Page 124 - Islam Denounces Terrorism

122 Islam Denounces Terrorism

Therefore, it is of paramount importance that in the efforts to
explain the fact that Islam is a religion of peace, their explanations
must be based on the Qur'an. It is technically impossible for a person
who defends a version of Islam that is full of the radicals' supersti-

tions, fabricated hadiths and accounts to talk about peace and love.

This truth provides guidance not only to Muslims but also to the
Western world that wishes to stop terrorism: The way to stop the so-
called Islamic terrorism is intellectually eradicating the ideas that
feed it. As long as the radical state of mind persists, bombing the

Muslim world with drones, sending troops, or killing terrorist lead-
ers, retaliating to violence with more violence, will not end terrorism.
On the contrary, it will fuel it and make it even a bigger monster.
Anything that would exacerbate hatred and hostility should be care-

fully avoided and an environment of ideas rather than one of
weapons should be built.

Let us reiterate: terror is unacceptable in any form. In particular,
equating Islam, which regards the killing of one person as equivalent
to the killing of all mankind, with terror is one of the most terrible
tragedies of our century. However, terror will not disappear by hold-

ing protest marches on the streets, nor through condemnations by
politicians, nor through simply repeating, "Islam is a religion of
peace." The fact that Islam is a religion of peace is in the Qur'an, and

that fact needs to be proclaimed to the world, persistently and with
full supporting evidence, through education. The Islamic world also
needs to be purged of nonsense: Western support is of course impor-
tant for that, but it is Muslims who need to do the job.