Before the war against terrorism can come to any definitive conclusion, its underlying philosophy must first be identified, along with the means to be employed. The starting point is the assumption that violence is a virtue in itself and a powerful means to solve social or political problems. While killing the innocents, damaging public order, and disrupting peace, any terrorist acts under the influence of ideas that have been imposed on him, coaxing him to believe that he is engaged in a justified struggle. Terrorism can be healed only when such people understand the mistaken illogic of any ideology that inspires terrorism and incites to violence—and when they realize that going along with it can never get them anywhere. Until those ideologies’ errors and contradictions are revealed, all measures taken against terrorism can be short-term only. Soon terrorism will emerge again, in different places and under different circumstances, behind a different mask.
We can be put an end to terrorism only be destroying its ideological infrastructure. Modern terrorisms ideological foundations in fact go back to Social Darwinism and the materialist tendencies derived from it. People exposed to this indoctrination believe that life is a field of struggle, and that only the strong survive. The weak are condemned to be eliminated. Man and, in fact, the entire universe, are both products of chance, therefore, no one is responsible for his actions to anyone else. These and similar ideas inevitably coax people into leading an animalistic form of life, where ruthlessness, aggression and violence are regarded as acceptable or even virtuous.
Anyone who resorts to terrorism, maintaining that violence is the only way to achieve his aims, is actually under the influence of Social Darwinism and materialist thought, no matter what his religion or race, or what group he belongs to. Modern terrorist groups that claim to act in the name of religion are also under Darwinism influence and materialism, even though they claim to carry out their terroristic acts in the name of religion. This is because of anyone who lives by the morality or religion revealed by Allah, it is impossible to approve of violence of any kind, much less achieve a “higher†aim by murdering others. Those who resort to such methods are therefore pursuing the exact opposite of the moral values upheld by religion, carrying out their actions under the influence of materialist ideologies.
In Islam denounces Terrorism, it was made clear that Islam fiercely rejects all forms of terrorism, no matter whom it may be directed against. In the light of verses from the Quran, it was explained how religion’s morality calls people to peace, tolerance, and convenience. Also stressed was the dishonesty of condemning only those acts of terrorism directed against one’s own side.
Such an attitude only weakens the fight against terrorism; and anyone living according to Islamic morality needs to fight terror in all its all forms. The foundation of that intellectual struggle is based on revealing the true morality of religion.
Today’s politicians, political commentators and academics agree that by itself, military force is not enough to root out terrorism, but it can be eradicated: by means of peace, tolerance, and love. All the divinely-inspired religions that Allah sent down by means of His messengers are helpful guides. The only way to fight terrorism is to heal the root causes through the love, affection, compassion, humility, forgiveness, tolerance and concepts of justice that religion’s morality instills in people—whom, following the verse from Quran “Allah calls to the Abode of Peace…†such fortunates will do their utmost to build a world full of peace and love.
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