. And remain conscious of God: verily, God is aware of all that you do."

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Prisoners of War

Islam forbids Muslims to mistreat prisoners of war and deny them food, shelter and other essentials of life. It adopts an attitude of mercy and caring for the captured enemy. It was customary for the captives to

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work for their food and livelihood during their captivity. The Quran made it a charity to feed prisoners saying: "The believers perform their vows and they fear a day whose evil flies far and wide. And they, though they hold it dear, give sustenance to the indigent, the orphan and the captive ... (saying) we feed you for the sake of God alone: no reward do we desire fromyou, nor thanks." (76:7-9) Prophet Muhammad instructed his companions to treat prisoners with more than just decency. "It is my recommendation that you be good to the captives," he told his companions.

The Prophet customarily instructed his followers to collect whatever food there was and send it to the prisoners. When the members of Quraiza, a tribe that was fighting against the Muslims, were captured, loads of dates were regularly carried to them with the Prophet's instructions to shelter them from the summer sun and provide them with water to drink.

According to Islamic law, a prisoner of war became the prisoner of the state, not his captor as was the custom of the time. The head of state has the ultimate option, as he or she sees fit, of granting freedom or setting bail for the prisoner to attain freedom. Among those to whom the Prophet granted freedom was a poet called Abu-Azza who said: "I have five daughters who have no one to support them, so give me away to them as a charity and I promise never to fight you or help your enemies." He was freed for a compensation, which the Prophet later returned to him.

Umama ibn Athal was set free and subsequently converted to Islam saying to the Prophet: "There was a time when your face was the most hated face to me ... and there comes a day when it is the most loved".

Sometimes captives were exchanged for Muslim captives in enemy hands. Another acceptable ransom that was quite often carried out was to teach ten Muslim children how to read and write, which testifies to the importance that Islam gave to education in the illiterate society of Arabia. Some people were set free upon their word of honor not to fight again and were advised to keep their promise and not be ordered by their tribes to go into battle again. 

Medical Care for Prisoners of War

In almost every battle fought by Muslims, nursing and medÂŹical aid was given top priority. Muslim women served as doctors and nurses to treat wounded soldiers.

Later, Muslim rulers employed Christian and Jewish doctors and many of them were court and personal physicians to caliphs. They were given encouragement and facilities to pursue their professions in full freedom.

Medical help was a right to all people regardless of religion or creed. This right was also extended to the enemy forces who needed it. For instance, during the Crusades, Saladin sent his medical advisors to help his opponent, Richard Lion Heart of England who was seriously ill. Saladin personally supervised Richard's treatment until he became well.

On the contrary, when the Crusaders entered Jerusalem on July 15, 1099, they slaughtered 70,000 Muslims, including women, children, and elderly people. They broke children's skulls by knocking them against the walls, threw babies from roof tops, roasted men over fires and cut women's bellies to see if they had swallowed gold. (Draper, History of Intellectual Development of Europe, Vol. 2, p. 77) 

Islam decrees protection for the captives and the wounded.

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The believers are praised in the Quran as: "they offer food - dear as it is - to the needy, orphan or captive, (saying) we feed you for the sake of God without seeking any reward or gratitude from you." (76:8-9( The Prophet said to his companions: "I entrust the captives to your charity." And they did, even giving them priority over themselves in the best of the food they shared. Whatever the feeling of the caregiver is, he must hold to the one and only duty of protecting life and treating the casualties of war. Whatever the behavior of the enemy, the Muslim care provider shall not change his behavior. God made it clear in the Quran: "Let not the wrong doing of others sway you into injustice." (5:8) Medical practitioners shall not permit its technical, scientific or other resources to be utilized for any sort of harm or destruction or infliction upon persons of physical, psychological, moral or other damage, regardless of political or military considerations. The Muslim doctor is obliged to offer treatment to all patients, whether they are allies or enemies. 

Against Combatants Only

This point that has been mentioned before as a rule now has to be re-emphasized as a part of ethics. Jihad, as a legitimate strug¬gle against aggression, is restricted to resisting those who practice the aggression, and should not result in indiscriminate bloodshed.

The Quran stresses: "And fight in God's cause against those who initially wage war against you, but do not commit aggression for, verily, God does not love aggressors ... Thus if anyone commits aggression against you, attack him just as he attacked you - but remain conscious of God, and know that God is with those who are conscious of Him." (2: 190, 194) The wounded should not face any more pressure or harm, and Muslims should leave them in the care of their own forces, or pro¬vide them with medical care if they keep them as prisoners of war. The human needs of such people ought to be fulfilled (see 76:8) and they must feel secure physically and morally until they are setfree and returned safely to their homes when the war comes to an end. (see 47:4( The Muslim army was instructed by the Prophet and early Caliphs to avoid any violation of these rules or any unethical practice in war.

