Q. Does Religion Produce Hardliners?

of present-day Muslims. All other issues of intolerance, extremism, and violence have branched out from their misconceptions about jihad. Trying to establish the rules of Shariah by force or through coercion is also an offshoot of this wrong concept of jihad. This concept is rooted in the political interpretation of Islam, which has no basis at all in Islam. It is a misinterpretation of Islam’s sources. It is a case of political extremism. The Quran instructs the believers not to be extremists in religion: “Commit no excesses in your religion.” (4:171) The teachings of Islam are a subject of self-following, while the political interpretation of Islam has wrongly projected them as a subject of implementation on others by force. Muslim extremism emanating from the political interpretation of Islam has no sanction in Islamic scriptures. It is a gross error of interpretation. Through my writings, I have shown the errors of the political misinterpretation of Islam. Once people understand that Islam does not sanction this interpretation and the violence it leads to, they generally stop supporting this ideology. As a result of such awakening, thousands of people have left extremism and have started peaceful work for constructive goals, such as in the fields of education and calling people to God. A most essential point for Muslims today is understanding the importance of peace. The present age is an age of peace. In present times, one can achieve everything one seeks using