One who seeks shelter with Muslims has to be protected. An explanation of the message of Islam and the reason for the hostilities is offered to such a person without any pressure to accept the message. Then the shelter-seeker may enjoy security in Muslim lands or return home safely, even if there is still a possibility that he/she may tum against the Muslims. The Quran clearly states: "And if any of those who ascribe divinity to aught beside God seeks your protection, grant him-her protection, so that he/she might (be able to) know about the message of God, and thereupon convey himher to wherever one can feel secure." (9:6) Through any confrontation, Muslims adhere to the Quranic principle: "It may well be that God will bring about (mutual) affection between you (0 believers) and some of those whom you (now) face as enemies: for God is all-powerful and God is much forgiving and gracious." (60:7(

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Shattering the myth of the alleged caliphate of QSIS It hardly needs to be emphasized that the biggest threat to peace in today’s world comes from religiously motivated violence operating in many regions across the world but in particular those terrorists, who are better identified as QSIS or Al-Qa'ida Separatists in Iraq and Syria, who perpetrated the most horrifying massacres day in day out. They claim to be establishing what they call “Islamic caliphate”, thus eliminating mainstream interpretations of Islam and the opinions of genuine Muslim scholars whom they do not recognize as Muslim. They never explain, however, what an "Islamic state" got to do with their terrorist actions like brutally slitting throats, burning schools and oppressing women and killing religious minorities, terrorizing and violating the human rights of people in the most blatant manner possible.

We offer a counter argument to the opportunistic call to establish the Islamic State or a Muslim Caliphate by employing a global "jihad" or to be precise an inter- ethnic cleansing directed against the followers of their own faith as a means to accomplish their alleged goal. 

The Caliphate question: religious obligation or a political option

Historically speaking, Muslims have disagreed over the question of whether the caliphate is a religious obligation or merely a political option as they likewise disagreed over the specific connotation of several texts upheld by some religious schools. 

Debate around the form of the political authority after the death of Prophet Muhammad

By looking back at accounts in the aftermath of the demise of the Prophet 623 AD, where selected delegates met at Saqifat Bani Sa’da, it is evident that a strong argument arose between the two communities, the Meccan immigrants, the Muhajirun, and the Medinian converts and helpers, the Ansar, over the entitlement of each party to choose the successor to the Prophet. The two parties who were present at the assembly understood the meaning of ‘caliphate’ well as they talked of succession to the Prophet’s ‘political authority’ or, in their words, to ‘Muhammad’s sovereignty’. 

The concept of the caliphate was not derived from religious texts

It follows that Muslim jurists and political writers did not derive the concept of "caliphate" from religious texts or that the Prophet (pbuh) commanded the institution of this form of governing system. Rather, Islamic jurisprudence only managed to compile and codify the experiences of the period that followed the Prophet's death, especially the time of the "rightly Guided Caliphs". Consequently, throughout the various stages of its evolution, the caliphate theory, was considered "a practical codification of the political system dictated by the then political, social and religious landscape”. And with each wave of change in the form of the system due to the transmission of authority, the theory of caliphate changed accordingly. 

Political necessities vs. religious obligation

Political necessities rather than religious obligations were the most important factors influencing the form and acceptance of this institution. They thought back 34 then that without a commander to succeed the

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Prophet after his death, the "entity of Islam" would surely disintegrate and the affairs of the Muslims would fall in the hands of incompetent individuals. In addition, the existence of a commander figure was imperative to spread religious enlightenment and guard Muslim borders, thereby increasing the spread of Islam. 

Political Conflict is the base for Sunni caliphate and Shite Imamate

Numerous books were authored that strongly suggest that the texts mentioned on the Sunni Caliphate and Shi'a Imamate were written in the context of political conflict among religious sects and in light of the conflict that erupted after Mu’awiyya introduced dynastic succession to Muslim rule.

The “caliphate” is not mentioned in religious texts but, like the rest of the political systems, is the product of human endeavor subject to territorial and circumstantial changes and to historicism. Based on this, the success or failure of any political system depends on its ability to adapt to and justify its existence and preserve its societal laws, a matter that cannot be imposed by means of established religious texts. Rather, this is manifested in the principle that the prophet laid down himself “You know best the affairs of your worldly life”. The need for a successor after Messenger’s death was only due to the fact that the law cannot be put into practice without the existence of an authority to enforce it. The caliphate was the only legitimate authority and the existing political option at the time. The caliph in this ruling system was the only legislative authority. If Muslims at that time had recourse to other political options, they would have surely taken them into consideration. 

Conclusion

To live in accordance with Islam does not necessitate a return to the middle ages, nor does it require that we cease to be who we are. Islam has never required its adherents to give up their own cultures nor dictated on them a specific norm of governance. This flexibility is not just present in the cultural output of Muslims. It is an integral part of the Islamic legal tradition as well; in fact you could say it is one of the defining characteristics of Islamic law. Islamic law is both a methodology and the collection of positions adopted by Muslim jurists over the last 1,400 years. Those centuries were witness to no less than 90 schools of legal thought, and the 21st Century finds us in the providential position to look back on this tradition in order to find that which will benefit us today. The flexibility and adaptability of Islamic law is perhaps its greatest asset. To provide people with practical and relevant guidance while at the same time staying true to its foundational principles, Islam allows the wisdom and moral strength of religion to be applied in modern times.

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Reading Other Sacred Texts If the Bible were to be quoted in the same manner that the Quran is quoted by extremist groups, one would also come away with a distorted understanding of the Bible. If we look at it through biases and a lens of selectivity and focus solely on the issue of violence in the Bible, we will find an abundance of material .

If this material is taken out of historical context and separated from the basic essence of the message, it can be used to misguide fanatics and disfigure the face of a religion. Here are some examples : Judges 16:27-30 27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport .

28 And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes .

29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.

30 And Samson said, let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead whom he slew at his death were more than they that he slew in his life .

In sum, Samson, with the help of the Lord, pulls down the pillars of the Philistine house and causes his own death and that of 3000 other men and women .

Judges 15:14-16 14 And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands .

15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith .

16 And Samson said, with the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men .

To summarize, Samson slays 1,000 men with the jawbone of a donkey .

Numbers 31:31-40 31 And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses .

32 And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep , 33 And three score and twelve thousand beeves, 34 And threescore and one thousand asses ,

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35 And thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him .

36 And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and seven and thirty thousand and five hundred sheep : 37 And the Lord's tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen .

38 And the beeves were thirty and six thousand; of which the Lord's tribute was threescore and twelve .

39 And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the Lord's tribute was threescore and one .

40 And the persons were sixteen thousand; of which the Lord's tribute was thirty and two persons .

In brief, 32,000 virgins are taken by the Israelites as booty .

Thirty-two persons were set aside as a tribute for the Lord .

Judges 20:43-48 43 Thus they enclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sun rising .

44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valor .

45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them .

46 So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valor .

47 But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months .

48 And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to .

In short, the Israelites smite over 25,000 "men of valor" from amongst the Benjarnites, "men and beasts and all that they found," and set their towns on fire .

Samuel 30:17 The aforementioned excerpts of the Bible are not and should not be extracted out of their context, or be stripped of their historicity in order to discredit the Bible as the light that will guide people or as a book of moral and ethical values .

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Is brutally killing people a part of an Islamic state? 

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God upholds the sanctity of life as universal principle. "And do not kill one another: for, behold, God is indeed a dispenser of grace unto you!" (4:29). This can be interpreted as a prohibition on suicide, as well as murder: Do not kill your individual self, and do not kill other humans, who are like yourselves.

The parable of Cain and Abel illustrates God's negative attitude towards those who transgress this principle. Both offer a sacrifice to God, but the sacrifice of the righteous, God-fearing brother is accepted while his brother's is rejected. The rejected brother flies into a rage and threatens to kill his brother out of jealousy. "and convey unto them, setting forth the truth, the story of the two sons of Adam - how each offered a sacrifice, and it was accepted from one of them whereas it was not accepted from the other. [And Cain] said: 'I will surely slay thee!' [Abel] replied: 'Behold, God accepts only from those who are conscious of Him, Even if thou lay thy hand on me to slay me, I shall not lay my hand on thee to slay thee: behold, I fear God, the sustainer of all the worlds' (5:2728).

But the rejected brother refuses to listen to him and ultimately murders his brother. "But the other's passion drove him to slaying his brother; and he slew him: and thus he becomes one of the lost" (5:30). One who kills another ensures that he will be "lost" to God's guidance in this life. And denied entry to paradise in the Afterlife. Eventually, Cain realize the enormity of his deed, and he is stricken by remorse. "Thereupon God sent forth a raven which scratched the earth, to show him how he might conceal the nakedness of his brother's body. [And Cain] cried out: 'Oh, woe is me! Am I then too weak to do what this raven did, and to conceal then nakedness of my brother's body? – and was thereupon smitten with remorse' (5:31).

In sum, the Cain and Abel example underscores the sanctity and value of human life in Islam. As the moral of the story, God states, "Because of this did we ordain unto the children of Israel that if anyone slays a human being - unless it be [in punishment] for murder of for spreading corruption on earth – it shall be as though he had slain all mankind; whereas, if anyone saves a life, it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all mankind" (5:32). The value of merely one life is such that it is worth the lives of an entire nation. To murder another person is to murder one's own brother, since all human beings are the progeny of Adam.

God views murder as a major sin, condemning the offender in the Afterlife. This theme is mentioned, for example, in the following two hadiths. "One of the evil deeds with bad consequence which there is no escape for the one who is involved in it is to kill someone unlawfully." "the Prophet said, "The first cases to be decided among the people (on the Day of Resurrection) will be those of blood-shed."

The following three verses elaborate on the value of life, but also introduce the role of law to deal with murder as a crime, and not just as a sin. Surah al Furqan equates the sanctity of life with belief in a monotheistic God, illustrating the high value that life holds in Islam. "And who never invoke any [imaginary] deity side with God, and do not take any human being's life – [the life] which God has willed to be sacred – otherwise than in [the pursuit of] justice, and do not commit adultery. And [know that] he who commits aught thereof shall [not only] meet with a full requital (25:68).

If life has to be taken, it should only be through the due process of law, or "just cause." "Be they open or secret; and do not take any human being's life – [the life] which God has declared to be scared – otherwise than in (the pursuit of) justice: this has He enjoined upon you so that you might use your reason " (6:151).

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Accurate and Inaccurate Terminologies Combating radical ideologies and extremist thoughts is a collective responsibility which requires the unity of all nations and its different media outlets to counteract this heinous plague of extremism in our time. It is self-evident that these horrifying acts and horrendous beliefs cannot have any religious justification or faith-based reinforcement. These random shooting sprees and indiscriminate killings of innocent people from various ethnic origins, religious backgrounds and cultural orientation prove the inhumane and senseless nature of these flagrant acts of extremism.

Therefore, the international media should be aware of not attaching any religious identification in association with these heinous terrorist acts as this false labeling works only for the interests of these groups who are abusing religion to cover for their dastardly deeds. In addition to that, giving an Islamic association to the group of QSIS and other similar groups who brazenly claim religious affiliation to Islam creates in people’s minds tarnished images of Islam which subconsciously incite the fuel of Islamophobia and ignite waves of hatred and violence against Muslims across the world. 

Terminologies NOT to use in describing terrorist groups:

Terminologies that are religiously based or faith oriented carry in its fold negative connotations which are largely based on heinous stereotypes and ill-informed predispositions. These terminologies tarnish the image of Islam as it falsely attaches the horrendous acts of these extremist groups to the Islamic faith.

The terms are: Islamists, Islamic groups: are those who belong to an Islamic revivalist movement, often characterized by moral conservatism, literalism and the attempt to implement Islamic values in all spheres of life.

Jihadists, Jihadis: one engaged in personal struggle in devotion to Islam especially involving spiritual discipline. The aim of jihad is to defend the rights of the down-trodden and to establish justice.

Sheikhs, Emirs, Ulamas: an educated Muslim trained in religious law and doctrine and usually holding an official post.

ISIS, ISIL, Islamic state: a nation which is built on the principles of the Islamic Shariah and abides by its juristic rulings.

Fundamentalists, puritans, literalists: a person who follows strict moral rules and read the scriptural text in a rigid and direct way which has no room for interpretation or contextualization.

Holy war: a war or militant campaign waged by religious partisans to propagate or defend their faith. 

Terminologies to use in describing terrorist groups:

Terminologies used for describing extremists should not be associated with any religion or affiliated with any faith even if these groups falsely claim to base their horrifying acts on religion and associate their gruesome deeds with faith. By defying their blatant claim of religious association, we are actually facing these terrorist groups with who they truly are, a bunch of ruthless murderers who lost their sense of mercy, humanity and compassion.

The terms are: Terrorists, extremists, criminals, savages, murderers, killers, radicals, fanatics, rebels, slaughterers, executioners, assassins, slayers, destroyers, eradicators.

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